GP 263 Lärbro Pavals

Context and Discovery
There is no detailed information about the find situation; the catalogue of Statens Historiska Museum in Stockholm only notes that the stone was brought in in 1912 and that it had been used as a stair step for a long time before that. The catalogue also includes a drawing of the picture stone fragment by Olof Sörling, which also appears in Lindqvist’s book (1941/42 II, fig. 447).

Measurements, Material and Condition
Lindqvist describes the stone as follows (1941/42 II, p. 91): “Fragment representing the upper part of a picture stone. Limestone slab, 15 cm thick. The obverse, which – particularly above the fragment’s middle section – has suffered severely from footsteps, appears to have been hewn flat and polished. The upper narrow side is slightly convex (the arc’s height is 6 cm to 89 cm between the upper corners), while the vertical narrow sides are slightly concave longitudinally. The narrow sides on the whole are hewn flat for their full width, but at least one of them features shallow grooves, about 1 inch wide, running across it. These grooves in turn have diagonal grooves, each in alternating directions. The reverse is raw. The broken edge runs parallel to the upper edge at a distance of about 46 cm; here, the stone’s width is 78 cm.” The stone is almost undamaged, and the carvings are easily discernible (photos of unpainted stone: ibid. I, fig. 3; ATA run- och bildstenssamling 1719:29, 12750).

Description of Ornament and Images
“The decoration consists of a 1.5 cm wide groove, which is 3 mm deep and has small depressions, following the stone’s outer edges. Inside of it, along the upper edge, there are eleven semicircular arcs made of similar, but only 7–10 mm wide grooves, in the corners, small, triangular shapes with slightly concave sides. Along the vertical edges, mythical animals are shown that perhaps are corrupted derivatives of the classic dolphins, and then – if this assumption is correct – are depicted as common designs for their models, with the forked tails pointing upwards and the jaw (with spikes!) downwards. Such an interpretation appears to me at least a possibility and in my opinion should not be disregarded, although the similar mythical creatures of [GP 506 Tingstäde kyrka XVII] probably must be seen in a reverse manner (namely, with a forked head and a tail split into three). Like the grooves, the bases of the triangles and the dolphins are carved deeply. In the centre of the field, no traces of decoration can be discerned” (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, pp. 91–92).
GP 506 Tingstäde kyrka XVII

Interpretation of the Imagery
Lindqvist’s observation that the animals forming the edge decoration on Lärbro Pavals go back to Roman depictions of sea creatures is certainly correct (Lindqvist 1941/42 I, p. 89; II, pp. 91–92; see also Holmqvist 1952a, pp. 10–16, figs. 7–10; 1976, p. 562; Hauck 1983a, pp. 547, 551). The three-part end of the S-shaped serpentine creatures on Lärbro Pavals and GP 506 Tingstäde kyrka XVII, however, is rather to be understood as a three-part tail, which is quite characteristic for dolphins, ketoi and other sea creatures in Roman iconography. Anders Larsen (2009, pp. 40–41, fig. 40), who has examined the figures on Lärbro Pavals in detail using a 3D model, concludes that the stone rather shows creatures with a three-pronged tail end, an elongated horse’s head and a long-pointed ear (cf. Oehrl 2019a, p. 95, fig. 64d). According to Larsen, these are sea horses as seen on numerous Mediterranean mosaics of the imperial period. In “Gotlands Bildsteine” the horse’s head is indeed not really recognisable. Whether we are dealing with dolphins, seahorses, ketoi or other mythological, stylised sea creatures that cannot be further defined must remain open.

In Hauck’s view, the dolphin imitations on Gotland’s early picture stones also took on the meaning of their models on Roman and early Christian gravestones, where they were to be understood as saviours of humans and guides of the soul. Thus, according to Hauck, the appearance of these creatures fits well into the iconography of the Type A stones, in which he sees prayers carved in stone that quote the horrors of death as well as the promise of assistance and salvation. The main symbol of this is the large roundel with the whorl motif, which represents the sun and promises the eternal return of life (Hauck 1983a, esp. p. 547. cf. Pesch 2015b, p. 95).

For more information on sea creatures of Roman origin depicted on Type A picture stones see in particular GP 197 Hellvi Ire IV, GP 44 Bro kyrka II, GP 173 Hangvar Austers I, GP 269 Martebo kyrka 2. More elaborate information on the possible interpretation of whorl motifs and the iconography of the Type A picture stones can be obtained in the article on GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV.
GP 506 Tingstäde kyrka XVII
GP 197 Hellvi Ire IV
GP 44 Bro kyrka II
GP 173 Hangvar Austers I
GP 269 Martebo kyrka 2
GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV

Type and Dating
The fragment represents the head of a tall early-type picture stone, i.e. Type A according to Lindqvist’s typology, dating to between AD 400 and 600. Lindqvist classifies the fragment as representative of his northern Gotlandic Pavalsgruppe, named after Lärbro Pavals itself (1941/42 I, p. 27). Characteristic of this relatively small group of monuments is their less curved form with only a very slightly convex upper edge and hardly any protruding corners, and the depiction of rosettes and ʻdolphinʼ creatures.

References
Lindqvist 1941/42 I, pp. 27, 89, fig. 3; II, pp. 91–92, fig. 447; Holmqvist 1952a, p. 10; 1976, p. 562; Larsen 2009, pp. 40–41, fig. 40; Oehrl 2019a, pp. 9, 41, 95, 123, fig. 1c, 46d–e.

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