Bryggen Runic inscription 257

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Coordinates: 60°23′53″N 5°19′12″E / 60.398°N 5.32°E / 60.398; 5.32
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60°23′53″N 5°19′12″E / 60.398°N 5.32°E / 60.398; 5.32

Bergen rune charm
Detail of side B of the stick, the section shown is ua=lkyrriu : sua:at : eæi mehi : þo:at.
WritingYounger Futhark
Createdca. 1335
Discovered20th century
Søndre Gullskoen, Bryggen, Bergen
CultureNorse
Rundata IDN B257
Text – Native
Old Norse: See article.
Translation
See article.

The Bergen rune charm is a runic inscription on a piece of wood found among the medieval rune-staves of Bergen. It is noted for its similarities to the Eddaic poem Skírnismál (particularly stanza 36);[1] as a rare example of a poetic rune-stave inscription; and of runes being used in love magic.

The inscription has number 257 in the Bryggen inscriptions numbering and N B257 (Norway Bryggen no. 257) in the Rundata database, and P 6 in McKinnell, Simek and Düwel's collection.[2]

It is thought to date from the fourteenth century.[3]

Description[edit]

The stave is four-sided, with text on each side, but one end is missing, leaving the text of each side incomplete. It is dated to ca. 1335, making it roughly contemporary to the Ribe healing-stick (ca. 1300).

Inscription[edit]

The Scandinavian Runic-text Database (Rundata) gives the following transliteration, normalization, and translation for the stick:[4]

§A

rist

Ríst

e=k

ek

:

 

bot:runa=r

bótrúnar,

:

 

rist

ríst

:

 

e=k

ek

biabh:runa=r

bjargrúnar,

:

 

eæin:fa=l

einfalt

uiþ

við

:

 

a=luom

alfum,

:

 

tuiua=lt

tvífalt

uiþ

við

:

 

t=rolom

trollum,

:

 

þreua=lt

þrífalt

:

 

uiþ

við

:

 

þ(u)--

þurs[um],

rist e=k : bot:runa=r : rist : e=k biabh:runa=r : eæin:fa=l uiþ : a=luom : tuiua=lt uiþ : t=rolom : þreua=lt : uiþ : þ(u)--

Ríst ek {} bótrúnar, {} ríst {} ek bjargrúnar, {} einfalt við {} alfum, {} tvífalt við {} trollum, {} þrífalt {} við {} þurs[um],

I cut runes of help; I cut runes of protection; once against the elves, twice against the trolls, thrice against the ogres …

§B

uiþ

við

e=nne

inni

:

 

skøþo

skoðu

:

 

skah

skag(?)

:

 

ua=lkyrriu

valkyrju,

:

 

sua:at

svát

:

 

eæi

ei

mehi

megi,

:

 

þo:at

þótt

æ

æ

uili

vili,

:

 

læuis

lævís

:

 

kona

kona,

:

 

liui

lífi

:

 

þinu

þínu

g-

g[randa],

-

…

uiþ e=nne : skøþo : skah : ua=lkyrriu : sua:at : eæi mehi : þo:at æ uili : læuis : kona : liui : þinu g- -

við inni {} skoðu {} skag(?) {} valkyrju, {} svát {} ei megi, {} þótt æ vili, {} lævís {} kona, {} lífi {} þínu g[randa], …

against the harmful 'skag'-valkyrie, so that she never shall, though she ever would-evil woman!-(injure) your life …

§C

e=k

ek

sende=r

sendi

:

 

þer

þér,

:

 

ek

ek

se

sé

a

á

þe=r

þér,

:

 

ylhia=r

ylgjar

:

 

e=rhi

ergi

o=k

ok

oþola

úþola.

:

 

a

Á

þe=r

þér

:

 

rini

hríni

:

 

uþole

úþoli

:

 

a=uk

ok

:

 

i(a)luns

ioluns(?)

:

 

moþ

móð.

:

 

sittu

Sittu

:

 

ald=ri

aldri,

:

 

sop

sof

þu

þú

:

 

ald=r(i)

aldri

-

…

e=k sende=r : þer : ek se a þe=r : ylhia=r : e=rhi o=k oþola : a þe=r : rini : uþole : a=uk : i(a)luns : moþ : sittu : ald=ri : sop þu : ald=r(i) -

ek sendi {} þér, {} ek sé á þér, {} ylgjar {} ergi ok úþola. {} Á þér {} hríni {} úþoli {} ok {} ioluns(?) {} móð. {} Sittu {} aldri, {} sof þú {} aldri …

I send to you, I look at you (= cast on you with the evil eye): wolfish evil and hatefulness. May unbearable distress and 'ioluns' misery take effect on you. Never shall you sit, never shall you sleep, …

§D

a=nt

ant

:

 

mer

mér

:

 

sem

sem

:

 

sialpre

sjalfri

:

 

þer

þér.

