# Orkesta Runestones

59°36′N 18°07′E﻿ / ﻿59.600°N 18.117°E﻿ / 59.600; 18.117
The Orkesta Runestones are a set of 11th-century runestones engraved in Old Norse with the Younger Futhark alphabet that are located at the church of Orkesta, northeast of Stockholm in Sweden.
Several of the stones were raised by, or in memory of, the Swedish Viking Ulf of Borresta, who during the 11th century returned home three times with danegeld. The leaders of the three expeditions were Skagul Toste (Tosti), Thorkell the Tall (Þorketill), and Canute the Great (Knútr). This Ulfr also made the Risbyle Runestones in the same region, and he was mentioned on the lost runestone U 343.
There are two other runestones that mention the danegeld and both of them are found in the vicinity: runestones U 241 and U 194.

## U 333

This runestone is in runestone style Pr3, which is also known as Urnes style. This runestone style is characterized by slim and stylized animals that are interwoven into tight patterns. The animals heads are typically seen in profile with slender almond-shaped eyes and upwardly curled appendages on the noses and the necks.
usnekin
Osnikinn
uk
ok
sikne(o)t
Signiutr
uk
ok
sihuiþ(r)
Sigviðr
lata
lata
reis(a)
ræisa
s(t)iin
stæin
eft[ʀ
æftiʀ
b[r](u)s(a)
Brusa,
faþur
faður
sin
sinn.
usnekin ' uk ' sikne(o)t ' uk ' sihuiþ(r) ' lata ' reis(a) s(t)iin ' eft[ʀ '] b[r](u)s(a) ' faþur sin
Osnikinn ok Signiutr ok Sigviðr lata ræisa stæin æftiʀ Brusa, faður sinn.
Ósníkinn and Signjótr and Sigviðr have raised the stone in memory of Brúsi, their father.

## U 334

This runestone is in runestone style Pr4, which is also known as Urnes style.
(k)u[þs]n[o]n--þ[a]...
stiain
stæin
iftiʀ
æftiʀ
fa[þu]-
faðu[r]
...[n]
[si]nn
(b)iaorn
Biorn
u(k)
ok
moþur
moður
siena
sina
...(f)(t)(n)-...
...-bi
[hial]pi
sialu
sialu
[kt]il
Kætill
risti
risti.
(k)u[þs]n[o]n--þ[a]... stiain ' iftiʀ ' fa[þu]- ...[n] (b)iaorn * u(k) moþur * siena ' ...(f)(t)(n)-... ...-bi sialu ... [kt]il * risti
... stæin æftiʀ faðu[r] [si]nn Biorn ok moður sina ... [hial]pi sialu ... Kætill risti.
... the stone in memory of his father Bjôrn and his mother ... may help the soul ... Ketill carved.

## U 335

The runestone U 335 was raised to commemorate the building of a new bridge by Holmi. He dedicated the bridge and the runestone to his father Hæra, who was the Housecarl of a lord named Sigrøðr. The reference to bridge-building in the runic text is fairly common in rune stones during this time period. Some are Christian references related to passing the bridge into the afterlife. At this time, the Catholic Church sponsored the building of roads and bridges through the use of indulgences in return for intercession for the soul. There are many examples of these bridge stones dated from the eleventh century, including runic inscriptions Sö 101, U 489, and U 617. Like many other runestones, it was discovered in the walls of a church, where it still remains.
ulmi
Holmi
lit
let
risa
ræisa
stin
stæin
þina
þenna
uk
ok
bru
bro
þisi
þessi
i(f)tiʀ
æftiʀ
iru
Hæru(?),
faþur
faður
sin
sinn,
uskarl
huskarl
sifruþaʀ
Sigrøðaʀ.
ulmi × lit × risa × stin × þina × uk × bru þisi × i(f)tiʀ × iru × faþur sin × uskarl × sifruþaʀ
Holmi let ræisa stæin þenna ok bro þessi æftiʀ Hæru(?), faður sinn, huskarl Sigrøðaʀ.
Holmi had this stone raised and this bridge (made) in memory of Hæra, his father, Sigrøðr's housecarl

