Jelling stones#Runestone of Harald Bluetooth

File:Jelling gr kl Stein.JPG

The stones are strongly identified with the creation of Denmark as a nation state. Both inscriptions mention the name "Danmark" (in the form of accusative "tanmaurk" ({{IPA|[dɑnmɒrk]}}) on the large stone, and genitive "tanmarkar" (pronounced {{IPA|[dɑnmɑrkɑɹ̻̊˔]}}) on the small stone).{{cite book |last=Thunberg |first=Carl L. |author-link=Carl L. Thunberg |date=2012 |lang=sv |title=Att tolka Svitjod |trans-title=Interpreting Svitjod |location= |publisher=University of Gothenburg |page=15 |isbn=978-91-981859-4-2}}

The larger stone explicitly mentions the conversion of Denmark from Norse paganism and the process of Christianisation, alongside a depiction of the crucified Christ; it is therefore popularly dubbed "Denmark's baptismal certificate" (Danmarks dåbsattest), an expression coined by art historian Rudolf Broby-Johansen in the 1930s.{{cite book |lang=da |date=2010 |title=Lokalhistorie fra Sydøstjylland |trans-title=Local history from Southeast Jutland |location= |publisher=Historisk Samfund for Sydøstjylland og bidragyderne |page=83 |isbn=978-87-92571-07-6 |url=http://www.hsso.dk/pdf/yearbook-33.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210905092738/http://www.hsso.dk/pdf/yearbook-33.pdf |archive-date=2021-09-05}} In 1997 a photo of this stone inspired the name Bluetooth for the now-ubiquitous wireless standard.

File:JELLING CHURCH, DENMARK.jpg

File:JELLING CHURCH, INTERIOR VIEW, DENMARK.jpg

After having been exposed to the elements for a thousand years, cracks were beginning to show. On 15 November 2008 experts from UNESCO examined the stones to determine their condition. Experts requested that the stones be moved to an indoor exhibition hall, or in some other way protected in situ, to prevent further damage from the weather.{{cite web |lang=da |date=16 November 2008 |title=Eksperter: Runestenene skal reddes |trans-title=Experts: The runestones must be saved |publisher=DR (broadcaster) |url=http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Indland/2008/11/16/085024.htm |access-date=16 November 2008}}

In February 2011 the site was vandalized using green spray paint, with the word "GELWANE" written on both sides of the larger stone, and with identical graffiti sprayed on a nearby gravestone and on the church door.{{cite news |first=Mette |last=Lützhøft |date=12 Feb 2011 |lang=da |title=Jellingstenene hærget af graffiti |trans-title=The Jelling stones ravaged by graffiti |work=Politiken |url=https://politiken.dk/danmark/art5597861/Jellingstenene-h%C3%A6rget-af-graffiti}} After much speculation about the possible meaning of the enigmatic word "gelwane",{{cite web |first=Finn Årup |last=Nielsen |date=18 Feb 2011 |title=More Jelling Stones graffiti: Gelwane the Second and Web mining |url=https://finnaarupnielsen.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/more-jelling-stones-graffiti-gelwane-the-seco/}} the vandal was eventually discovered to be a 15-year-old boy with Asperger's syndrome and the word itself was meaningless.{{cite news |first= |last= |date=13 Aug 2012 |lang=da |title=16-årig bag graffiti på Jellingesten skal i behandling |trans-title=16-year-old behind graffiti on Jellinge stone needs treatment |work=Politiken |url=https://politiken.dk/danmark/art5400828/16-%C3%A5rig-bag-graffiti-p%C3%A5-Jellingesten-skal-i-behandling}}{{cite news |author=Ritzau |date=20 February 2011 |lang=da |title=Jellingstenen skal renses hurtigst muligt |trans-title=The Jelling stone must be cleaned as soon as possible |work=Kristeligt Dagblad |url=https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/kultur/jellingstenen-skal-renses-hurtigst-muligt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001122851/https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/kultur/jellingstenen-skal-renses-hurtigst-muligt |archive-date=1 Oct 2017 |access-date=3 April 2017}}{{cite news |date= |title=Gelwane |work=The Mutual Charter |url=http://www.themutual.org.uk/mutualcharter/gelwane.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001121731/http://www.themutual.org.uk/mutualcharter/gelwane.html |archive-date=1 Oct 2017}} As the paint had not fully hardened, experts were able to remove it.{{cite news |last=Skarum |first=Sarah |date=7 March 2011 |lang=da |title=Jellingstenen er reddet - næsten |trans-title=The Jelling stone is saved - almost |work=Berlingske |location= |url=https://www.b.dk/nationalt/jellingstenen-er-reddet-naesten |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404044637/https://www.b.dk/nationalt/jellingstenen-er-reddet-naesten |archive-date=4 April 2017 |access-date=3 April 2017}}

