the lister rune stones and the heruls - gedevasen.dk · haþuwulfar, heruwulfir's son wrote...
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The Lister rune stones
1
The Lister rune stones and the Heruls
Troels Brandt
Abstract
Scholarly papers conclude that the Listerland in the 6th - 7th century was ruled by a warrior society
between the ordinary Scandinavian societies in Skåne and Västra Vång. This article will in an
interdisciplinary way investigate the connections between the Eastern and Western Heruls arriving
to the Scandinavian Peninsula around 500 AD, the four rune stones in Lister/Blekinge, the Rök Stone,
the coastal landscape and the names Lister, Eorle, Wicingas and Marings. Possibly the rune stones
were raised by some of the Western Heruls, the sea-warriors who disappeared from the East Frisian
coast after 478 AD. They may have been the Wicingas and Eorle of Widsith and Beowulf. Maybe they
assisted or joined the Eastern Heruls, who from their kingdom in Mähren settled first time in Blekinge
/ Värend around 512 AD - until they were expelled by the Danes. The expulsion of the terrifying
Herulian mercenaries made suddenly the unknown Danes famous from Constantinople to England.
They may have been the archaeologic and scaldic connection between Scandinavia and East-Anglia.
The Lister rune stones
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1 The four rune stones in Lister and Björketorp
In Blekinge four connected rune stones are found written at a stage between the old and the young
Futhark. They are dated to 550-700 AD. Three are found at different places around Listerland and
one is found 60 kilometres east of Listerland – but all located in the coastal region.
The Istaby Stone:
The stone was found in the village of Istaby close to the sandy beaches of Sandviken at the southern
coast of Listerland. It is now placed at Historiska Museet in Stockholm.
The transcription is:
“Aftr Hariwulfa. HaþuwulfR HeruwulfiR wrait runaR þaiaR”
The English translation is:
“In memory of Hariwulfa. HaþuwulfaR, HeruwulfiR's son wrote these runes.”
The Stentoften Stone
The stone was found in 1823 near the ruins of Sølvesborg and moved to Sølvesborg Church. It was
placed among 5 stones forming a pentagram. The scripture is younger than the one of Istaby.
The transcription is:
“niu habrumR, niu hangistumR HaþuwulfR gaf j[ar], HariwulfR ...
... haidiz runono, felh eka hedra ginnurunoR hermalausaR argiu, weladauþs, sa þat briutiþ”.
The English translation in Lillemor Santesson’s modern version is now generally accepted:
“nine bucks, nine stallions, HaþuwulfaR gave fruitful year. Hariwulfar ...
... I, master of the runes(?) conceal here runes of power incessantly (plagued by) maleficence,
(doomed to) insidious death (is) he who this breaks.”
The Gummarp Stone
The stone was probably placed a little north of Sølvesborg and Stentoften (Schulte) at Vesensund.
The stone disappeared in the fire of Copenhagen in 1728:
The transcription is:
“(h)AþuwolAfA sAte (s)tA(b)A þr(i)a fff”
The English translation is:
“HaþuwulfaR placed staves three fff”
The Bjørketorp Stone
The 4,2 metres high stone is still placed 60 kilometres from Lister in Björketorp, Listerby Sogn, 5
kilometres east of Ronneby together with two other stones – forming a monument like Stentoften.
The transcription is:
“Haidz runo runu, falh'k hedra ginnarunaR.argiu hermalausz, ... weladauþe, saz þat brytR
| Uþarba spa”
The English translation is:
“I, master of the runes(?) conceal here runes of power. Incessantly (plagued by) maleficence,
(doomed to) insidious death (is) he who breaks this (monument).
| I prophesy destruction”
The last three inscriptions have an obvious cultic content.
The Lister rune stones
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First of all, it must be noticed that Stentoften and Björketorp contain nearly the same incantation and
that they are both parts of monuments with other raised stones, but Björketorp does not contain any
names like the three stones in Lister. The conclusion must be that the carver of Björketorp was related
to Lister, but not necessarily one of the three names in Lister, who appear to be two or three
generations of a dynasty. Hathuwulf appears to be the man behind the memorials, offerings and
incantations in Lister.
Interesting are the three names on the Istaby Stone, as they obviously are a family and as the stone
reveals how the names were created with a first alliteration (H) and a common suffix (-wulf). One or
two of the names are also found at the other stones in Lister. Wulf-names are supposed normally to
belong to a warrior aristocracy.
It is obvious that the identical sentences at Stentoften and Bjørketorp are a protection formula.
Consequently, we do not need to understand its exact wording. It is also obvious that the first line of
Stentoften is a boast or a reminder about the offerings made by Hathuwulf – though we are missing
the text following the name Hariwulf in the next line.
The sentence in Gummarp “Haþuwulfar placed staves three fff“ is also a religios statement about an
incantation – a parallel to the offerings in Stentoften. It is known from later poems1. In Stentoften the
symbolic meaning of the rune jara was used in the text. The f-rune may in the same way be used as a
symbol of wealth – but in combination with the unnecessary “staves three” it has probably a double
meaning. We will discuss the second meaning in next chapter regarding the Rök Stone.
