The Lister rune stones

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.

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The Lister rune stones

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. The transcription is: “Aftr Hariwulfa. HaþuwulfR HeruwulfiR wrait runaR þaiaR” The English translation is: “In memory of Hariwulfa. HaþuwulfaR, HeruwulfiR's son wrote these runes.”

The Stentoften Stone The stone was found in 1823 near the ruins of Sølvesborg and moved to Sølvesborg Church. It was placed among 5 stones forming a pentagram. The scripture is younger than the one of Istaby. The transcription is: “niu habrumR, niu hangistumR HaþuwulfR gaf j[ar], HariwulfR ...... haidiz runono, felh eka hedra ginnurunoR hermalausaR argiu, weladauþs, sa þat briutiþ”. The English translation in Lillemor Santesson’s modern version is now generally accepted: “nine bucks, nine stallions, HaþuwulfaR gave fruitful year. Hariwulfar ...... I, master of the runes(?) conceal here runes of power incessantly (plagued by) maleficence, (doomed to) insidious death (is) he who this breaks.”

The Gummarp Stone The stone was probably placed a little north of Sølvesborg and Stentoften (Schulte) at Vesensund. The stone disappeared in the fire of Copenhagen in 1728: The transcription is: “(h)AþuwolAfA sAte (s)tA(b)A þr(i)a fff” The English translation is: “HaþuwulfaR placed staves three fff”

The Bjørketorp Stone The 4,2 metres high stone is still placed 60 kilometres from Lister in Björketorp, Listerby Sogn, 5 kilometres east of Ronneby together with two other stones – forming a monument like Stentoften. The transcription is: “Haidz runo runu, falh'k hedra ginnarunaR.argiu hermalausz, ... weladauþe, saz þat brytR | Uþarba spa” The English translation is: “I, master of the runes(?) conceal here runes of power. Incessantly (plagued by) maleficence, (doomed to) insidious death (is) he who breaks this (monument). | I prophesy destruction”

The last three inscriptions have an obvious cultic content.

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The Lister rune stones

First of all, it must be noticed that Stentoften and Björketorp contain nearly the same incantation and that they are both parts of monuments with other raised stones, but Björketorp does not contain any names like the three stones in Lister. The conclusion must be that the carver of Björketorp was related to Lister, but not necessarily one of the three names in Lister, who appear to be two or three generations of a dynasty. Hathuwulf appears to be the man behind the memorials, offerings and incantations in Lister.

Interesting are the three names on the Istaby Stone, as they obviously are a family and as the stone reveals how the names were created with a first alliteration (H) and a common suffix (-wulf). One or two of the names are also found at the other stones in Lister. Wulf-names are supposed normally to belong to a warrior aristocracy.

It is obvious that the identical sentences at Stentoften and Bjørketorp are a protection formula. Consequently, we do not need to understand its exact wording. It is also obvious that the first line of Stentoften is a boast or a reminder about the offerings made by Hathuwulf – though we are missing the text following the name Hariwulf in the next line.

The sentence in Gummarp “Haþuwulfar placed staves three fff“ is also a religios statement about an incantation – a parallel to the offerings in Stentoften. It is known from later poems1. In Stentoften the symbolic meaning of the rune jara was used in the text. The f-rune may in the same way be used as a symbol of wealth – but in combination with the unnecessary “staves three” it has probably a double meaning. We will discuss the second meaning in next chapter regarding the Rök Stone.

The first part of this article is based on an article by Michael Schulte2 from 2014. He is a professor in linguistics and a specialist in runic inscriptions. His linguistic arguments and facts regarding the stones are used above, but his main conclusion was “that the Blekinge rune stones functioned as emblems of identity and power of the ruling warrior clan in this territory.”

Also Lisbeth Imer, The Danish National Museum, has in 2016 in a book3 mentioned the Lister stones and written that the power must have been concentrated on few hands. She writes that a contemporary development may have taken place here as a parallel to Tissø and Lejre.

