GP 506 Tingstäde kyrka XVII

Context and Discovery
The fragments GP 489–491, 496, 506 Tingstäde kyrka XV–XIX were observed lying on the church floor in 1914 by Efraim Lundmark. They originated from the nave’s gable wall, the masonry of the triumphal arch, in which a hole had been broken during the construction of a chimney. In the same year, all those fragments were taken to Gotlands Museum. Lundmark (1925, p. 173) emphasises that only a few of the relevant fragments originating from the triumphal arch were transferred to Gotlands Museum, while most of them were transported to the nearby lake Tingstäde träsk. Lindqvist adds in a footnote (1941/42 II, p. 135): “In 1920, several other stones were transferred to GF that came from the same part of the roof masonry as stones Nos. XV–XIX together with the note that they represented fragments of picture stones. They were entered in the inventory sheet as No. C4645–4658. They surely display – at least in part – trimming at their edges characteristic for the purpose they served in the masonry. I was not able, however, to find clear proof for the notion that these stones represent fragments of picture stones.”

In total, not fewer than 26 picture stones from Tingstäde church are registered in Lamm/Nylén 2003 – The stones Tingstäde kyrka I–XX were published by Lindqvist. In 1984, Beata Böttger-Niedenzu discovered GP 507–509 Tingstäde kyrka 21–23, and GP 494 Tingstäde kyrka 24. Two more stones, which are incorporated into the wall of the tower, were discovered between 1990 and 2002 (GP 497–498 Tingstäde kyrka 25–26). The first Romanesque building with a nave and an apsidal choir was erected during the 12th century. In the beginning of the 13th century, the nave was enlarged, and around the middle of the century the old choir was replaced by the present one. The Romanesque portal which today leads to the sacristy probably represents the choir portal of the 12th century church which was re-used in the new building.
GP 489 Tingstäde kyrka XV
GP 490 Tingstäde kyrka XVI
GP 491 Tingstäde kyrka XVIII
GP 496 Tingstäde kyrka XIX
GP 506 Tingstäde kyrka XVII
GP 507 Tingstäde kyrka 21
GP 508 Tingstäde kyrka 22
GP 509 Tingstäde kyrka 23
GP 494 Tingstäde kyrka 24
GP 497 Tingstäde kyrka 25
GP 498 Tingstäde kyrka 26

Measurements, Material and Condition
The small, roughly trapezoidal fragment preserves the original lateral edge of the picture stone on one side. “Limestone slab, about 10 cm thick. The obverse probably is naturally smooth but slightly curved. The rectilinear, 42 cm long section of the preserved narrow side is hewn flat at an acute angle towards the obverse, with a 1 cm wide chamfer in between. The reverse is raw. The maximum width of the fragment is 40.5 cm” (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 136). The carvings are well-preserved.

Description of Ornament and Images
In Lindqvist’s book (1941/42 I, fig. 4), a photo of the painted stone is reproduced; the original, taken by Harald Faith-Ell in 1937, is kept in ATA (Run- och bildstenssamling, B3:100, cf. 1718:23). The preserved and appropriately coloured carvings are easily discernible. Lindqvist (1941/42 II, p. 136) describes them as follows: “The decoration consists of a slightly chiselled, up to 14 mm wide groove running slightly more than 1 cm inside the chamfer and of a row (i.e., two complete and the front part of a third) of s-shaped ‘dolphins’ chiseled in the same manner, just inside of the groove. In the field inside of this border, the pointed terminal of another chiselled figure can be discerned.” The figures that Lindqvist refers to here as dolphins also appear on GP 263 Lärbro Pavals as border decoration. He regards them as mythical animals “[…] that perhaps are corrupted derivatives of the classic dolphins, and then – if this assumption is correct – are depicted pursuant to the common designs of 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 [Tingstäde kyrka XVII] probably must be seen in a reverse manner (that is, with a forked head and a tail split into three)” (ibid. pp. 91–92).
GP 263 Lärbro Pavals

Interpretation of the Imagery
Lindqvist’s observation that the animals forming the edge decoration on GP 263 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 GP 263 Lärbro Pavals and 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 263 Lärbro Pavals
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 belongs to a tall early-type picture stone, i.e., Type A according to Lindqvist’s typology, dating between AD 400 and 600. Lindqvist classifies the fragment as representative of his northern Gotlandic Pavalsgruppe, named after GP 263 Lärbro Pavals (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 (see VI and VII).
GP 263 Lärbro Pavals

References
Lundmark 1925, pp. 172–173; Lindqvist 1941/42 I, pp. 27, 89, fig. 4; II, p. 136; Holmqvist 1952a, p. 10; 1976, p. 562; Oehrl 2019a, pp. 95, 123.

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