The first part of this article is based on an article by Michael Schulte2 from 2014. He is a professor in
linguistics and a specialist in runic inscriptions. His linguistic arguments and facts regarding the
stones are used above, but his main conclusion was “that the Blekinge rune stones functioned as
emblems of identity and power of the ruling warrior clan in this territory.”
Also Lisbeth Imer, The Danish National Museum, has in 2016 in a book3 mentioned the Lister stones
and written that the power must have been concentrated on few hands. She writes that a contemporary
development may have taken place here as a parallel to Tissø and Lejre.
In 2014 Antonia Hellstam wrote at the Lund University “The wolves in the borderland” with similar
conclusions after studying also the archaeological landscape4 – a research which is used below. In
2012 she wrote an excellent paper about the Heruls, “Huns or Heruls?”, but in the new Master’s
dissertation she does only mention the Heruls one single time as speculation – maybe a protection
against the common Swedish antipathy against Heruls.
Also the historian, Dick Harrison, has in an essay in 2015 suggested a possible separate kingdom in
Lister. Hans Milton criticized his use of the name Niuha and Lister as an earlier separate län (county)
– which appear to be correct. He also criticized the use of the word “kingdom”, but that does not
change the conclusion of Harrison, which is the same as Schulte, Imer and Hellstam.
1 Ae. Skirnismal. 2 Michael Schulte, “Die Blekinger Runensteine als Machtembleme”, 2014 3 Lisbeth Imer: ”Danmarks Runesten”, 2016. 4 Antonia Hellstam, Ulvarna i gränslandet, 2014.
http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=7370126&fileOId=7370138
The Lister rune stones
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I accept the arguments and agree that there probably existed an independent
power centre at Listerland – situated between the Danes in Skåne and the old
society which is now found in Västre Vång. It must be irrelevant if the ruler
was called king, earl or chieftain. It is more important to notice the sacral
monuments and the wulf-names indicating an independent clan of warriors.
The names may indicate that they were berserks / ulfhednar – the legendary
warriors of that time dressed in bear- or wulfskin – as the helmet plate above from the nearby Öland.
Identical or at least similar plates were found at the Sutton Hoo-helmet.
2 Similarities between Lister and the Rök Stone
First we shall look at the possible connections with the Rök Stone. If
we compare the names of the Lister Stones "Hariwulf", "Haþuwulf"
and "Hæruwulf" with the names "Raþulf", "Hraiþulf" and "Rukulf"
in a list of 8 names from the Rökstone dated around 815 AD, it is
obvious that both groups were using both alliteration and wulf in the
names – though the number of letters should fit at the Rökstone –
breaking an original rule of alliteration. This could indicate that the
stones belonged to the same tribe or dynasty – separated by 150 years.
However, we shall be aware that the idea of berserks and naming
probably faded out and the names were spread as names like Hjorolf
and Rolf as general Germanic names.
In relation to the Rök Stone we shall notice that the name "Raþulf" is
the same as the last Herulian king being killed at their defeat at the
Danube in 509 AD, Hrodolphus (Greek) / Rodulf (Latin) – just before
they left for Scandinavia. We do only know the names of two of his
ancestors at the Danube – both called Alarik, which is also known as
a royal Scandinavian name in the legends - Alrik. The East Germanic
name in Greek spelling, "Erioulphos", was maybe the name "Hari-
wulf", which is also found at the later Rävsala Stone in Bohuslän.
The names are not sufficient to appoint a convincing connection, but in this case we shall also notice
another similarity. The last three stanzas of the Rök Stone are written as a frame with old and
decrypted runes opposite the rest of the stone. This frame is set up in 8 rune lines each consisting of
24 runes5. Statistically it is nearly impossible to claim that it is a coincidence (less than 0,01%).
Furthermore, an unusual sign is introducing the last three stanzas of the Rök
Stone, which has never been explained by the runologists. They assume the sign
to be "þ" based on the rest of the text. It is, however, possible to decompose the
sign into 2x3 runic “f “ (blue/yellow/green at the figure) – where 3,3 is the cipher
rune for "þ". Therefore, both f and the number 24 are probably used as symbols
of the old futhark with 24 signs – the magic letters of Odin written as an alphabet
are known from several rune stones like the Kylver Stone and 7 C-bracteates.
Already in the classical Greece the number of letters in the alphabet was magic6. At the Rök Stone
5 Otto von Friesen, 1920. Troels Brandt: The Rökstone www.gedevasen.dk/roekstone.pdf 6 Sigurd Agrell, 1927. Runornas talmystik och dess antika förebild.
The Rök Stone – Frontside - TB
The Lister rune stones
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the symbols were probably addressed to Odin, who also appears to have been the answer to the final
riddle of the stone. Probably the stone ended up in a prayer to Odin, and the incantations were maybe
a way to point at that text as a riddle – to get the attention.
