— Ch. 1 · Discovery And Location —
Snottsta and Vreta stones.
~3 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
The farm Snottsta sits in Uppland, Sweden, exactly where it stood one thousand years ago when the first rune stones were carved. Four distinct stones mark this homestead, known today as U 329, U 330, U 331, and U 332. Three of these stones remain visible on the farms of Snottsta and Vreta. The fourth stone, U 332, has vanished from its original spot at Vreta. A dirt road runs beside U 329, while U 330 rests at the foot of a hill within a field. These physical locations anchor the story of Gerlög and Inga to the very soil they once owned.
Inscription Style And Dating
Scholars classify the carvings on these four stones using the runestone style Pr3. This specific artistic classification places their creation between the years 1050 and 1080. The stones were not all made at the same time. Evidence suggests U 329 was carved first, followed by U 20/21, with Gerlög's Hillersjö stone being the final piece added to the sequence. The younger futhark script used in these inscriptions speaks Old Norse, preserving the family history for over nine centuries.The Inheritance Saga Of Inga
Ragnfast died without leaving a son named in the text, yet his widow Inga inherited the estate. The central message across multiple stones confirms that she took ownership after her husband passed away. One inscription at Vreta explicitly states that she inherited her child. Another stone notes that Ragnfast was the sole inheritor of Snottsta from his father Sigfast. This legal succession meant Inga held the property rights while her husband's sisters remained excluded from the inheritance claim.Family Connections And Estrid