The Lister rune stones 1 The Lister rune stones and the Heruls Troels Brandt Abstract Scholarly papers conclude that the Listerland in the 6 th - 7 th 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.
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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
2
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.
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 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
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 Wuffings –
Western Herulian “wicinga”? Was this group 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.
The Lister rune stones
15
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