Exactly the same symbolic combination as the 3 f-runes at the Rök Stone was used 150 years earlier
at the Gummarp Stone – “Haþuwulf placed staves three fff” – though less sophisticated. As “staves”
could mean runic letters this may even be regarded as 2x3f – just as the Rök Stone. Michael Schulte
has in his article mentioned other examples of three repeated runes and letters, where the Lindholm
Amulet from the nearby Skåne is the most interesting with 24 letters and “aaaaaaaaRRRnnn?bmuttt”
and “ek erilar”. Also in Kragehul at Fyn we find the repeated letters “gagaga” and “ek erilaR” – the
two southernmost ErilaR-inscriptions (see the later map).
As mentioned 24 and f were most likely symbols of the futhark, while futhark and three repeated
letters may have been incantations of Odin like in Kylver, Gørlev and the Tjängvide picture stone. It
does not make sense that any of these inscriptions should be writing exercises as claimed by some
runologists.
Due to the combinations above it is relevant to notice the newly revealed and accepted combination
".rilaR . WodinR" at the Strängnäs Stone, which had been hidden as a fake for 50 years in order not to disturb
(sätta myror i huvudet på) the scholars7 – as Sven Janson expressed in an attack of “Herul-phobia”.
In my article about the Rök Stone I presented a full explanation of the text based on the official
translation from Raä of the Rök Stone. Here I have also historically identified the Heruls with a high
degree of probability based on 7 parallel similarities. The runic “Eril(ar)”, which above was linked to
the three repeated letters, was probably representing the Herulian mercenary officers, which we shall
see below – by involving also the geography. Later the Germanic “Herul” became the ON/OE word
“jarl/earl”. Earlier this was a “general truth”, but the development was later denied as an impossible
development by critical linguists, though it should be regarded as a mistake in the translation between
the languages. However, their claim is now refuted by a newly find in the Domesday Book from 1086
AD. Here the present town “Harleton” 22 kilometres north of Sutton Hoo in East Anglia was called
“Heroluestuna”. The basis apparently was the name Herewulf (Heruwulf at the Istaby stone), but a
consequence is that the development Herul – Harle – eorl/earl/jarl was possible too – where “j”
probably is a remain of “h”. In the neighbourhood, a hord of Saxon sceattas from the 5th century was
found. But before we conclude we shall examine several other “coincidences”.
7 Helmer Gustavson: Strängnäs, Skramle och Tomteboda, Fornvännen nr. 4 2011.
The Lister rune stones
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3 The location of the stones in Blekinge
Listerland was an island at that time – separated from
Blekinge by Vesensund, which must have been an
excellent natural harbour. It was a flat country as the
Åhus region – opposite the rocky Blekinge. The
Istaby Stone was found on the southern part of the
island. The two other “Lister Stones” were found
north of the later castle of Sølvesborg east of the
earlier Vesensund. The position is not far from the
mouth of Mörrumå – the main river from Värend,
where they probably found iron at that time. The
Danes had later a centre in Järrestad near Simrishamn
similar with Lejre and Tissø.
The location of the three runestones in Listerland is interesting as “lister”
according to Swedish Etymology Dictionary probably is originating from the
Frisian or Lower Saxon word “lista”, which is translated as “edge/beach”. It
is probably derived from Latin “litus” meaning beach8. In 1300 AD it was
Lystær (Lista + tr for island) which became Lister. It is characteristic when
visiting Listerland that we here find the last long sand beaches, when
travelling from Skåne against the rocky east. The Istaby runestone was placed
close to the impressive beach, Sandviken – but as Michael Schulte has given
another explanation of the name Istaby, I shall not suggest the tempting
Listerby.
Blekinge med de fyra runstenarna som röda kryss. Karta från FMIS. Antonia Hellstam 2014
8 Svensk Etymologisk Ordbog, Hellquist 1922 with corrections.
The Lister rune stones
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The stone in Björketorp is located at the southern end of the 6 kilometres long civilisation of
Johannishusåsen and Västra Vång. Västra Vång is now regarded to be the Iron Age center of Blekinge
from 0-1100 AD with an arable piece of land and iron production. Björketorp is a part of the parish
of Listerby close to a beach and two kilometres against south west we have a coastal village named
Sandviken – just like in Lister. The beaches are not sandy any more – maybe due to houses, harbours
and change of the sea level – except a small beach at Sandviken near Björketorp.
In Augerum close to Karlskrona a boat grave was found in the 19th century – possibly contemporary
with the boat graves in Uppland.
The most likely reason for this spread of the runestones is that the dynasty from Lister for some time
served as mercenaries or controlled this rich and old society of Västra Vång. But who were these
Wulf-warriors in Lister between the Danes in Skåne and the people of Västra Vång?
