Jonas Lau Markussen

The Skälby Stone U 279

The carvings of the stone are in the runestone style Pr 4 (c. 1070-1100) pertaining to the Urnes style.


The inscription is signed by the runemaster Øpir.


The granite stone is c. 1,64 m tall and 1,46 m wide.



Runic inscription

The rune text starts at the tail end of the animal. The signature of Øpir at the end of the text is mirrored reading right to left.



[1] ᛒᛁᛅᚱᚾ + ᚢᚴ ‘ ᛁᚼᚢᛚᚠᛅᛋᛏᚱ ᚢᚴ × ᛁᚬᚿ + ᛚᛁᛏᚢ ᚴᛁᛅᚱᛅ ‘ (ᛒ)ᚱᚭ ‘ ᛅᛏ ‘ ᚦᚭᚱᛋᛏᛁ(ᚿ) ‘ ᛒᚱᚭᚦᚢᚱ ᛋᛁᚿ [2] ᚤᛒᛁᛦ ‘ ᚱᛁᛋᛏᛁ ᚱᚢᚿᛅ



biarn + uk ‘ ihulfastr uk × ion + litu kiara ‘ (b)ro ‘ at ‘ þorsti(n) ‘ broþur sin ybiʀ ‘ risti runa


Old Norse

Biorn ok Igulfastr ok Ion letu gæra bro at Þorstæin, broður sinn. ØpiR risti runaR.



Bjǫrn and Ígulfastr and Jón had the bridge made in memory of Thorsteinn, their brother. Œpir carved the runes.




Skälby, Uppland, Sweden

U 279

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