GP 71 Ekeby kyrka
mer grejer
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Parish Find Location ⓘEkeby
Find Location ⓘIn a grave outside the church, north of the choir wall.
Find Context Classification ⓘChurchyard
Coordinate Find Location (lat) ⓘ6389076
Coordinate Find Location (long) ⓘ710030
Parish Present Location ⓘEkeby
Present Location ⓘIn the church.
Present Location Classification ⓘChurch
Coordinate Present Location (lat) ⓘ6389076
Coordinate Present Location (long) ⓘ710030
MaterialLimestone
Height ⓘ115
Width ⓘ43
Thickness ⓘ8
Lindqvist Type E (ca. 1000-1150)
Lindqvist Shape Tall stone
Runic Inscription or not ⓘNo
Context and Discovery ⓘThe picture stone was found in the spring of 1924 during foundation work for a sacristy and a central heating system next to the church. On this occasion, six medieval coffins made of limestone slabs were uncovered. In one of these coffins, namely no. V, the picture stone had been used secondarily as an upright slab of the long side. The stone was transferred to the church, where it still is on open display in the choir (Edle 1923; Lindqvist 1941/42 II, pp. 40–41).
According to Alfred Edle, upon the discovery of the stone, the congregation and the vicar desired to keep it, and he therefore carefully placed the stone against the wall inside the choir. However, on a visit in 1924, Edle notes with apparent irritation that the medieval graves that should have been protected had been destroyed and that the picture stone had been carelessly shoved into a shed on the churchyard. Edle writes to the national antiquarian that the congregation by their neglect must have forfeited their right to keep the stone and suggests that it should be transferred to the museum (Edle 1924). Soon afterwards, the national antiquarian Sigurd Curman in a letter to the congregation asks for an explanation (Curman 1924). The vicar answers that contrary to Edle’s view, the stone was not placed in any ordinary shed for work tools, but in a special room meant for the storage of ancient objects and that others considered the room as particularly adequate for this purpose (Lundblad 1924).
There are fragments of a medieval runic grave monument in the church (G 226), but this slab is not a part of that monument. According to Snaedal, the relief carved ornament of the GP 71 stone is similar to GP 480 Stånga kyrka I (G 86) and GP 18 Ardre kyrka (G 114 IV) (GR 3, Ekeby socken, see G 226). From the same parish, we know of three small runestone fragments from Ekeby Annexhemman (GP 70 Ekeby Annexhemman) belonging to two different 11th-century runestones (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 40 note 1; GR3, Ekeby socken, G 227 and G 228). As yet, we do not know of any older picture stones from this parish.
The church was built in the late 12th century, except the sacristy which was built in 1923 (BeBR; Lundmark, 1931, s. 440).
LKÅGP 480 Stånga kyrka IGP 18 Ardre kyrka VIGP0070
Measurements, Material and Condition ⓘThe fragment is 1.15 m long and 0.41–0.43 cm wide. It is 0.08 m thick at the top, 0.16 m at the root. Both broad sides have been hewn reasonably flat and then furnished with decorations and 5–9 mm deep background fields that go down 85 cm below the current upper edge. Limestone. The picture stone has been mutilated into a rectangular shape, a bit narrower at the top, so that nothing remains of the original narrow sides (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 41; Fornsök). The stone was used as a side slab in a medieval grave.
LKÅ
Description of Ornament and Images ⓘThe relief ornament on both sides was deeply carved. Face B is entirely covered with symmetrically arranged interlace loops of rune style. The loops generally are 2–3 cm wide and bordered towards the background by chamfers. At intersections, they are separated by lines of up to 3-mm depth and of acute-angled profile (Lundmark 1931, p. 462; Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 41).
Face A was divided into two separate fields by a horizontal line. In the lower field, there is a loop with an animal head, i.e., a so-called runic animal (Lundmark 1931, p. 462). The relief is similar to that on Face B, though damaged by footsteps.
