A new study has solved an intriguing historical mystery involving treasured Danish artifacts that are now more than 1,000 years old, having been made during Scandinavia’s Viking Age in the 10th century AD. Thanks to this fresh research by archaeologists affiliated with the National Museum of Copenhagen, it has been revealed that the ancient rune-inscribed rock slabs known as the Jelling Stones were carved by a runesmith known as Ravnunge-Tue, who was active creating stone monuments that celebrated the life of a popular Danish queen.
The large Jelling Stones can be found perched in front of a 900-year-old Christian church in the village of Jelling in western Denmark, at a spot they’ve occupied since the time they were created. The monumental stones contain carved human images and several sentences written in the ancient Germanic runic alphabet .
These writings reveal that the smaller of the two stones was erected by King Gorm the Old in honor of his late wife Queen Thyra , while the larger stone was installed by Gorm and Thyra’s son (and king of both Denmark and Norway) Harald Bluetooth sometime later in the 10th century. In the latter instance the messages on the standing stone paid tribute to the memory of Harald’s parents, but also referenced his accomplishments as king including his conversion of Denmark to Christianity.
3D scan of one of the Jelling Stones. ( National Museum of Denmark )
Tracing the “Fingerprints” of the Mysterious Runesmith of Jelling
While the age and…
