The Stora Hammars stones are housed at Bungemuseet, an open-air museum in Fårösund on the island of Gotland, Sweden. They were originally found at the Stora Hammars farm near Lärbro parish. Two were transferred to the museum in 1923 and two more in 1946.
How old are the Stora Hammars image stones?
The Stora Hammars stones date from around the 8th century CE, placing them in the Viking Age and the broader Germanic Iron Age.
What is depicted on the Stora Hammars I stone?
Stora Hammars I has six panels showing mythological, religious, and martial scenes. These include a sacrifice scene with a Valknut over an altar, a longship crewed by armed warriors, a woman standing between two groups of men, and a warrior about to be hanged in a tree. The stone is interpreted as illustrating the legend of Hildr and its never-ending battle.
What does the Valknut symbol on Stora Hammars I mean?
The Valknut on Stora Hammars I is considered Odin's cult symbol. Its placement near a figure about to be hanged is seen as lending validity to accounts of human sacrifice by hanging in Norse paganism.
What myth is shown on the Stora Hammars III stone?
One panel on Stora Hammars III depicts Odin in the form of an eagle stealing the mead of poetry. The figures of Gunnlöð and Suttungr appear to the right of the eagle, matching the legend as described in section 6 of the Skáldskaparmál.
How many Stora Hammars stones can still be read today?
Two of the four Stora Hammars stones are still legible. The images on Stora Hammars II and IV are too worn to be deciphered. Stones I and III retain readable carved panels.