Actually we have a qualified guess who they could have been carving the rune stones of Lister. The
Western Heruls came from the beaches of East Frisia. It has often been a German suggestion that they
lived in Harlingerland (1070 AD Herlo-ga(u)). The example above of the linguistic development from
Herolue to Harle confirms that Herul may be the etymology behind Harlingerland with the earlier
Harle Bay and the rivers Harle and Neuharlinger Tief in East Frisia - the coast between the Frisians
and the Saxons – from where also the word Lista may have been derived. From here the Western
Heruls probably operated as pirates along the coasts of France and Spain – mentioned in the sources
in 409 AD and in the 450’ies. We must expect them to have operated against north too – maybe some
of them also worked as mercenary officers and advisors in the Norse kingdoms in the 5th century as
they had done famously in the Roman Empire and England in the 4th century. Last time we heard
about these fierce warriors in the Roman history was in 478 AD, when Sidonius Appolinaris in a letter
from Southern France wrote about the proud Herul as
“inhabitant of the oceans furthest shore”, while
Laterculus Veronense placed them as neighbours to the
Saxons around 325 AD. They could not be the Heruls
from Mähren after that description, but we never heard
about them again. The group was probably disbanded
in a group following their Anglo-Saxon neighbours to
England and warriors seeking their fortune in the new
Scandinavian kingdoms. This may explain the distant
Scandinavian connections found in Sutton Hoo and
Beowulf being mentioned later.
The signature “Ek erilaR” appears as a fashion – a for-
mula spread over inscriptions carved in very different
tekniques. It is known from 10 inscriptions at the south
western coastal regions of Scandinavia including the
navigable Vänarn – a spread indicating single items
from single members of a seaborne people. The
runologists “tend” to see them as rune masters9, but
only two of them may look like the signature of the
carver. Also “Varin carved” in Rök, but no one would
expect a magnate like Varin to cut that stone himself
– he let it be carved. Due to this spread it is quite
9 Magnus Källström: ”Guldbrakteater fra Trollhättan”, Fornvännen 108, 2013
ErilaR inscriptions – Track of the incantations
and C-bracteats (Odin?) – TB
The Lister rune stones
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unlikely that the Erilars were rune masters, and this is also contradicted by the later stone in Strängnäs
writing “.rilaR . WodinR”, which would be a rather controversial inscription by a rune master placing
himself beside Odin in a religious society. The spread may indicate that the Erilars were Western
Herulian mercenary officers – maybe some-times an Eastern Herul. Most of them must have known
their Latin name “Erul(i)” in writing from their past in the Roman army+
,. This may have been written as “Eril(aR)”, when they asked the local Scandinavian rune masters to
carve it in a runic text. That “signature” had only a meaning when they were working among foreign
people. When the Eastern Herulian dynasty arrived, they were integrated and their name Herul
became the titel “jarl” – both in Scandinavia and England. But the explanation of ErilaR is not
necessary for the connections of this article.
Sandy beaches (today at the islands) must have been their basis of operations in Frisia, where they
could build and repair their ships. Probably they brought with them their local word for beaches,
“lista”, and found here the only sandy beaches near Mörrumå in Blekinge – maybe the way to an
Eastherulian group in Värend. We do also find Lista-names in Southern Norway (the sand beach
Listastrendene) and in Uppland (Listeruddan). Near the Norwegean Lista the famous sword in
Snartemo was found10.
We shall be very careful by using a name for that purpose, but we have other indications too.
Harlingerland is placed inside the area of the Saxons – a name covering several tribes – i.e. the former
Chauci living between the Elb and the Ems according to Tacitus and Ptholemeus.
Eastern Frisia with marshes and terpen (small artificial elevations for settlement) - Wikipedia
Last time we heard about the Chauci (Chaucorum gens) was around 300 AD. They are expected later
to be Saxons and Francs. They were probably the distant unknown Chaibones attacking the Romans
in 286 AD together with the Western Heruls – ending in a defeat. The Chauci disappeared while the
10 Frans-Arne Stylegar, Inter Ambo Maria II, 2013 has pointed at Lista and Jæren (with the Norwegean sandy beaches)
as strong societies with chamber graves in the Migration Period.
The Lister rune stones
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Heruls were mentioned in 325 AD as neighbours to the Saxons and 478 AD at the coast – indicating
Eastern or Northern Frisia from where they operated in the Atlantic Ocean. At the eastern shore of
the mouth of the Weser two boat graves were found in 1993 called Fallward, Wremen – two
kilometres south of the famous settlement, Feddersen Wierde, which was left around 500 AD. One
boat grave was dated 431 AD by dendrology. The buried person was wearing a military belt set and
a spatha being used by the Roman mercenary officers (similar finds in Oxford and Somme). A
colleague to the Western Heruls – or maybe even a Western Herul? Normally the people at the coast
are regarded to be the Saxons, who migrated to England, but as mentioned the name covered several
tribes.
In the grave was found a wooden,
ornamented chair (maybe a throne) and a
footstool with a runic inscription and a
hidden drawing of a Roman inspired
hunting scene.11 Except for a two
“mistakes” the runes in Fallward look like
the traditional old 24 sign futhark though
influenced by Latin – written from right
against left with the words: ksamella
alguskaϸi. Skamella (German schemel) is
obvious. The second word is not
interpreted, but it is regarded by the scholars to be related to the drawing. We shall not expect them
to be familiar with the later ErilaR-runes. We do not know if the Western Heruls used runes
themselves or the ErilaR-inscriptions were made as a Herulian formula by local Scandinavian rune
masters.
The boat in Augerum was in 1889 just identified by the metal rivets as a 6 meter long, rather narrow
boat. As also two fibulas, dress pins and pearls were found, it is regarded as a female grave dated
around 600 AD like the rune stones. At the islands south of Augerum 4 golden bracteates – one with
runes (at Turkö) – are found.
