Stentoften Runestone
The Stentoften Runestone (Rundata DR 357) is a 7th‑century Proto-Norse inscription from Stentoften, Blekinge, Sweden. It’s carved in an early form between the Elder Futhark and the Younger Futhark, and it shows some unusual rune shapes that are transitional between the two.
Discovered in 1823 by dean O. Hammer, the stone was found lying face down, surrounded by five large stones arranged in a pentagon. It was moved to the church at Sölvesborg in 1864. The inscription is linked to a group of Blekinge stones, including Björketorp, Istaby, and Gummarp, suggesting a common clan and a shared ritual tradition in the area during the 7th century.
The text contains a curse and offerings, and it names Haþuwulfz and Hariwulfz. A notable feature is the repeated phrase gaf j ar, where the j-rune is an ideogram for jera, meaning a fruitful or harvest year. The lines also mention giving nine bucks and nine stallions, and the speaker, described as the master of the runes, claims to conceal here powerful runes. The curse states that whoever breaks the inscription will suffer doom.
Scholars see the inscription as part of a ritual‑political record of a chieftain clan in Blekinge. The names Hariwulfa (a warrior with the wolf) and Haþu (battle) show wolf symbolism common in warrior culture, possibly linked to initiation rites. A shortened form of Hariwulfa survives later in the Viking Age on the Hærulf Runestone.
Overall, the Stentoften Runestone is an important example of early runic writing in Blekinge, illustrating a transitional alphabet, clan ties, and ritual practices in 7th‑century Scandinavia.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 01:43 (CET).