## U 336

The runestone U 336 is raised by Ulf of Borresta, in memory of his uncle Ónæmr. Ulf adds that they both lived at Borresta (Old Norse: Báristaðir). The name Ónæmr, which means "slow learner," is also mentioned on two nearby runestones, U 112 and U 328, and so the three runestones are held to refer to the same person. This inscription is classified as being carved in runestone style RAK.
[ul]fʀ
Ulfʀ
lit
let
risa
ræisa
stin
stæin
þi[n]a
þenna
iftiʀ
æftiʀ
unim
Onæm,
faþurs×bruþr
faðursbroður
sin
sinn.
þiʀ
Þæiʀ
buku
byggu
baþiʀ
baðiʀ
i
i
baristam
Baristam.
[ul]fʀ × lit × risa stin × þi[n]a × iftiʀ × unim × faþurs×bruþr sin þiʀ × buku × baþiʀ × i × baristam
Ulfʀ let ræisa stæin þenna æftiʀ Onæm, faðursbroður sinn. Þæiʀ byggu baðiʀ i Baristam.
Ulfr had this stone raised in memory of Ónæmr, his father's brother. They both lived in Báristaðir.

## U 343

This runestone was possibly in style Pr3. It formed a monument together with U 344, below in Yttergärde. Although it has disappeared, the inscription was recorded during a survey of runestones in the 1700s. This runestone is attributed to the runemaster Åsmund, as is U 344. For the word moðiʀ, "mother," Åsmund left off the final ʀ rune. He also left off this final ʀ rune for the same word on U 241, on the word for "rune" on U 884, and possibly on the name Guðælfr on the now-lost U 1003.
karsi
Karsi
uk
ok
...-rn
þaiʀ
þæiʀ
litu
letu
raisa
ræisa
stai-
stæi[n]
þino
þenna
aftiʀ
æftiʀ
ulf
Ulf,
faþur
faður
sin
sinn.
kuþ
Guð
hialbi
hialpi
hons
hans
auk|
ok
|kuþs
Guðs
muþi]
moðiʀ.
[* karsi ' uk ...-rn þaiʀ litu raisa stai- þino ' aftiʀ ' ulf ' faþur sin ' kuþ hialbi hons ... auk| |kuþs muþi]
 Karsi ok ... þæiʀ letu ræisa stæi[n] þenna æftiʀ Ulf, faður sinn. Guð hialpi hans ... ok Guðs moðiʀ.
Karsi and ... they had this stone raised in memory of Ulfr, their father. May God help his ... and God's mother.

## U 344

The runestone U 344, in the style Pr3, was found in 1868, at Yttergärde, by Richard Dybeck, but it is today raised at the church of Orkesta. The runes are written from right to left with the orientation of the runes going in the same direction, but the last words outside the runic band have the usual left-right orientation. It can be dated to the first half of the 11th century because of it still uses the ansuz rune for the a and æ phomenes, and because of its lack of dotted runes.
This stone is notable because it commemorates that the Viking Ulf of Borresta had taken three danegelds in England. The first one was with Skagul Toste, the second one with Thorkel the High and the last one with Canute the Great. Since there were many years between the danegelds, it is likely that Ulfr returned to Sweden after each danegeld to live as a wealthy magnate. It is a remarkable feat in itself to summarize his adventurous life in so few unsentimental words.
U 344 is considered to be one of the England runestones.
in
En
ulfr
Ulfʀ
hafiʀ
hafiʀ
o|
a
|onklati
Ænglandi
þru
þry
kialt|
giald
|takat
takit.
þit
Þet
uas
vas
fursta
fyrsta
þis
þet's
tusti
Tosti
ka-t
ga[l]t.
þ(a)
Þa
[galt]
(þ)urktil
Þorkætill.
þa
Þa
kalt
galt
knutr
Knutʀ.
in ulfr hafiʀ o| |onklati ' þru kialt| |takat þit uas fursta þis tusti ka-t ' þ(a) ---- (þ)urktil ' þa kalt knutr
En Ulfʀ hafiʀ a Ænglandi þry giald takit. Þet vas fyrsta þet's Tosti ga[l]t. Þa [galt] Þorkætill. Þa galt Knutʀ.
And Ulfr has taken three payments in England. That was the first that Tosti paid. Then Þorketill paid. Then Knútr paid.

### Link

Sveriges Runkarta