Fibulas from Augerum (SHM)
Since the finds at Bornholm from the Roman Iron Ages no other Scandinavian boat graves were found
before Augerum and Uppland in the 6th or 7th century. As the finds in Blekinge are more than 150
11 Matthias Schön 2004/2015, Klaus Düvel, Tineke Looijenga and geologists,
Inscription from Fallward
The Lister rune stones
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years later than Fallward, which at that time primarily consisted of Roman equipment, we shall
primarily notice that the Heruls knew the habits of boat graves – opposite the Scandinavians. Also 11
Scandinavian gold bracteates have been found around Fallward. The similarities should be further
investigated.
In all circumstances, we can state that the Western Heruls were familiar with boat graves and runes
before they arrived to Scandinavia, where the first boat graves were built later than their arrival. It is
not indicated that the Eastern Heruls used boat graves earlier.
4 The arrival of the Heruls
The Heruls were an East Germanic people – probably mixed. Their history is described in another
article12.They were separated in the Eastern Heruls following the Huns from the Black Sea to Mähren
and the smaller group of Western Heruls at the Frisian coasts serving as Roman mercenaries in the
4th century. We do not know when and how they were separated before 289 AD and we do not know
their origin, though Scandinavian historians earlier believed in a Scandinavian origin due to a Danish
mistake in 1783 – now opposed by modern linguists. The old Scandinavian claim is also ruled out as
Jordanes gave the Heruls an etymology from the Black Sea. Therefore, he could hardly regard them
as a Scandinavian tribe – and he is our only source used for a Scandinavian origin.
In 551 AD Procopius told that the Eastern Heruls were beaten by the Lombards and that their dynasty
with followers arrived at the Scandinavian Peninsula around 510 AD13. It has often been claimed
(since von Friesen and Ivar Lindqvist) that they settled permanently in Blekinge/Värend, but that is
not in accordance with the Byzantine history. Unfortunately, the main argument was the Lister Stones,
which probably shall be dated a century after the Heruls were expelled again from their first
settlements by the Danes14. It was too easy for nationalistic scholars to argue against the claim.
There are lots of East Germanic finds in Norway and Sweden in the 5th century due to trade and a
heavy traffic of mercenaries. At their kingdom in Mähren/Moravia the Heruls controlled the important
route from Aquilaia/Carnumtum through the Moravian Gate and along Vistula/Oder to the Baltic Sea.
The Sösdala sacrifices after Hunnic nomadic customs have been eagerly discussed, and they were in
2017 analysed and described in the book “The Sösdala Horsemen” with Ulf Näsman and his wife,
Charlotte Fabech, as editors. They claim that these sacrifices were performed by returning
Scandinavian mercenaries, but unfortunately Ulf Näsman was caught by his earlier statement in his
original thesis and his position in his polemic discussions with Lotte Hedeager in 2008 about the
Huns in Scandinavia, where he denied that the sacrifices could be performed by Huns. However, the
observations of the book indicate that a new society emerged in the secluded forests of the inner
Skåne around Sösdala and the nearby grave fields of Vätteryd. This distant area had very close
connections to the Danubian area in all the next century. It is therefore likely that returning
Scandinavian mercenaries, who formed this isolated group of people, were joined by Huns and
Heruls. Hunnic explorers and representatives recruiting allies for the Hunnic campaigns may have
used this warrior society as a base.
Nevertheless, the purpose in relation to this article is just to show that the Heruls from their position
12 Troels Brandt, The Heruls: www.gedevasen.dk/heruls.html 13 Procopius: The Gothic Wars, Book VII, 551-553 AD. 14 Troels Brandt, The Heruls, chapter 1.2.1: www.gedevasen.dk/heruls.html
The Lister rune stones
11
in Moravia/Mähren knew about Scandinavia.
The last Germanic people along the Limes became Christians or
Christian Aryans around 500 AD. The East Roman emperors
could now force their mercenaries to be Cristian. When the
Heruls were defeated it was natural for their pagan dynasty to go
north along the old trade route of Vistula, but here the Slavs were
penetrating Eastern Europe at that time at the Vistula and further
west (even mentioned by Procopius). That was probably the
reason why the Heruls preferred to go to their former allied – the
more westerly Varni in Mecklenburg. From here they passed the
Danes according to Procopius. They had no reason to use the
risky way through Danish territory crossing three belts, when
they could be sailed directly to Blekinge by their Varnian allied
and maybe even by their West Herulian kinsmen too – passing
the Danes in Scania without any fight around 509-512 AD.
Procopius knew the order of the people – not the North European
geography, which he misunderstood several times – especially as
the event was 40 years old.
Procopius told that the Heruls settled near the Gauts “at that time” – admitting probably that this
settlement was only temporary. Jordanes on his side told about the Danes “expelling the Heruls from
their settlements”15 – which must have been a later expulsion from their first settlements. According to
Procopius the Byzantines got the information by returning Heruls in 548 AD and before 5 years had
passed both authors wrote in Constantinople with opposite motives. Procopius wanted the Goths to
be sent north to Scandinavia, while Jordanes wanted them to stay16. Regarding these events they are
both contemporary sources, but while Jordanes just referred the sentence above, Procopius spent two
chapters on the Heruls. His long 40 years old narratives cannot be regarded as reliable, but this
discussion of earlier historical tales has overshadowed the circumstances around his contemporary
description of the envoy in 548, which is confirming that a journey of the royal family took place
between their defeat in 508/9 and 548 AD – at least this is obvious to most non-Swedish scholars17.
