The Ardre image stones were re-used as paving under the wooden floors of the local church in the Ardre parish of
Gotland. Before the historical significance of rune and image stones was understood or appreciated, they were often used as materials in the construction of roads, bridges, and buildings. The image stones were re-discovered when the church was being restored around 1900. The stones are now preserved in the
Swedish Museum of National Antiquities in
Stockholm. of Weyland.
Ardre VIII The largest and most noted of the stones is the Ardre VIII stone, dated to the 8th or 9th century. It depicts scenes from
Norse mythology, notably the
Lay of Weyland the smith,
Thor fishing for
Jörmungandr, the punishment of
Loki for the death of
Baldr, and
Odin riding to
Valhalla on
Sleipnir. Other images on this stone, such as the woman on the right with two swords, are not currently understood as they do not conform to any known Norse myth that has survived to the present time.
Ardre III The inscription on one of the two sides of the Ardre III
runestone, which is listed in
Rundata as
Gotland Runic Inscription 113, consists of twin figure eight serpents with runic text in a band on the edge of the stone, while the second side has a single intertwined serpent with runic text on the edge of the stone. The inscription is classified as probably being in
runestone style Pr3. The runic text, which is signed by a
runemaster with the
normalized name of Likraiv, indicates that it was raised as a memorial with different sponsors for the inscriptions on each side of the stone.
Inscription Transliteration of the runes into Latin characters :
§A ÷ utar + ak + kaiʀuatr + ak + aiuatr + þaʀ + setu + stain + ebtir + likna(t) + faþur ÷ sen + :
§B ÷ raþialbr + ak + kaiʀaiau(t)- + þaiʀ kiarþu + merki + kuþ + ubtir + man + saaran ÷ likraibr + risti + runaʀ Transcription into Old Norse :
§A Ottarr ok Gæiʀhvatr ok Æihvatr þæiʀ sattu stæin æftiʀ Liknhvat, faður sinn. :
§B Raðþialfʀ ok Gæiʀniut[r] þæiʀ gærðu mærki goð æftiʀ mann snaran. Liknræifʀ risti runaʀ. Translation in English :§A Óttarr and Geirhvatr and Eihvatr, they placed the stone in memory of Líknhvatr, their father. :§B Ráðþjalfr and Geirnjótr, they made the good landmark in memory of ... man. Líknreifr carved the runes. ==References==