The upper panel is preserved to a height of up to 25 cm and features a horse pulling a four-wheeled cart with one person sitting in it. This person has curled neck hair and holds a rein. In front of the wagon, the reins form a meandering ornament. In front of the horse, there is a woman standing with a small basket and possibly holding a horn. Lundmark indicates that one of the human figures appears to offer the horse a drink (Lundmark 1931, p. 462). Lindqvist describes her as with a scarf on her back and curled neck hair. Above her is a small roundel disc, probably with a faint circle 1 cm inside of the periphery (diameter 5.5 cm). Above the horse’s neck is the lower part of a man with an unknown object in his hand; behind him and to the right is a rider or perhaps rather a dog with a severely humped back as well as the remains of another figure above it. Above the loop of the rein is the lower part of another figure of a man, according to both Lindqvist and Böttger-Niedenzu probably a man (Böttger-Niedenzu 1982, p. 45; Lindqvist, 1941/42 II, p. 41).
There are some exceedingly thin lines that are witness of the stone carver’s first sketch by a pointed tool, before he chiselled away the areas outside and between the loops and the figures. The sketch lines have only partly been followed. Lundmark indicates that the confident drawing of the lines shows that the artist was skilled. He indicates that the ornament style is similar to that of the Ardre stones nr. III and VI (G 114), as well as a runestone fragment from Stånga kyrka (G 86) (Lundmark 1931, p. 462).
LKÅ
Interpretation of the Imagery ⓘThe wagon scene in a picture stone context has often been interpreted as related to women and as a female counterpart to the mounted warrior and the journey to Valhalla (see GP 231 Levide for a discussion of wagons and sleighs). Bertil Almgren indicates that this stone and GP 231 Levide are evidence that it was customary to travel by wagon in 11th-century Gotland and that it had just as high status as riding. Almgren further calls attention to iron fittings for a wagon found in the contemporary Viking Age tool chest from Mästerby (Almgren 1946, p. 89). On this stone, the driver has been seen as an obvious woman (Oehrl 2017, p. 50).
LKÅGP 231 Levide kyrka (I)
Type and Dating ⓘType E. This is a late picture stone, possibly originally with runes, which has been reshaped to a rectangular grave slab. The runic animals can be classified as Gräslund’s style-group Pr4, indicating a date to c. AD 1050–1080 (Gräslund 2002, s. 144).
LKÅ
References ⓘEdle 1923, 1924; Lundblad 1924; Lundmark 1931, pp. 460–462, Fig. 539, Fig. 540; Lindqvist 1941/42 II, pp. 40–41, Fig. 180, Fig. 181, Fig. 344; Almgren 1946, pp. 89–90, fig. 3; Böttger-Niedenzu 1982, p. 45; Oehrl 2017, pp. 16, 50.
TitleGP 71 Ekeby kyrka
Fornsök ID ⓘL1977:759
RAÄ ID ⓘEkeby 27:2
Jan Peder Lamm ID51
Lindqvist Title ⓘEkeby, Kirche
Last modifed Oct 7, 2024 Developer Data Identifier: GP0071-3DID: 46043D-modelPart1 Depth nullPart1 RGB null
- GF_Ekeby_foto_kyrka_allmänt_gårdar_A-Ö_kyrka_original_c.jpg
- ATA_Ekeby_sn_socken_kyrkan_Alfred_Edle_1923_a.pdf
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- ATA_Ekeby_sn_socken_kyrkan_August_Sundblad_1924.pdf
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- ATA_Ekeby_sn_socken_kyrkan_Fürst_1923_a.pdf
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- ATA_kyrkor_Gotland_Ekeby_Edle_1923_a.pdf
- ATA_kyrkor_Gotland_Ekeby_Edle_1923_b.pdf
- GF_Ekeby_foto_kyrka_allmänt_gårdar_A-Ö_kyrka_original_a.jpg
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