It is impossible that they in this case described two different episodes between Danes and Heruls
separated by 300 years. But most Scandinavian scholars have ended up in a deadlock due to
conservatism and the old mistakes regarding Goths and Heruls.
As the Heruls were later expelled by the Danes the wording of Procopius probably indicates that they
first settled between the Gauts and the Danes, where they may have practiced their usual looting and
tributing of their neighbours. This was how they were described by Procopius in Mähren where they
lived as warriors among Swebian farmers18. We shall notice that in 547-8 AD the royal Herulian
candidate, who was found “among many of royal blood” at the Scandinavian Peninsula, felt sick and
died at the Danes at his way back to Illyria. As their excuse for the delay was that they had to go back
to find a new candidate they must have settled far north of the Danes. It was probably from here
Procopius could tell more than any other Roman author about the midnight sun. Due to the delay
Justinian appointed according to Procopius his own candidate instead – but had to take him back.
This event - and thereby also the earlier expulsion - must have taken place not later than 548 AD.
15 Jordanes: De origine antibusque Getarum, 551 AD 16 Walther Goffart: The narrators of barbarian history, 1988 17 Troels Brandt, The Heruls chapter 1.3: www.gedevasen.dk/heruls.html 18 Jaroslav Tejral: Inter Ambo Maria II, 2013
Byzanteen or Sassanidian Eagle, Claestorp
The Lister rune stones
12
Their first settlement was probably in the North Eastern
Skåne/Blekinge/Värend, where archaeologists like Ivar
Lindquist and Otto von Friesen and later Birgit Arrhenius
and Lotte Hedeager19 have found many East Germanic /
Hunnic traces. Most important is probably the globe
stone on Inglingehøj at Thorsjö, as the cutting in the
granite stone hardly was
done by a Scandinavian as
no similar works are
known at that time in
Scandinavia (the Gotlan-
dic stones are cut in soft
limestone). Due to the finds the bottom of the mound
must be from the Bronze Ages, while the stone was
placed at a mound from the Younger Iron Ages like the
globe stone in the empty grave in the Hunnic/East
Germanic inspired Högom. It was very early
excavated. The ornamentation is a mixture between
Scandinavian bracteates, East Germanic carved fibulas and lilies.
Neither the cutting nor the lillies were seen again in Scandinavia
before the Medieval Ages, but around 500 AD they were common in
Ravenna (Maeringaburg). Leaves and flowers were used in the
Danubian workshops, but not works for Northern Germania. As a very relevant example to the left is
chosen the buckle from Pannonia with the runic inscription “marings” at the back side – which we
will meet again below. The ornament with two “legs” at the lash and circle is typical for the late finds
in Finnestorp, but the “legs” are also used under the lilies at the Inglinge stone and in Ravenna, where
it was a typical stamp in the Untersiebenbrunn style (in the Herulian territory) of the late Roman
workshops at the Danube. Therefore, the scholars now regard the bridles in Sösdala as produced at
the Danube.
The Lister rune stones cannot be carved by the expelled Heruls as the stones are dated later than their
expulsion. However, some of the Heruls may have remained in Blekinge – most likely some of the
Western Heruls if they had assisted in the transfer. These “erilaR” had no interest in leaving the coast
– sailors as many of them had been for a century.
Strategic marriages were known from Southern Europe, but such marriages probably also took place
between the Herulian dynasty and the Scandinavian dynasties – the Erilar-inscriptions indicate that
relations between Heruls and Scandinavians were not impossible. Even a legend by Saxo points at a
marriage arrangement between Frode and the Huns (whom Saxo believed they were). Some of the
Heruls may therefore have preferred to stay in Blekinge – accepted by the Danes, maybe due to
marriage.
We shall now read two Old English poems - written down centuries later – probably in East Anglia.
The original names are used:
Beowulf (Link to full text) :
Often Scyld, Scef's son, from enemy hosts,
19 Lotte Hedeager: Iron Age myth and materiality, 2011
The globe stone (copy) from Inglingehög - TB
Ravenna mosaic
Buckle Szabadbattyan, Maxim Levada
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13
from many people, seized mead-benches;
and terrified the Eorle. … [egsode eorlas]
Widsith (Link to full text):
Hrothwulf and Hrothgar, nephew and uncle,
held peace together for many years
after they had driven off the Wicinga Cynn [kin]
and beaten down Ingeld's line of battle,
cut down at Heorot the Heathobard force.