The Heritage Agency of Denmark decided to keep the stones in their current location and selected a protective casing design from 157 projects submitted through a competition. The winner of the competition was Nobel Architects.{{cite news |url=http://www.cphpost.dk/culture/culture/122-culture/48424-jelling-stones-get-designer-cases.html |title=Jelling Stones get designer cases |work=The Copenhagen Post |date=5 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315203304/http://www.cphpost.dk/culture/culture/122-culture/48424-jelling-stones-get-designer-cases.html |archive-date=15 March 2010 }} The glass casing creates a climate system that keeps the stones at a fixed temperature and humidity and protects them from weathering.{{cite web |title=Covering of the runic stones in Jelling, Denmark |last=Nobel |first=Erik |date=2012-05-31 |website=Copper Concept |url=http://www.copperconcept.org/sv/referenser/covering-runic-stones-jelling-denmark |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130414155144/http://www.copperconcept.org/sv/referenser/covering-runic-stones-jelling-denmark |archive-date=2013-04-14 |access-date=13 July 2012}} The design features rectangular glass casings strengthened by two solid bronze sides mounted on a supporting steel skeleton. The glass is coated with an anti-reflective material that gives the exhibit a greenish hue. Additionally, the bronze patina gives off a rusty, greenish colour, highlighting the runestones' grey and reddish tones and emphasising their monumental character and significance.

{{Listen

|filename=DR-42-rundanska.opus

|title=Haraldr konungr bað gǫrva kumbl...

|description=Listen to the runes of Harald's stone read in Old East Norse.

|filename2= DR-42-nydansk.opus

|title2= Kong Harald bød gøre disse kumler...

|description2= Listen to the runes of Harald's stone read in Modern Danish.

}}

The inscription on the larger of the two Jelling stones (Jelling II, Rundata DR 42{{cite Scandinavian Runic-text Database | name=DR 42 | edition=2020 | srdb=0d45c79a-c0d6-4937-9663-f044b31fcc65 |access-date=Feb 23, 2024}}) reads:

• runes
• rune transliteration
• Old West Norse normalization
• Old East Norse normalization

{{clear}}

{{fs interlinear |lang=non |spacing=0.5 |number=(side A)|indent=5

|italics2=no |class2=bold |italics3=yes |italics4=yes

|{} ᚼᛅᚱᛅᛚᛏᚱ ᛬ ᚴᚢᚾᚢᚴᛦ ᛬ ᛒᛅᚦ ᛬ ᚴᛅᚢᚱᚢᛅ / ᚴᚢᛒᛚ ᛬ ᚦᛅᚢᛋᛁ ᛬ ᛅᚠᛏ ᛬ ᚴᚢᚱᛘ ᚠᛅᚦᚢᚱ ᛋᛁᚾ / ᛅᚢᚴ ᛅᚠᛏ ᛬ ᚦᚭᚢᚱᚢᛁ ᛬ ᛘᚢᚦᚢᚱ ᛬ ᛋᛁᚾᛅ ᛬ ᛋᛅ / ᚼᛅᚱᛅᛚᛏᚱ (᛬) ᛁᛅᛋ ᛬ ᛋᚭᛦ ᛫ ᚢᛅᚾ ᛫ ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚢᚱᚴ

|: haraltr : kunukʀ : baþ : kaurua ¶ kubl : þausi : aft : kurm faþur sin ¶ auk aft : þourui : muþur : sina : sa ¶ haraltr (:) ias : soʀ · uan · tanmaurk

|{} Haraldr {} konungr {} bað {} gera {} kuml {} þessi {} ept {} Gorm, fǫður sinn, {} ok ept {} Þyrvé, {} móður {} sína, {} sá {} Haraldr {} er {} sér {} vann {} Danmǫrk

|{} Haraldr {} kunungʀ {} baþ {} gørwa {} kumbl {} þøsi {} æft {} Gorm, faþur sin, {} ok æft {} Þorwi, {} moþur {} sina, {} sa {} Haraldr {} æs {} seʀ {} wan {} Danmork

|King Haraldr ordered these monuments made in memory of Gormr, his father, and in memory of Þyrvé, his mother; that Haraldr who won for himself all of Denmark}}

