Stora Hammars stones
The Stora Hammars image stones began their modern life in 1923 when two of them moved from the Stora Hammars farm to the Bungemuseet open-air museum. This transfer happened in Fårösund on the island of Gotland, Sweden. The remaining pair followed later, arriving at the same museum in 1946. Before these moves, all four stones sat quietly at the original farm location within Lärbro parish. Their journey from a rural field to a curated collection marked a shift from local landmark to national artifact.
Four Viking Age image stones dating from around the 8th century CE carry phallic shapes carved into their surfaces. Similar combinations of death with this erotic symbolism occur on other Gotland rune and image stones. Scholars note that such pairings appear repeatedly across the region during the Germanic Iron Age. The visual language links physical form directly to themes of mortality and fertility found throughout Norse pagan culture.
Six panels cover the face of the first stone, each showing mythological, religious or martial scenes. One panel depicts a woman standing between two men while another shows a sacrifice scene with a Valknut over an altar. A third panel illustrates a woman positioned between a longship filled with armed warriors and another group of fighting men. These images together interpret the legend of Hildr and its never-ending battle. A warrior appears about to be hanged in a tree, possibly as part of a blood eagle sacrifice. Nearby sits a shaped stone that one scholar suggests functions like the Elgesem runestone cult object.
The third stone contains four panels including a lower section showing a ship with warriors aboard. One panel has been interpreted as depicting Odin in the form of an eagle taking the mead of poetry. This legend appears described in section 6 of the Skáldskaparmál text. Gunnlöð holds the mead of poetry while Suttungr stands to the right of the eagle figure. Another panel shows a rider on a horse being greeted by a woman who may be a Valkyrie. That woman wears what looks like a long serk underdress which might be pleated beneath a short overdress.
Images on the second and fourth stones are very worn and not currently decipherable. Their surfaces have eroded over time leaving no clear visual information for modern analysis. Scholars cannot confirm specific scenes or figures on these two artifacts due to their degraded state. The lack of legible detail prevents definitive interpretation despite their historical importance from the 8th century CE period.
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Common questions
When were the Stora Hammars image stones moved to the Bungemuseet open-air museum?
Two of the Stora Hammars image stones began their modern life in 1923 when they moved from the Stora Hammars farm to the Bungemuseet open-air museum. The remaining pair followed later, arriving at the same museum in 1946.
What is the historical period and origin of the Stora Hammars image stones?
Four Viking Age image stones dating from around the 8th century CE carry phallic shapes carved into their surfaces. These artifacts originated within Lärbro parish on the island of Gotland, Sweden before being relocated to Fårösund.
Which mythological legend do the panels on the first Stora Hammars stone depict?
Six panels cover the face of the first stone each showing scenes that together interpret the legend of Hildr and its never-ending battle. One panel illustrates a woman positioned between a longship filled with armed warriors and another group of fighting men while another shows a sacrifice scene with a Valknut over an altar.
How does the third Stora Hammars stone relate to the Skáldskaparmál text?
One panel has been interpreted as depicting Odin in the form of an eagle taking the mead of poetry which appears described in section 6 of the Skáldskaparmál text. Gunnlöð holds the mead of poetry while Suttungr stands to the right of the eagle figure in this specific carving.
Why are the images on the second and fourth Stora Hammars stones not currently decipherable?
Images on the second and fourth stones are very worn and not currently decipherable because their surfaces have eroded over time leaving no clear visual information for modern analysis. Scholars cannot confirm specific scenes or figures on these two artifacts due to their degraded state despite their historical importance from the 8th century CE period.
All sources
9 references cited across the entry
- 1bookDas Frühmittelalterliche Königtum: Ideelle und Religiöse GrundlagenOlof Sundqvist — Walter de Gruyter — 2005
- 2bookWomen in the Viking AgeJudith Jesch — Boydell & Brewer — 1991
- 3webBrutal Viking ‘blood eagle’ ritual execution was anatomically possible – new researchLuke John Murphy et al. — 17 December 2021
- 4bookReligion of the Gods: Ritual, Paradox, and ReflexivityKimberley Christine Patton — Oxford University Press — 2009
- 5bookLanguages and Cultures: Studies in Honor of Edgar C. PoloméElmer H. Antonsen — Mouton de Gruyter — 1988
- 6bookThe Lost Beliefs of Northern EuropeHilda Roderick Ellis Davidson — Routledge — 1993
- 8bookOld Norse Religion in Long-Term Perspectives: Origins, Changes, and InteractionsAndreas Lundin — Nordic Academic Press — 2006
- 9webViking Women: UnderdressHilde Thunem