Two medieval artifacts with runic inscriptions found in Norway
Archaeologists excavating the medieval park in Oslo, Norway, have unearthed two objects – pieces of bone and wood – bearing runes.
“The first finding is a piece of bone with 13 runes on one side and a single rune on the other,” said Professor Kristel Zilmer, a researcher at the University of Oslo.
“The main inscription indicates basmarþærbæin which can either refer to the name of a person who owned (i.e. used) the bone or can describe the type of bone.
According to the team, the last four runes well – Old Norse to be meaning “bone” – refer to the bone itself.
“But our understanding of the whole text depends on how we interpret the first part of the inscription,” Prof Zilmer said.
“Basmarþær may contain the genitive Marðar, which can be explained by the Scandinavian personal name Tue / Mård. To this we added the name of the bottom element.
“Low because the first element in the names is unusual. However, something similar can be found in an inscription on a gravestone in Skålvoll, as a spelling for Bats, genitive of the nickname Batr, that is to say boat. If this is the case, then the text can mean “the bone of the boat-Mård”.
“The reason for writing on the bone was not necessarily to show ownership of it, but maybe Mård sat there with free time after eating a meal, and took the opportunity to turn the rest of the dinner into a writing tablet? “
“The other possible interpretation is the composition of words a little funny bas-marðarbein, which means ‘goat bone (barn)’.
“Mǫrðr appears in Old Norse as a peculiar poetic label for the ram, ”said Professor Zilmer.
“Although the bone does not appear to be sheep bone, it cannot be ruled out. If the bone is from a horse or cow, is the misleading inscription intended to entertain? “
The second artifact found by archaeologists is a flat piece of wood with an inscription on three of its sides.
They believe the text combines religious texts in Latin and Old Norse.
“On the one hand, we notice two words in Latin: manus and Dominated Where Domini. Manus means “main” and Dominus ‘Lord, God’, ”they said.
“This is part of a well-known Latin prayer formula: In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum (Into your hands, O Lord, I commit my spirit), known as the last words of Jesus on the cross.
“The Old Norse text on the second side includes the name Bryngærðr. “
“On the third (narrow) side, 8 small runes can have meaning either as a Latin statement or as a continuation of the Old Norse text. In the latter case, it may be the expression “it is true”.
“One possible interpretation is that the inscription contains a short prayer telling the reader Bryngærðr who put himself in the hands of God.
Both artifacts came from layers of rubbish, likely related to reclamation of land in flood-prone areas of Oslo.
“The bone can relate to the earliest period of settlement as it was found near natural deposits,” said Dr Mark Oldham, chief of the excavation.
“We can’t say exactly how old these two rune finds are yet, but scientific testing will hopefully provide the answers.”
“Similar runic finds in Norway date from the period 1100-1350 CE, while some are older. However, it is possible to date texts by examining the spelling and the use of certain characters.
“The use of so-called dotted runes on the wooden staff, as well as the distinction between a-rune and -rune on the bone are characteristics of medieval runes,” Professor Zilmer said.