GP 273 Norrlanda Bjärs

Context and Discovery
“This picture stone was found in 1935 by the primary school teacher Emil Norrby while cultivating a meadow on the piece of land called ‘Lilläng’, which belongs to Bjärs farm, several stone’s throws [i.e., circa 150 m] southwest of the farmstead, in a row of grass-covered boulders and unhewn stones that once formed an enclosure” (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 105). Norrby removed the stone from the stone enclosure (vast) and donated it to the recently established small open-air museum ʻNorrlanda fornstugaʼ in Burs, which is situated about 1.3 km northwest of the find spot. The stone is still on exhibition there and kept indoors. All information about the discovery, restoration, and destination of the picture stone are documented by letters kept in ATA (dnr 3303–3305/35; 2160/37; 3668/37).

Measurements, Material and Condition
When it was discovered, the stone was broken into three pieces – the upper piece represented the stone’s head as well as parts of its neck and upper body, the middle fragment represented the monument’s lower image field, and the lower piece the base as well as the massive foot-like root. One piece, broken off the stone’s upper right edge, including the right corner of the head, is lost. Another small piece is broken off the stone’s left edge. The three fragments were assembled in the open-air museum in 1937 by drilling holes into the stones and connecting them with iron rods and concrete. The broken part at the left edge of the head was reconstructed. A photo of the reconstructed and painted stone is provided by Lindqvist (1941/42 II, fig. 469; cf. ATA 1820:19), and a photo of the reconstructed but unpainted monument, on which both breaks are visible, is kept in ATA.

Lindqvist describes the stone as follows: “Limestone slab, about 5 cm thick above the root. The root itself is up to 10 cm thick. The decorated face is hewn above the root. This also applies to the narrow sides across their width of 4 cm. The narrow sides are divided from the decorated broad side by a chamfer. The reverse is rough and uneven. The stone’s total height is 115 cm, between the top and the lower edge of the decoration, it is 81 cm. At the base (at the bottommost part of the decoration), the stone is 42.5 cm wide, half-way up (or as far upwards as possible now for an exact measurement), the stone has a width of 42.5 cm. Between the corners (according to the reconstruction) and on a level with the ship’s hull, the width is 51.5 cm” (1941/42 II, p. 105).

Description of Ornament and Images
The stone was painted by M. Stenberger in 1937. The stone is framed by a border with a geometrical pattern, namely a more sophisticated and elaborate version of the geometricized twisted cord pattern that is typical for middle-type picture stones. The decorated surface is divided by a wide horizontal border, which features a geometric step pattern, as well. In the upper field, a simple ship image can be seen, with towering stems that sharply bend inwards, a mast, and a small rectangular sail. The lower image field is filled by a rhombic grid pattern. There is a group of middle-type picture stones that depict a similar rhombic-pattern (see IX), which have been proposed to represent (symbolise) a ship’s sail, which is not entirely convincing (Guber 2011, p. 67).

Interpretation of the Imagery
No interpretation

Type and Dating
Middle-type picture stone, i.e., Type B according to Lindqvist, dating to between AD 500 and 700. The stone belongs to those Type B stones described by Lindqvist (1941/42 I, pp. 38–39) as ʻdwarf stonesʼ with convex head and corners protruding horizontally. Lindqvist assigns Norrlanda Bjärs to his so-called Stenstugruppe (1941/42 I, pp. 37–38), which is characterized by the shape as well as depictions of aquatic birds in the lower and a simple vessel (i.e., ships of the Rikvidetyp – ibid. I, p. 66) in the upper field of the stone. However, Lindqvist does not exclusively assign stones with bird depictions to this group. The monuments of the Stenstugruppe are frequently decorated on both sides, unlike Norrlanda Bjärs. Lindqvist considers them to have been placed pairwise on graves.

The rhombic pattern in the lower field is similar to GP 193 Hellvi Ire III; GP 340 Sanda Sandegårda I; GP 354 Sjonhem Lilla Sojvide; and GP 92 Gammelgarn Rommunds. The best parallel to the Norrlanda stone’s elaborate version of the geometricized interlace pattern is GP 142 Halla Broa VII.

According to Martin Rundkvist’s (2012, p. 159) typology, the stone’s shape represents Type dwarf3, belonging to his period 3, which he dates to the Middle Vendel Period. Varenius (1992, p. 58, appendix 2) assigns the ship depiction on Norrlanda Bjärs to his group II (skepp med enkel rigg), which he dates to the period between the 7th and the 9th century.
GP 193 Hellvi Ire III
GP 340 Sanda Sandegårda I
GP 354 Sjonhem Lilla Sojvide
GP 92 Gammelgarn Rommunds
GP 142 Halla Broa VII