{{fs interlinear |lang=non |spacing=0.5 |number=(side B)|indent=5

|italics2=no |class2=bold |italics3=yes |italics4=yes

||ᛅᛚᛅ ᛫ ᛅᚢᚴ ᛫ ᚾᚢᚱᚢᛁᛅᚴ

|ala · auk · nuruiak

|alla {} ok {} Norveg

|alla {} ok {} Norwæg

|and Norway}}

{{fs interlinear |lang=non |spacing=0.5 |number=(side C)|indent=5

|italics2=no |class2=bold |italics3=yes |italics4=yes

|᛫ ᛅᚢᚴ ᛫ ᛏ(ᛅ)ᚾᛁ (᛫ ᚴᛅᚱᚦᛁ ᛫) ᚴᚱᛁᛋᛏᚾᚭ

|(·) auk {} t(a)ni {} (k)(a)(r)(þ)(i) {} kristno |c2=

|{} ok {} dani {} gerði {} kristna. |c3=

|{} ok {} dani {} gærþi {} kristna. |c4=

|and made the Danes Christian.

}}

The stone has a figure of the crucified Christ on one side and on another side a serpent wrapped around a lion. Christ is depicted as standing in the shape of a cross and entangled in what appear to be branches.{{Cite book |last=Kure |first=Henning |editor1-last=Andrén |editor1-first=Anders |editor2-last=Jennbert |editor2-first=Kristina |contribution=Hanging on the World Tree: Man and Cosmos in Old Norse Mythic Poetry |title=Old Norse Religion in Long-Term Perspectives: Origins, Changes, and Interactions |publisher=Nordic Academic Press |year=2007 |location=Lund |pages=68–73 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gjq6rvoIRpAC |isbn=978-91-89116-81-8 |display-editors=etal}} pp. 69–70. This depiction of Christ has often been taken as indicating the parallels with the "hanging" of the Norse pagan god Odin, who in Rúnatal gives an account of being hanged from a tree and pierced by a spear.

{{multiple image

|total_width=500

|align=center

|direction=horizontal

|perrow=2

|header=Harald's runestone

|image1=Jellingsten.1..jpg

|caption1=side A

|image2=Inscriptions grosse pierre Jelling.png

|caption2=image of transcribed runes

|image3=Jelling gr Stein 2.JPG

|caption3=side B{{br}}animal engraving & Norway claim

|image4=Jelling-grosses-tier.gif

|caption4=side B{{br}}reconstruction of original colours

|image5=Jelling gr Stein 3.JPG

|caption5=side C{{br}}crucifixion scene & Danish baptism claim

|image6=The Jelling Stone - VIKING exhibition at the National Museum of Denmark - Photo The National Museum of Denmark (9084035770).jpg

|caption6=side C{{br}}coloured, from the VIKING exhibition at the National Museum of Denmark

}}

File:Utrecht Jelling stone plaque.jpg

Another copy of this stone was placed in 1936 on the Domplein ('Dom Square') in Utrecht in the Netherlands, next to the Cathedral of Utrecht, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of Utrecht University.

In 1955, a plaster cast of this stone was made for a festival in London. It is now located in the grounds of the Danish Church in London, 4 St Katherines Precinct, Regents Park, London. The copy is painted in bright colours, like the original. Most of the original paint has flaked away from the original stone, but enough small specks of paint remained to enable the determination of what the colours looked like when they were freshly painted. A copy is also located in the National Museum of Denmark, and another copy, decorated by Rudolf Broby-Johansen in the 1930s, just outside the Jelling museum, which stands within sight of the Jelling mounds.{{cite web |lang=da |title=Jellingstenen - en del af historiekanonen |trans-title=The Jelling stone - part of the canon of history |website=Danmarks Undervisningsportal |publisher=EMU |url=http://www.emu.dk/gsk/fag/his/historie-kanon/jellingsten.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091116090852/http://www.emu.dk/gsk/fag/his/historie-kanon/jellingsten.html |archive-date=16 November 2009}}

A copy exists in Rouen, Normandy, France, near Saint-Ouen Abbey Church, offered by Denmark to the city of Rouen, on the occasion of the millennium of Normandy in 1911.