In 2014 Antonia Hellstam wrote at the Lund University “The wolves in the borderland” with similar conclusions after studying also the archaeological landscape4 – a research which is used below. In 2012 she wrote an excellent paper about the Heruls, “Huns or Heruls?”, but in the new Master’s dissertation she does only mention the Heruls one single time as speculation – maybe a protection against the common Swedish antipathy against Heruls.

Also the historian, Dick Harrison, has in an essay in 2015 suggested a possible separate kingdom in Lister. Hans Milton criticized his use of the name Niuha and Lister as an earlier separate län (county) – which appear to be correct. He also criticized the use of the word “kingdom”, but that does not change the conclusion of Harrison, which is the same as Schulte, Imer and Hellstam.

1 Ae. Skirnismal. 2 Michael Schulte, “Die Blekinger Runensteine als Machtembleme”, 2014 3 Lisbeth Imer: ”Danmarks Runesten”, 2016. 4 Antonia Hellstam, Ulvarna i gränslandet, 2014. http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=7370126&fileOId=7370138 3

The Lister rune stones

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 Rök Stone – Frontside - TB

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. 4

The Lister rune stones the symbols were probably addressed to Odin, who also appears to have been the answer to the final riddle of the stone. Probably the stone ended up in a prayer to Odin, and the incantations were maybe a way to point at that text as a riddle – to get the attention.

Exactly the same symbolic combination as the 3 f-runes at the Rök Stone was used 150 years earlier at the Gummarp Stone – “Haþuwulf placed staves three fff” – though less sophisticated. As “staves” could mean runic letters this may even be regarded as 2x3f – just as the Rök Stone. Michael Schulte has in his article mentioned other examples of three repeated runes and letters, where the Lindholm Amulet from the nearby Skåne is the most interesting with 24 letters and “aaaaaaaaRRRnnn?bmuttt” and “ek erilar”. Also in Kragehul at Fyn we find the repeated letters “gagaga” and “ek erilaR” – the two southernmost ErilaR-inscriptions (see the later map).

As mentioned 24 and f were most likely symbols of the futhark, while futhark and three repeated letters may have been incantations of Odin like in Kylver, Gørlev and the Tjängvide picture stone. It does not make sense that any of these inscriptions should be writing exercises as claimed by some runologists.

Due to the combinations above it is relevant to notice the newly revealed and accepted combination ".rilaR . WodinR" at the Strängnäs Stone, which had been hidden as a fake for 50 years in order not to disturb (sätta myror i huvudet på) the scholars7 – as Sven Janson expressed in an attack of “Herul-phobia”.

In my article about the Rök Stone I presented a full explanation of the text based on the official translation from Raä of the Rök Stone. Here I have also historically identified the Heruls with a high degree of probability based on 7 parallel similarities. The runic “Eril(ar)”, which above was linked to the three repeated letters, was probably representing the Herulian mercenary officers, which we shall see below – by involving also the geography. Later the Germanic “Herul” became the ON/OE word “jarl/earl”. Earlier this was a “general truth”, but the development was later denied as an impossible development by critical linguists, though it should be regarded as a mistake in the translation between the languages. However, their claim is now refuted by a newly find in the Domesday Book from 1086 AD. Here the present town “Harleton” 22 kilometres north of Sutton Hoo in East Anglia was called “Heroluestuna”. The basis apparently was the name Herewulf (Heruwulf at the Istaby stone), but a consequence is that the development Herul – Harle – eorl/earl/jarl was possible too – where “j” probably is a remain of “h”. In the neighbourhood, a hord of Saxon sceattas from the 5th century was found. But before we conclude we shall examine several other “coincidences”.

7 Helmer Gustavson: Strängnäs, Skramle och Tomteboda, Fornvännen nr. 4 2011.

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The Lister rune stones

3 The location of the stones in Blekinge Listerland was an island at that time – separated from Blekinge by Vesensund, which must have been an excellent natural harbour. It was a flat country as the Åhus region – opposite the rocky Blekinge. The Istaby Stone was found on the southern part of the island. The two other “Lister Stones” were found north of the later castle of Sølvesborg east of the earlier Vesensund. The position is not far from the mouth of Mörrumå – the main river from Värend, where they probably found iron at that time. The Danes had later a centre in Järrestad near Simrishamn similar with Lejre and Tissø.