:

 

beirist

Beirist(?)

:

 

rubus

rubus

:

 

rabus

rabus

:

 

eþ

et

:

 

arantabus

arantabus

:

 

laus

laus

:

 

abus

abus

:

 

rosa

rosa

:

 

ga=ua

gaua

--

…

a=nt : mer : sem : sialpre : þer : beirist : rubus : rabus : eþ : arantabus : laus : abus : rosa : ga=ua --

ant {} mér {} sem {} sjalfri {} þér. {} Beirist(?) {} rubus {} rabus {} et {} arantabus {} laus {} abus {} rosa {} gaua …

(that you) love me as yourself. [Latinate magical words] and [magical words] …

Translation[edit]

Interpretation of McKinnell, Simek, Düwel and Hall[edit]

As normalised and edited by McKinnell, Simek and Düwel, and 'somewhat tentatively' translated by Hall, the charm reads:[5]

Theories[edit]

In the view of McKinnell, Simek and Düwel,

it is by no means certain that the inscriptions on all four sides of this stick belong to the same charm. A and B look like part of a protective charm against demons, while C and D seem to be love-magic of the most forbidden kind. However, it remains possible that they represent two contrary aspects of the same spell – a blessing if the woman gives her love to the carver combined with a curse if she refuses it.

They point out that the addressee of side D is a woman, on account of the feminine form sjalfri.[6]

Parallels[edit]

It has been noted that the inscription has close parallels to magic charms found in eddic poetry, especially verse 36 of the poem Skírnismál.[1] According to Finnur Jónsson's 1932 edition of the poem and Carolyne Larrington's 2014 translation (with the line breaks adjusted to match the original):

  1. ^ Larrington's footnote: [R]unes were the pre-Christian writing system in Scandinavia. Each rune represented both a sound (e.g. ‘h’) and a concept (e.g. ‘hail’ for the ‘h’ rune); they could be used for magical purposes, both for good and evil. See the Lay of Sigrdrifa, vv. 6–13. The first rune ‘ogre’ (þurs) is normally called ‘thorn’, but þurs is given as the name of this rune in the Norwegian Rune Poem, v. 3.

Images[edit]

There is a photograph of a detail of the stave in Aslak Liestøl, ‘Runer frå Bryggen’, Viking: Tidsskrift for norrøn arkeologi, 27 (1964), 5–53, reproduced in Stephen A. Mitchell, ‘Anaphrodisiac Charms in the Nordic Middle Ages: Impotence, Infertility and Magic’, Norveg, 41 (1998), 19-42 (p. 29).

Gallery[edit]

  • Side A, starting with rist e=k : bot:runa=r :.
    Side A, starting with rist e=k : bot:runa=r :.
  • Side B, starting with uiþ e=nne :.
    Side B, starting with uiþ e=nne :.
  • Side C, starting with e=k sende=r :.
    Side C, starting with e=k sende=r :.
  • Side D, starting with a=nt : mer :.
    Side D, starting with a=nt : mer :.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Klaus von See, Beatrice la Farge, Eve Picard, Ilona Priebe and Katja Schulz, Kommentar zu den Liedern der Edda (Heidelberg: Winter, 1997–), II 136-37.
  2. ^ John McKinnell, Rudolf Simek and Klaus Duwel, Runes, Magic and Religion: A Sourcebook, Studia Medievalia Septentrionalia, 10 (Vienna: Fassbaender, 2004), pp. 131-32 [P 6].
  3. ^ 1380×90 according to John McKinnell, Rudolf Simek and Klaus Duwel, Runes, Magic and Religion: A Sourcebook, Studia Medievalia Septentrionalia, 10 (Vienna: Fassbaender, 2004), p. 131; but an earlier fourteenth-century date was proposed by the chief excavator: Lorenzo Lozzi Gallo, 'On the Interpretation of ialuns in the Norwegian Runic Text B257', Arkiv för nordisk filologi, 116 (2001), 135-51 (p. 135), http://journals.lub.lu.se/index.php/anf/article/view/11627.
  4. ^ "Runic inscription N B257", Scandinavian Runic-text Database, Department of Scandinavian Languages, Uppsala University, 2020, retrieved December 5, 2021
  5. ^ John McKinnell, Rudolf Simek and Klaus Duwel, Runes, Magic and Religion: A Sourcebook, Studia Medievalia Septentrionalia, 10 (Vienna: Fassbaender, 2004), pp. 131-32 [P 6]; Alaric Hall, Elves in Anglo-Saxon England: Matters of Belief, Health, Gender and Identity, Anglo-Saxon Studies, 8 (Woodbridge: Boydell, 2007), p. 134.
  6. ^ John McKinnell, Rudolf Simek and Klaus Duwel, Runes, Magic and Religion: A Sourcebook, Studia Medievalia Septentrionalia, 10 (Vienna: Fassbaender, 2004), p. 132.
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