A facsimile of the image of Christ on Harald's runestone appears on the inside front cover of Danish passports.{{Cite web |title=DNK-AO-05001 |website=Council of Europe |access-date=2012-07-17 |url=http://prado.consilium.europa.eu/en/5672/viewImage_157135.html |url-status=live |archive-date=2012-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717005138/http://prado.consilium.europa.eu/en/5672/viewImage_157135.html}}

{{Listen

|filename= DR-41-rundanska.opus

|title= kurmʀ kunukʀ k(ar)þi kubl...

|description= Listen to the runes of Gorm's stone read in Old East Norse.

}}

The inscription on the older and smaller of the Jelling stones (Jelling I, Rundata DR 41{{cite Scandinavian Runic-text Database | name=DR 41 | edition=2020 | srdb=4ed033a9-1fc7-40d7-a252-84c9c3810f02 |access-date=Feb 23, 2024}}) reads:

• runes
• rune transliteration
• Old West Norse normalisation
• Old East Norse normalisation

{{clear}}

{{fs interlinear |lang=non |spacing=0.5 |number=(side A)|indent=5

|italics2=no |class2=bold |italics3=yes |italics4=yes

|᛬ ᚴᚢᚱᛘᛦ ᛬ ᚴᚢᚾᚢᚴᛦ ᛬ ᚴ(ᛅᚱ)ᚦᛁ ᛬ ᚴᚢᛒᛚ ᛬ ᚦᚢᛋᛁ ᛬ ᛅ(ᚠᛏ) ᛬ ᚦᚢᚱᚢᛁ ᛬ ᚴᚢᚾᚢ

|: kurmʀ : kunukʀ {: ¶ :} k(a)(r)þi : kubl : þusi {: ¶ :} a(f)(t) : þurui : kunu

|{} Gormr {} konungr {} gerði {} kuml {} þessi {} ept {} Þyrvé, {} konu

|{} Gormʀ {} kunungʀ {} gærþi {} kumbl {} þøsi {} æft {} Þorwi, {} kunu

|King Gormr made these monuments in memory of Þyrvé,

}}

{{fs interlinear |lang=non |spacing=0.5 |number=(side B)|indent=5

|italics2=no |class2=bold |italics3=yes |italics4=yes

|᛬ ᛋᛁᚾᛅ ᛬ ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚱᚴᛅᛦ ᛬ ᛒᚢᛏ ᛬

|⁓ sina ⁓ tanmarkaʀ ⁓ but ⁓ |c2=

|{} sína, {} Danmarkar {} bót. {} |c3=

|{} sina, {} Danmarkaʀ {} bot. {} |c4=

|his wife, Denmark's salvation.

}}

{{multiple image

|total_width=500

|align=center

|header=Gorm's runestone

|image1=Jelling kl Stein 2.JPG|caption1=side A

|image2=Jelling kl Stein 1.JPG|caption2=side B

}}

• Boris stones — similar landmarks in Belarus
• Curmsun Disc
• Bornholm amulet
• Haraldskær Woman
• Jelling stone ship — a ship setting that lay between the mounds
• Jelling style
• List of runestones
• Tourism in Denmark

{{Reflist}}

• Hogan, C. Michael. "[http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=17683 Jelling Stones]", Megalithic Portal, editor Andy Burnham
• {{cite book | last1=Jacobsen | first1=Lis |last2=Moltke |first2=Erik |author2-link=Erik Moltke | title=Danmarks Runeindskrifter | publisher=Ejnar Munksgaards Forlag | location=Copenhagen | year=1941–42}}

{{Commons category|Jelling Runestones}}

• [https://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=697 World Heritage (UNESCO)]
• [http://www.treffpunkt-howaldt.de/vorfahren_c03_1.htm Rune stones, mound and church in Jelling]

{{runestones}}

{{World Heritage Sites in the Kingdom of Denmark}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jelling Stones}}

Category:10th-century inscriptions

Category:World Heritage Sites in Denmark

Category:Runestones in Denmark

Category:Monuments and memorials in Denmark

Category:National Museum of Denmark

Category:Viking Age museums

Category:Gorm the Old

Category:Harald Bluetooth