The location of the three runestones in Listerland is interesting as “lister” according to Swedish Etymology Dictionary probably is originating from the Frisian or Lower Saxon word “lista”, which is translated as “edge/beach”. It is probably derived from Latin “litus” meaning beach8. In 1300 AD it was Lystær (Lista + tr for island) which became Lister. It is characteristic when visiting Listerland that we here find the last long sand beaches, when travelling from Skåne against the rocky east. The Istaby runestone was placed close to the impressive beach, Sandviken – but as Michael Schulte has given another explanation of the name Istaby, I shall not suggest the tempting Listerby.

Blekinge med de fyra runstenarna som röda kryss. Karta från FMIS. Antonia Hellstam 2014

8 Svensk Etymologisk Ordbog, Hellquist 1922 with corrections. 6

The Lister rune stones

The stone in Björketorp is located at the southern end of the 6 kilometres long civilisation of Johannishusåsen and Västra Vång. Västra Vång is now regarded to be the Iron Age center of Blekinge from 0-1100 AD with an arable piece of land and iron production. Björketorp is a part of the parish of Listerby close to a beach and two kilometres against south west we have a coastal village named Sandviken – just like in Lister. The beaches are not sandy any more – maybe due to houses, harbours and change of the sea level – except a small beach at Sandviken near Björketorp.

In Augerum close to Karlskrona a boat grave was found in the 19th century – possibly contemporary with the boat graves in Uppland.

The most likely reason for this spread of the runestones is that the dynasty from Lister for some time served as mercenaries or controlled this rich and old society of Västra Vång. But who were these Wulf-warriors in Lister between the Danes in Skåne and the people of Västra Vång?

Actually we have a qualified guess who they could have been carving the rune stones of Lister. The Western Heruls came from the beaches of East Frisia. It has often been a German suggestion that they lived in Harlingerland (1070 AD Herlo-ga(u)). The example above of the linguistic development from Herolue to Harle confirms that Herul may be the etymology behind Harlingerland with the earlier Harle Bay and the rivers Harle and Neuharlinger Tief in East Frisia - the coast between the Frisians and the Saxons – from where also the word Lista may have been derived. From here the Western Heruls probably operated as pirates along the coasts of France and Spain – mentioned in the sources in 409 AD and in the 450’ies. We must expect them to have operated against north too – maybe some of them also worked as mercenary officers and advisors in the Norse kingdoms in the 5th century as they had done famously in the Roman Empire and England in the 4th century. Last time we heard about these fierce warriors in the Roman history was in 478 AD, when Sidonius Appolinaris in a letter from Southern France wrote about the proud Herul as “inhabitant of the oceans furthest shore”, while Laterculus Veronense placed them as neighbours to the Saxons around 325 AD. They could not be the Heruls from Mähren after that description, but we never heard about them again. The group was probably disbanded in a group following their Anglo-Saxon neighbours to England and warriors seeking their fortune in the new Scandinavian kingdoms. This may explain the distant Scandinavian connections found in Sutton Hoo and Beowulf being mentioned later.

Another similarity in names between Frisia and Värend is found in the old legends of Värend, as the local stories are told about a people arriving in very old days settling around the central lake, Åsnan, situated 10 kilometres west of Inglingehög at Torsjö. At Åsnan we find the village Odensjø – a name very close to the name Odinsey, written in Ynglingesaga. This people were called Wirdarne which could mean be the people from “die Wierden”, which is another old Frisian name for Terpen and Warft (Feddersen Wierde / Wirdum / Fallward), where the western heruls had lived. The name is not legendary as they according to G.O. Hultén-Cavallius, 1863, were mentioned in Vestgötaloven in the 13th century as the name of the people in Värend, which also may be derived from their name. If that is correct a group of especially the Western Heruls remained in the area as also suggested regarding the runestones. The legendary female hero of Wirdarne, who fought the Danes, Blenda, had an earlier parallel in the Check area from around 500 AD known as Zarka from “My Home Land” of Smetana – from where the Eastern Heruls arrived. We cannot use this kind of information as proof of anything – but interesting it is.

