Publisher Description

There are over 3000 runic inscriptions on stone made in Scandinavia in the late Viking Age. This book is the first attempt by a historian to study the material as a whole. The analysis reveals significant regional variations that reflect different stages in the process of conversion, and the growth of royal power. Many monuments were declarations of faith or manifestations of status; but virtually all reflect inheritance claims, and cast unexpected light on the prehistory of the inheritance customs found in later Scandinavian law codes. The results of this analysis make a significant contribution to understanding developments in other parts of the Germanic world, as well as Scandinavia. The inclusion of a digest of the data-base on which this book is based will facilitate further study of this rich vein of evidence.

Author Biography

Birgit Sawyer is a Professor of History at Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet, Trondheim.

Table of Contents

PrefaceIntroductionChapter I. Rune Stones, their distribution and historical background1: The rune-stones and their distribution2: Previous work3: Why were the rune-stones erected?4: Historical backgroundChapter II. Presentation of the corpus and its subgroup: bases of analysesTHE CORPUS5: Variables6: General features7: Regional groupings8: Chronology and dating problemsTHE SUBGROUP AND CATEGORIES OF RELATIONSHIP9: The nature of relationships between sponsors and deceased10: Sponsorship patterns11: Complex relationshipsBASES OF ANALYSES12: Inscriptions13: RelationshipsChapter III. Property and inheritanceTHE INSCRIPTIONS AS DECLARATIONS OF INHERITANCE14: Formulation15: Additional references 16.One or more16: One or more sponsors17: The order in which sponsors are mentioned18: Two or more inscriptions interpreted together19: The sponsorship pattern as reflecting property rightsTHE SPONSORS AS HOLDERS OF JOINT OR INHERITED PROPERTY20: Joint ownership21: Inheritance customs22: Unspecified relationships23: ConclusionChapter IV. Inheritance: customs and law24: Inheritance and other devolutions of property25: The runic evidence26: Gradual and parentela principles27: The sponsorship patterns inheritance principles used? 29. The laws 30. Sponsorship28: Why were different inheritance principles used?29: The laws30: Sponsorship patterns and the laws31: Differences within Uppland32: ConclusionChapter V. Society and status33: Sponsors and deceased34: Titlebearers35: Epithets36: Thegns and drengs37: 'Boni homines'38: Womenas landholders 39. Travellers 40. ConclusionsChapter VI. Conversion41: Transition: pagan and/or Christian? 43. Christian features 44. Conclusion42: Pagan features43: Christian features44: ConclusionChapter VII. Conclusion and future research45: The rune-stone fashion46: Late Viking Age society47: Future researchExcursus: The tug of war over ThyreSourcesAppendicesCatalogueExplanantory NotesDenmark and BornholmNorwaySweden (excluding Uppland)UpplandReferences

Review

`the secions on the patterns of social order and inheritance will make this book an indispensable example of runology applied to social history, a line of study with a future. It is worth buying for the careful tabulation of inscriptions and motifs alone.'English Historical Review, Sept.01`Sawyer ... brings half a lifetime's work, and many modifications of her original thesis, to an impressive consummation. All the available material is listed, classified and identified in a series of appendices and notes which will bring blessings on her head from anglophone researchers waiting for the completion of the general rune-text database.'English Historical Review, Sept.01`This is a stimulating book, challenging accepted interpretations and suggesting new sources for Viking Age social history.'R.I.Page, Times Higher Education Supplement, 13 July 2001`thorough statistical coverage, backed up by a seventy page "Catalogue" ... her work puts the English-speaking reader for the frst time in possession of the basic information painstakingly recorded by Scandinavian scholars, as well as providing an entirely fresh and convincing explanation of the Viking Age corpus ... Birgit Sawyer [has] offered models of patient and dispassionate research in potentially exciting and contested areas.'Tom Shippey, TLS

Long Description

There are over 3000 runic inscriptions on stone made in Scandinavia in the late Viking Age. This book is the first attempt by a historian to study the material as a whole. The analysis reveals significant regional variations that reflect different stages in the process of conversion, and the growth of royal power. Many monuments were declarations of faith or manifestations of status; but virtually all reflect inheritance claims, and cast unexpected light on the
prehistory of the inheritance customs found in later Scandinavian law codes. The results of this analysis make a significant contribution to understanding developments in other parts of the Germanic world, as well as Scandinavia. The inclusion of a digest of the data-base on which this book is based
will facilitate further study of this rich vein of evidence.

Review Text

`the secions on the patterns of social order and inheritance will make this book an indispensable example of runology applied to social history, a line of study with a future. It is worth buying for the careful tabulation of inscriptions and motifs alone.'
English Historical Review, Sept.01
`Sawyer ... brings half a lifetime's work, and many modifications of her original thesis, to an impressive consummation. All the available material is listed, classified and identified in a series of appendices and notes which will bring blessings on her head from anglophone researchers waiting for the completion of the general rune-text database.'
English Historical Review, Sept.01
`This is a stimulating book, challenging accepted interpretations and suggesting new sources for Viking Age social history.'
R.I.Page, Times Higher Education Supplement, 13 July 2001
`thorough statistical coverage, backed up by a seventy page "Catalogue" ... her work puts the English-speaking reader for the frst time in possession of the basic information painstakingly recorded by Scandinavian scholars, as well as providing an entirely fresh and convincing explanation of the Viking Age corpus ... Birgit Sawyer [has] offered models of patient and dispassionate research in potentially exciting and contested areas.'
Tom Shippey, TLS

Review Quote

'thorough statistical coverage, backed up by a seventy page "Catalogue"... her work puts the English-speaking reader for the frst time in possession ofthe basic information painstakingly recorded by Scandinavian scholars, as wellas providing an entirely fresh and convincing explanation of the Viking Agecorpus ... Birgit Sawyer [has] offered models of patient and dispassionateresearch in potentially exciting and contested areas.'Tom Shippey, TLS

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