The names have been wrongly translated as the translators used their own expectations and
interpretations in the translation. Neither did they realize that Widsith was referring two different
battles – one driving off the Wicinga and another cutting down the forces of the Heathobard Ingeld at
Heorot. Though using the symbolic name Scyld it is obvious that a Danish king was known for
expelling or terrifying some Wicinga/Eorlas. It is rather unusual that the friends of the victors wrote
about expulsion instead of victory – normally they were exaggerating. We do not know if the scalds
knew Jordanes, but this is exactly the same story Jordanes told about the Danes: “Expelling the Heruls
from their settlements”. Even Saxo knew such an expulsion in the past, but he believed they were Huns
– and actually the Heruls had been a part of the Hunnic raids a century earlier. The event was probably
famous all over Europe – causing the Danes to be mentioned in the history for the first time.
However, at the time of these Anglo Saxon works the Heruls had disappeared as integrated in one or
several Scandinavian people. Their name had instead survived as the title jarl/earl. That will explain
the name Eorlas of Beowulf, but not the Wicinga of Widsith. The English scalds, who wrote Widsith,
had possibly heard about the Western Heruls operating at the coasts of the English Channel as sea
warriors in the fifth century – Wicinga may have been their English nickname. Opposite all the other
people of Europe, Widsith only in this and one other case used the expression cynn (race / tribe /
family) – maybe because Widsith had problems with separating these earlier Western and the Eastern
Heruls oprating as different groups. As the existing manuscript of Widsith is from 1076, while the
poem itself probably is older than the Scandinavian Vikings, we do not know from where the name
did origin and neither do we know the etymology of the name20 - but even if it was a late name the
result is the same.
An argument by the critics against the Heruls in Scandinavia has been that the story is not found in
Northern Europe – which is hereby refuted. The expulsion by the Danes is probably even described
by Saxo in his Book V, but he believed they were Huns as their real name had disappeared. The works
from Northern Europe are not history, but we could hardly expect a better description of the arrival
of the Heruls in Scandinavia in the North European literature so far back in time.
20 Western Heruls were described as pirates and long distance rowers in the Atlantic Ocean in the 5th century and had
been mercenaries in England. Wicinga were mentioned in Widsith as enemies to the Danes before the Scandinavian
Vikings were known in England. The Western Heruls could be the Wicinga. Modern linguistic investigations
regarding the word Wikinga/Vikings point at the verb “vikja” (to turn) in the meaning “one shift of oarsmen
changing places with another at the oars” – maybe used about rowing boats on long trips. Bertil Daggfeldt 1983 -
Anatoly Liebermann 2009. Unfortunately, it is not attested if the Vikings or the Roman galleys really used that
obvious method with a double number of oarsmen. Vikja may just mean that they returned to the coast for rest.
The Lister rune stones
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5 A scaldic connection ?
In Beowulf the legendary Danish king Roar is speaking to Beowulf:
“Your father by striking began the greatest feud:
he was Heatholaf's slayer by his own hand
of the Wylfings; then him his spear-kin
for dread of troops could not shelter;
thence he sought the South-Danes' folk
over the welling of the waves, the Honour-Scyldings;
at that time I had just begun to rule the Danish folk.”
We do not know this feud, but the words by Roar may refer to the group of Wylfings at the rune stones
in Listerland between the Danes and the Götes since the father of Beowulf, the Geat Egtheov, escaped
to the Danes. It is not likely that these Wylfings/Wulfings lived in England. The Wulfings are known
from Widsith as ruled by Helm, who is also mentioned in the English royal lists. The English queen
of Roar was known as a Helming. Was the Wulf-family in Lister a group of East Anglian Wulfings –
Western Herulian “wicinga”? Were they now staying in Listerland after having sailed the Eastern
Heruls from the Varni to Scandinavia?
This may explain the escape of Roar as a child and why he was married to an “English” princess. The
linguist Elias Wessén has even suggested that the reason for the unusual royal Danish name of the
father of Roar, Halfdan, may have been a child between a Danish king and a Herulian princess.21
Most of all, however, these circumstances explain in a very simple way why we find the close
archaeological and scaldic connections between East Anglia and Scandinavia until 625 AD.
6 The Herulian riddle at the Rökstone and the Mariki
At the Rök Stone we find the riddle about Theodoric and a man, who died because of his guilt at the
Goths. Initially we should notice that Theodoric has never been characterized as a chief of any sea
warriors:
This I say as the second,
who 9 generations ago
lost his life with the Hreidgoths,
and died at them for his guilt.
ÞiauríkR ruled,
the bold
chief of sea warriors,
over the shores of the Hreiðsea.
Now he sits armed
on his (Gothic) horse,
his shield strapped,
leader of the marika (Runverket: mährings)
21 Elias Wessén: Nordiske folkstammer och folknavn, Fornvännen, 1969.
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This translation from Raä with ÞiauríkR as Theodoric is generally accepted except for a few linguists
who prefer a philosophy so woollen and incomprehensible that it is impossible to evaluate for
opponents. Last part of the second stanza is referring to an equestrian statue of Theodoric, which was
well known in Aachen at the time of the stone22. The earlier mentioned Hrodolphus was appointed
weapon son of Theodoric23, who in this way officially was the superior chief of the Heruls.
Accordingly, the sea warriors were probably the Western Heruls – called “Wicinga” by Widsith – and
the “marika” (Mährings) were probably the people from the kingdom in Mähren – the Eastern Heruls.