The signature “Ek erilaR” appears as a fashion – a for-mula spread over inscriptions carved in very different tekniques. It is known from 10 inscriptions at the south western coastal regions of Scandinavia including the navigable Vänern – a spread indicating single items from single members

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The Lister rune stones of a seaborne people. The runologists “tend” to see them as rune masters9, but only two of them may look like the signature of the carver. Also “Varin carved” in Rök, but no one would expect a magnate like Varin to cut that stone himself – he let it be carved. Due to this spread it is quite unlikely that the Erilars were rune masters, and this is also contradicted by the later stone in Strängnäs writing “.rilaR . WodinR”, which would be a rather controversial inscription by a rune master placing himself beside Odin in a religious society. The spread may indicate that the Erilars were Western Herulian mercenary officers – maybe some-times an Eastern Herul. Most of them must have known their Latin name “Erul(i)” in writing from their past in the Roman army. This may have been written as “Eril(aR)”, when they asked the local Scandinavian rune masters to carve it in a runic text. That “signature” had only a meaning when they were working among foreign people. When the Eastern Herulian dynasty arrived, they were integrated and their name Herul became the titel “jarl” – both in Scandinavia and England. But the explanation of ErilaR inscriptions – Track of the incantations ErilaR is not necessary for the connections of this and C-bracteats (Odin?) – TB article.

Sandy beaches (today at the islands) must have been their basis of operations in Frisia, where they could build and repair their ships. The old beaches in Frisia are spoilt due to the rise of the sea-level, but in Northern Frisia we can still find the same name, Listland/Listerdyb, as the northern sandy part of the German island of Sylt. Probably they brought with them their local word for beaches, “lista”, and found here the only sandy beaches near Mörrumå in Blekinge – maybe the way to East Herulian groups in Värend/Sösdala. We do also find Lista-names in Southern Norway (the sand beach Listastrendene) and in Uppland (Listeruddan). Near the Norwegean Lista the famous sword in Snartemo was found10 and north of Lista the elite centres of Jären/Rogaland from the Migration Ages.

We shall be very careful by using a name for that purpose, but we have other indications too. Harlingerland is placed inside the area of the Saxons – a name covering several tribes – i.e. the former Chauci living between the Elb and the Ems according to Tacitus and Ptholemeus.

Last time we heard about the Chauci (Chaucorum gens) was around 300 AD. They are expected later to be Saxons and Francs. They were probably the distant unknown Chaibones attacking the Romans in 286 AD together with the Western Heruls – ending in a defeat. The Chauci disappeared while the Heruls were mentioned in 325 AD as neighbours to the Saxons and 478 AD at the coast – indicating Eastern or Northern Frisia from where they operated in the Atlantic Ocean. At the eastern shore of the mouth of the Weser two boat graves were found in 1993 called Fallward, Wremen – two kilometres south of the famous settlement, Feddersen Wierde, which was left around 500 AD. One boat grave was dated 431 AD by dendrology. The buried person was wearing a military belt set and a spatha being used by the Roman mercenary officers (similar finds in Oxford and Somme). A

9 Magnus Källström: ”Guldbrakteater fra Trollhättan”, Fornvännen 108, 2013 10 Frans-Arne Stylegar, Inter Ambo Maria II, 2013 has pointed at Lista and Jæren (with the Norwegean sandy beaches) as strong societies with chamber graves in the Migration Period. 8

The Lister rune stones colleague to the Western Heruls – or maybe even a Western Herul? Normally the people at the coast are regarded to be the Saxons, who migrated to England, but as mentioned the name covered several tribes.

