GP 215 Kräklingbo Smiss IV

Context and Discovery
Lindqvist only notes that the stone fragment was donated to Gotlands Museum by district physician Kurt Bergsröm in 1931 (1941/42 II, p. 82). According to letters kept in ATA (dnr 4111/31; 2928/31; 2932/31; 4818/31; 4111/31), it was discovered by the farmer Karl Båtelsson in 1931, among other stone pieces which formed the foundation of a fence post on the farmyard. Båtelsson gave it to the physician as a gift. Despite targeted efforts, no other fragments of the picture stones were found.

Measurements, Material and Condition
“Limestone slab, up to 8 cm thick. The obverse is worked and even. The narrow sides are hewn at right angles towards the obverse, with a chamfer in between. The reverse is rough and unworked. The fragment’s height is 31 cm, its width 32 cm” (Lindqvist 1941/42, p. 82). The fragment represents the major part of the head and neck of a small mushroom-shaped picture. Approximately the right third of the head and neck is broken off. The coarsely carved lines are clearly discernible; there are no traces of weathering or abrasion. The surface is remarkably even. The carvings have not been traced with paint.

Description of Ornament and Images
“The decoration, executed with lines with rounded bases, features – inside of a border with a simplified ‘twisted cord’ pattern – a running animal with a large antler (elk?) in the topmost panel as well as a section of a rectangular, chequered pattern (sail?) just below that” (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 82). The animal’s antler is drawn in a confusing way; however, it does not look like the shovel-shape of an elk’s antler but more like a stylised branched antler of a red deer stag. On two more Type B ʻdwarf stonesʼ deer representations can be seen. GP 74 Endre skog depicts a red deer stag over which an intertwined snake is positioned. GP 551 Väskinde Butter depicts a red deer stag eating a serpent. Furthermore, there are three late-type picture stones with deer depictions as well: GP 98 Garda kyrka II (two facing moose, which have an 8-shaped loop – maybe a snake? – between their mouths), the cist stone GP 195 Hellvi Ire 6 (a red deer stag attacked by two hunters), and GP 28 Bara Nederbjärs II (a red deer with long, backwards-turned antlers).
GP 74 Endre skog
GP 551 Väskinde Butter
GP 98 Garda kyrka II
GP0195
GP 28 Bara Nederbjärs II

Interpretation of the Imagery
For the interpretation of deer depictions (see VI) and, in particular, the (Christian) deer-and-serpent motif on Type B picture stones see GP 551 Väskinde Butter.
GP 551 Väskinde Butter

Type and Dating
The small size and the typical step pattern (probably to be regarded as simplified twisted cord pattern) indicate a middle-type picture stone, which means a Type B dwarf stone, dating to between AD 500 and 700. The monument belongs to the group of Type B stones with convex, almost semi-circular head with corners protruding downwards. Lindqvist does not assign it to any of his subgroups.

References
Lindqvist 1941/42 I, p. 89, fig. 66; II p. 82; Guber 2011, p. 132 cat. no. 46; Oehrl 2019a, p. 167.

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