page_title: Gardarike runestones
section_title: Sö 308
hierarchical_section_title: Gardarike runestones / Södermanland / Sö 308
caption_attribution_description: English: rune boulder
context_page_description: The Gardarike Runestones are runestones in Scandinavia that mention voyages to the East or the Eastern route, or to more specific eastern locations such as Garðaríki.
  There are also many additional Varangian runestones in Scandinavia that talk of eastward voyages such as the Greece Runestones, Italy Runestones, and inscriptions left by the Varangian Guard. Other runestones that deal with Varangian expeditions include the Serkland Runestones and the Ingvar Runestones. There is also a separate article for the Baltic expeditions runestones. In addition, there were also voyages to Western Europe mentioned on runestones that are treated in the articles Viking Runestones, England Runestones and Hakon Jarl Runestones.
  Most of the runestones were raised during the Christianization of the 11th century when the making of runestones was fashionable, but notably the Kälvesten Runestone Ög 8 was made in the 9th century when the Varangians played a central role in what would become Russia and Ukraine. This vast area was a rich source of pelts, hides and people, and it was an important component in the contemporary Swedish economy.
context_section_description: This runestone is a runic inscription by the runemaster Öpir in the style Pr5 on a large boulder. It is located outside the railroad station in Södertälje. It was made in memory of two men who were in the east. The runic text is signed by the runemaster Öpir, and uses a bind rune to combine the a-rune and s-rune in the word hua=str, which is tentatively translated as austr ("east"). Öpir used the same a=s bind rune in inscription U 485 in Marma.
  Latin transliteration:
  hulmfastr ' roþelfr ' ---u ' [ri]sta ' run[a] ' a- ... ... (i)kifast ' suni : sina ['] -iʀ ua(ʀ)u * hua=str * i(n) * ybir risti
  Old Norse transcription:
  Holmfastr, Roðælfʀ, [let]u rista runaʀ a[t] ... ... Ingifast, syni sina, [þ]æiʀ vaʀu austr(?). En Øpiʀ risti.
  English translation:
  "Holmfastr (and) Hróðelfr had the runes carved in memory of ... ... Ingifastr, their sons. They were in the east(?). And Œpir carved."
caption: Runestone Sö 308
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