Eastern Frisia with marshes and terpen (small artificial elevations for settlement) - Wikipedia In the grave was found a wooden, ornamented chair (maybe a throne) and a footstool with a runic inscription and a hidden drawing of a Roman inspired hunting scene.11 Except for a two “mistakes” the runes in Fallward look like the traditional old 24 sign futhark though influenced by Latin – written from right against left with the words: ksamella Inscription from Fallward alguskaϸi. Skamella (German schemel) is obvious. The second word is not interpreted, but it is regarded by the scholars to be related to the drawing. We shall not expect them to be familiar with the later ErilaR-runes. We do not know if the Western Heruls used runes themselves or the ErilaR-inscriptions were made as a Herulian formula by local Scandinavian rune masters.

The boat in Augerum was in 1889 just identified by the metal rivets as a 6 meter long, rather narrow boat. As also two fibulas, dress pins and pearls were found, it is regarded as a female grave dated around 600 AD like the rune stones. At the islands south of Augerum 4 golden bracteates – one with runes (at Turkö) – are found.

11 Matthias Schön 2004/2015, Klaus Düvel, Tineke Looijenga and geologists, 9

The Lister rune stones

Fibulas from Augerum (SHM) Since the finds at Bornholm from the Roman Iron Ages no other Scandinavian boat graves were found before Augerum and Uppland in the 6th or 7th century. As the finds in Blekinge are more than 150 years later than Fallward, which at that time primarily consisted of Roman equipment, we shall primarily notice that the Heruls knew the habits of boat graves – opposite the Scandinavians. Also 11 Scandinavian gold bracteates have been found around Fallward. The similarities should be further investigated.

In all circumstances, we can state that the Western Heruls were familiar with boat graves and runes before they arrived to Scandinavia, where the first boat graves were built later than their arrival. It is not indicated or likely that the Eastern Heruls used boat graves earlier.

4 The arrival of the Heruls The Heruls were an East Germanic people – probably mixed. Their history is described in another article12.They were separated in the Eastern Heruls following the Huns from the Black Sea to Mähren and the smaller group of Western Heruls at the Frisian coasts serving as Roman mercenaries in the 4th century. We do not know when and how they were separated before 289 AD and we do not know their origin, though Scandinavian historians earlier believed in a Scandinavian origin due to a Danish mistake in 1783 – now opposed by modern linguists. The old Scandinavian claim is also ruled out as Jordanes gave the Heruls an etymology from the Black Sea. Therefore, he could hardly regard them as a Scandinavian tribe – and he is our only source used for a Scandinavian origin.

In 551 AD Procopius told that the Eastern Heruls were beaten by the Lombards and that their dynasty with followers arrived at the Scandinavian Peninsula around 510 AD13. It has often been claimed (since von Friesen and Ivar Lindqvist) that they settled permanently in Blekinge/Värend, but that is not in accordance with the Byzantine history. Unfortunately, the main argument was the Lister Stones, which probably shall be dated a century after the Heruls were expelled again from their first settlements by the Danes14. It was too easy for nationalistic scholars to argue against the claim.

There are lots of East Germanic finds in Norway and Sweden in the 5th century due to trade and a heavy traffic of mercenaries. At their kingdom in Mähren/Moravia the Heruls controlled the important

12 Troels Brandt, The Heruls: www.gedevasen.dk/heruls.html 13 Procopius: The Gothic Wars, Book VII, 551-553 AD. 14 Troels Brandt, The Heruls, chapter 1.2.1: www.gedevasen.dk/heruls.html 10

The Lister rune stones route from Aquilaia/Carnumtum through the Moravian Gate and along Vistula/Oder to the Baltic Sea.