The riddle fits the Herulian king Hrodolphus, who according to Procopius and Paulus Diaconis was
characterized as a king disregarding his promises and the omens from his gods. His role explains the
contradictions above. In that way we are able to understand all the content of the riddle, which is even
confirming the different character of the two groups of the same people.
In Pannonia – close to Moravia – the above-mentioned buckle is found with the runic inscription
“marings” at the rear side. Three other buckles from the same workshop near the Danube are found
spread from The Black Sea to Mähren24. Two have a pentagram at the rear side (like in Stentoften?)
and the last has a warrior head with the same features (oriental leaning eyes, moustache and three
circular tattoos) in the face – just as the famous Odin-buckle from Finnestorp (which appear to be
from another workshop). As the suffix “-s” is in Gothic, it has generally been regarded as a name of
the Goths without a sufficient explanation, but as also the Heruls were regarded to speak a Gothic
language, the Marings were more likely the Heruls, who lived in the later Mähren.
In the Old English Deor we are told that “Theodoric ruled for 30 years Maringa Burg”. There is a
consensus that Maringa Burg was the city of Ravenna, which became Theodoric’s capital for 33 years.
Therefore, the Marings were by the scholars regarded as the family of Theodoric, though the name
was never mentioned in the Gothic sources and though it had never been the city of the family before.
Instead it had been the city of Odoaker who was mentioned as Rex Herulicus. For two years Theodoric
sieged Ravenna before it was conquered from Odoaker and the Heruls, who fought the legendary
Rabenschlacht as an outbreak against Theodoric – mentioned even by Cassiodorus. The name may
rather have been given as the stronghold of the people from Mar – the Heruls – especially as
Maringaburg was seen from England were some of the Western Heruls lived.
At the latest ErilaR-inscription – a bracteate from Trollhättan - we do even find the name
“MariþeubaR”25.
The suffixs -ings, -ika, -inga are all versions of the same -inge/-unge making them all Marings written
in Gothic, runic and AngloSaxon language. The names are identical - it is simply the same name
found in the regions where the Eastern Heruls were known or operated. MariþeubaR is probably the
personal name of a single Maring from River Mar – later Mähren – an East Herulian ErilaR. Two
Mar-names are found in Sweden written in runes.
7 The consequences
How could the Herulian mercenaries without agricultural skills survive in Blekinge / Värend? The
answer must be that they couldn’t without looting and tributing their neighbours – and the result was
22 Elias Wessén 1964. Troels Brandt: The Rökstone www.gedevasen.dk/roekstone.pdf 23 Cassiodorus’ Variae V 2 507-8. 24 Inter Ambi Maria II, 2013. Maxim Levada and Näsman/Fabech. 25 Morten Axboe: ”Guldbrakteater fra Trollhättan”, Fornvännen 108, 2013
The Lister rune stones
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probably the mobilisation of the Danes, who became known for the first time in the world history due
to their expulsion of these feared Heruls.
The envoy could have passed the Danes in Scania by boat when the royal candidate died in 547/8 at
the Danes as Procopius told, but obviously they were not enemies anymore. We may also wonder,
why the Heruls, who were professional soldiers, just left the region – apparently even leaving some
Heruls in Blekinge. Was the truth behind the famous expulsion that the Herulian dynasty found a
more lucrative target than the barren and empty Värend?
We do not observe remains of wars at that time – except for the short attack on the fortress of Sandby
at Öland and the war booties of both Sösdala- and Sjörup-style in Finnestorp, Västergötland, which
may possibly have been caused by unsuccessful attacks from the society around Sösdala. But we shall
remember that most Heruls after their defeat at the Plains of River March in 509 AD probably
preferred the job as mercenaries in order to avoid a repetition of the defeat in Moravia/Mähren.
Maybe we shall notice that another event took place too in these years. The "dark sun" 536-538 AD
may have weakened many Nordic societies at that time – probably causing famine and illness. Several
contemporary hoards with fibulas and bracteates indicate a threat26. The archaeology shows
dramatically archaeologic changes in the following time. This would support the progress of a warlike
people like the Heruls – not necessarily as conquerors, but as mercenaries for the richest societies as
they were for the Romans – which even the later rune stone in Björketorp may indicate. Maybe their
most important role was to be catalysts in the development against a new religion and a new more
international culture with stronger kingdoms.
Where they settled next time is a separate question, which we shall not discuss here, but 300 years
after their arrival a branch of their dynasty probably raised the rune stone in Rök – but they do not
need to have lived near Rök all the time.
The rune stones, Jordanes and Procopius may together prove a Herulian arrival. The other sources
cannot be regarded as historical evidence as they were written much later. Nevertheless we have
explained many different events and important connections and several names and words like “erilar”,
Vikings, sea warriors, Marika, Huns in Scandinavia, Lister and incantations, which we have never
been able to understand or regard in that context before. Suddenly everything appears to be connected.
The arrival of the Heruls is supported by two contemporary historical sources, but we cannot regard
the rest as history – just as likely explanations.
Troels Brandt 5/5 2018
26 Morten Axboe: Bracteat studier (Doctoral thesis), 2007.