GP 76 Eskelhem kyrka

Context and Discovery
The fragment was identified by Beata Böttger-Niedenzu in 1984. In 1982, she submitted her master’s thesis on Gotland’s picture stones to the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, and during the years 1981 to 1985, she visited the Gotlandic rural churches, discovering not fewer than 38 previously unknown picture stones, which she published in a brief catalogue in 1988. The Eskelhem fragment is incorporated into the floor of the choir, in front of the steps to the altar, near to the southern wall. It lies right next to (i.e., south of) the grave slab of the priest Halvid, who died 1338. According to the 1976 inventory, there are two picture stone fragments in the church, which is obviously wrong.

Lagerlöf and Svahnström 1991, pp. 121–122) outline the building history of the church as follows: The first known church on the site was a wooden church, the foundations of which have been found under the floor of the current nave. The wooden church was replaced around 1200 by a Romanesque stone church consisting of a nave and a choir with an apse, parts of which have been preserved under the floor. The nave of this church is still standing. In the middle of the 13th century, the tower was added to the west. The new Gothic choir was built in the middle of the 14th century (in “Sveriges Kyrkor”; however, it is dated to around 1270, see Roosval 1942, pp.195–217).

Measurements, Material and Condition
The fragment represents the upper part of a large, originally mushroom-shaped picture stone, which has been trimmed to an approximately rectangular shape and now measures about 1.15 x 0.95 m. The surface of the relatively dark limestone slab has been heavily rubbed by footsteps and is correspondingly smooth. In part, the original relief depictions have been almost destroyed as a result, but in places they are quite well preserved and recognizable. In 2015, a heavy candlestick rested on the picture stone and left deep scratches.

Description of Ornament and Images
On the rectangular slab, the image fields of the head and neck of the picture stone are completely preserved, including the inner frame line; in places, parts of the framing interlace border can also be seen. Böttger-Niedenzu, who examined the stone in 1984, describes the remaining carvings in detail and provides drawings of two of the panels (which in her terminology are called ʻzonesʼ) (1988, pp. 6–7, drawing 2 [zone 2] and 3 [zone 3]), while photos of them and photos of the depictions traced on transparent foil are kept in ATA.

“Preserved are the head of the picture stone, divided into 2 zones (hereafter called zone 1 and zone 2), and the upper part of the body of the picture stone [i.e., the neck] with two zones (hereafter called zone 3 and zone 4), of zone 4 only the upper left corner is preserved. [...]

Zone 1: A triangular element hovers at the left edge. Below it a rectangular object is located. To the right of both stands a male person, facing the centre of the zone. On the right half another man. Possibly a third person between the two men.

Zone 2: In the left part a rectangular area (house?), in the lower left corner of which a man is sitting with his face turned inwards. Immediately in front of him either another person or an object held upright by him. To the right of the centre of the house-like area, a wide-framed rectangle, possibly with loops in it. Outside the house-like area at the right edge of the zone the back part of an animal (horse?) facing left. Centre of zone heavily worn.

Zone 3: […] The right half is occupied by a horse with rider facing left. One of the horse’s forelegs is bent backwards. There are acute triangles between the front and the hind legs. A band encircles the two triangles and connects them, looping into a large knot below the horse’s belly. A triangular element (possibly interlocking triangles) hovers above the horse’s neck. The rider has a stick-like object (spear?) on his shoulder. Behind the rider’s back is possibly another triangular structure. The left half of the zone is heavily worn towards the edge border. Towards the centre of the stone, facing the horse, a standing female person (recognisable by her hairstyle and clothing) is seen holding an unidentifiable object towards the horse in one hand and holding a similarly unidentifiable object in the other hand at the level of the horse’s chest.”

No carvings have survived in the small part preserved from panel 4. On the horizontal band between panels 3 and 4, which is formed by two parallel lines, a runic inscription is placed (s. VIII). The horizontal border separating the second and third panels is framed by two double lines and filled with a zigzag or rhombus pattern. The first and second panels appear to be separated only by a single horizontal line. Based on the RTI technique in particular, Oehrl (2019, pp. 278–279, figs. 334a–338c) was able to confirm most of the elements described by Böttger-Niedenzu and improve her results in one point: The figure on the left of the second panel holds a large ring in his outstretched hand and is facing a structure reminiscent of a building with a door frame and domed roof, similar to the one on GP 21 Ardre kyrka VIII and GP 5 Alskog Tjängvide I (ibid. figs. 337a–b, 338c).
GP 21 Ardre kyrka VIII
GP 5 Alskog Tjängvide I

Interpretation of the Imagery
Regarding the eschatological interpretation of the horseman and woman motif on Viking Period Gotlandic picture stones, see in particular GP 390 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs III. As for the ring bearer in the second panel of the head, refer to GP 258 Lärbro Tängelgårda I, on which a ring symbolism may be connected with Old Norse skaldic poetry.
GP 390 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs III
GP0258

Type and Dating
Tall late-type picture stone, ʻAbschnittʼ C/D according to Lindqvist’s typology. Those monuments can roughly be dated to between the 8th century (or around AD 800) and the 10th century. An important clue to the closer dating of the stone is provided by the runes (see VIII), which can partly be classified as short-branch runes whose emergence cannot be dated to before AD 800. The arrangement of the imagery on the Eskelhem stone is remarkable: the head field shows two panels with unusual figural representations, while the horseman and woman motif appear below the head. This atypical division and placement of the images can occasionally be observed in the so-called Lärbro group, see GP 255 Lärbro St. Hammars III. The knotted element under the horse is reminiscent of the depictions of GP 21 Ardre kyrka VIII and GP 5 Alskog Tjängvide I.
GP0255
GP 21 Ardre kyrka VIII
GP 5 Alskog Tjängvide I

References
Böttger-Niedenzu 1988, pp. 5–7, drawings 2–3, figs. 3–4; Oehrl 2019a, pp. 278–280, figs. 339a–d; Källström 2020, pp. 139–140, fig. 7.

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