The Sösdala sacrifices after Hunnic nomadic customs have been eagerly discussed. They were in 2017 analysed and described in the book “The Sösdala Horsemen” with Ulf Näsman and his wife, Charlotte Fabech, as editors. They suggest that these sacrifices were performed by returning Scandinavian mercenaries, who formed this new society emerging around 400 AD in the secluded forests of the inner Skåne around Sösdala and the nearby grave fields of Vätteryd. This distant area had very close connections to the Danubian area in all the next century. The content of the hoards of solidi at the workshops at the Baltic Islands indicate that these warriors joined the Hunnic raids and later the Heruls, who had followed the Huns for 75 years. Hunnic explorers and representatives recruiting allies for the Hunnic campaigns probably used this warrior society as a base and may therefore have performed their sacrifices at the ridge 200 metres from the Scandinavian grave fields. The Eastern Heruls going north therefore had the forests of southern Scandinavia as their first target.

Nevertheless, the purpose in relation to this article is just to show that the Heruls from their position in Moravia/Mähren knew about Scandinavia.

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. Byzanteen or Sassanidian Eagle, Claestorp 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.

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 11

The Lister rune stones

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.

Their first settlement was probably in the North Eastern Skåne/Blekinge/Värend, where archaeologists like Ivar Lindquist and Otto von Friesen and later Birgit Arrhenius and Lotte Hedeager19 have found many East Germanic / Hunnic traces. Most important is probably the globe stone on Inglingehøj at Thorsjö, as the cutting in the granite stone hardly was done by a Scandinavian as no similar works are known at that time in Scandinavia (the Gotlan- The globe stone (copy) from Inglingehög - TB dic stones are cut in soft limestone). Due to the finds the bottom of the mound must be from the Bronze Ages, while the stone was placed at a mound from the Younger Iron Ages like the globe stone in the empty grave in the Hunnic/East Germanic inspired Högom. It was very early Ravenna mosaic excavated. The ornamentation is a mixture between Scandinavian bracteates, East Germanic carved fibulas and lilies. Neither the cutting nor the lillies were seen again in Scandinavia before the Medieval Ages, but around 500 AD they were common in Buckle Szabadbattyan, Maxim Levada Ravenna (Maeringaburg). Leaves and flowers were used in the Danubian workshops, but not works for Northern Germania. As a very relevant example to the left is chosen the buckle from Pannonia with the runic inscription “marings” at the back side – which we will meet again below. The ornament with two “legs” at the lash and circle is typical for the late finds in Finnestorp, but the “legs” are also used under the lilies at the Inglinge stone and in Ravenna, where it was a typical stamp in the Untersiebenbrunn style (in the Herulian territory) of the late Roman workshops at the Danube. Therefore, the scholars now regard the bridles in Sösdala as produced at the Danube.

The Lister rune stones cannot be carved by the expelled Heruls as the stones are dated later than their expulsion. However, some of the Heruls may have remained in Blekinge – most likely some of the

18 Jaroslav Tejral: Inter Ambo Maria II, 2013 19 Lotte Hedeager: Iron Age myth and materiality, 2011 12

The Lister rune stones

Western Heruls if they had assisted in the transfer. These “erilaR” had no interest in leaving the coast – sailors as many of them had been for a century.

Strategic marriages were known from Southern Europe, but such marriages probably also took place between the Herulian dynasty and the Scandinavian dynasties – the Erilar-inscriptions indicate that relations between Heruls and Scandinavians were not impossible. Even a legend by Saxo points at a marriage arrangement between Frode and the Huns (whom Saxo believed they were). Some of the Heruls may therefore have preferred to stay in Blekinge – accepted by the Danes, maybe due to marriage.

We shall now read two Old English poems - written down centuries later – probably in East Anglia. The original names are used:

Beowulf (Link to full text) : Often Scyld, Scef's son, from enemy hosts, from many people, seized mead-benches; and terrified the Eorle. … [egsode eorlas]

Widsith (Link to full text): Hrothwulf and Hrothgar, nephew and uncle, held peace together for many years after they had driven off the Wicinga Cynn [kin] and beaten down Ingeld's line of battle, cut down at Heorot the Heathobard force.

The names have been wrongly translated as the translators used their own expectations and interpretations in the translation. Neither did they realize that Widsith was referring two different battles – one driving off the Wicinga and another cutting down the forces of the Heathobard Ingeld at Heorot. Though using the symbolic name Scyld it is obvious that a Danish king was known for expelling or terrifying some Wicinga/Eorlas. It is rather unusual that the friends of the victors wrote about expulsion instead of victory – normally they were exaggerating. We do not know if the scalds knew Jordanes, but this is exactly the same story Jordanes told about the Danes: “Expelling the Heruls from their settlements”. Even Saxo knew such an expulsion in the past, but he believed they were Huns – and actually the Heruls had been a part of the Hunnic raids a century earlier. The event was probably famous all over Europe – causing the Danes to be mentioned in the history for the first time.

However, at the time of these Anglo Saxon works the Heruls had disappeared as integrated in one or several Scandinavian people. Their name had instead survived as the title jarl/earl. That will explain the name Eorlas of Beowulf, but not the Wicinga of Widsith. The English scalds, who wrote Widsith, had possibly heard about the Western Heruls operating at the coasts of the English Channel as sea warriors in the fifth century – Wicinga may have been their English nickname. Opposite all the other people of Europe, Widsith only in this and one other case used the expression cynn (race / tribe / family) – maybe because Widsith had problems with separating these earlier Western and the Eastern Heruls operating as different groups. As the existing manuscript of Widsith is from 1076, while the poem itself probably is older than the Scandinavian Vikings, we do not know from where the name did origin and neither do we know the etymology of the name20 - but even if it was a late name the

20 Western Heruls were described as pirates and long distance rowers in the Atlantic Ocean in the 5th century and had been mercenaries in England. Wicinga were mentioned in Widsith as enemies to the Danes before the Scandinavian Vikings were known in England. The Western Heruls could be the Wicinga. Modern linguistic investigations 13

The Lister rune stones result is the same.

An argument by the critics against the Heruls in Scandinavia has been that the story is not found in Northern Europe – which is hereby refuted. The expulsion by the Danes is probably even described by Saxo in his Book V, but he believed they were Huns as their real name had disappeared. Also in the chronicle of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the 16th century Heruls coming first from Rome to Denmark are mentioned as ancestors. The works from Northern Europe are not history, but we could hardly expect a better description of the arrival of the Heruls in Scandinavia in the North European literature so far back in time.

5 A scaldic connection ? 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

regarding the word Wikinga/Vikings point at the verb “vikja” (to turn) in the meaning “one shift of oarsmen changing places with another at the oars” – maybe used about rowing boats on long trips. Bertil Daggfeldt 1983 - Anatoly Liebermann 2009. Unfortunately, it is not attested if the Vikings or the Roman galleys really used that obvious method with a double number of oarsmen. Vikja may just mean that they returned to the coast for rest. 21 Elias Wessén: Nordiske folkstammer och folknavn, Fornvännen, 1969. 14

The Lister rune stones 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)

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.

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. 15

The Lister rune stones

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 probably the mobilisation of the Danes, who became known for the first time in the world history due to their expulsion of these feared Heruls.

The envoy could have passed the Danes in Scania by boat when the royal candidate died in 547/8 at the Danes as Procopius told, but obviously they were not enemies anymore. We may also wonder, why the Heruls, who were professional soldiers, just left the region – apparently even leaving some Heruls in Blekinge. Was the truth behind the famous expulsion that the Herulian dynasty found a more lucrative target than the barren and empty Värend?

We do not observe remains of wars at that time – except for the short attack on the fortress of Sandby at Öland and the war booties of both Sösdala- and Sjörup-style in Finnestorp, Västergötland, which may possibly have been caused by unsuccessful attacks from the society around Sösdala. But we shall remember that most Heruls after their defeat at the Plains of River March in 509 AD probably preferred the job as mercenaries in order to avoid a repetition of the defeat in Moravia/Mähren.

Maybe we shall notice that another event took place too in these years. The "dark sun" 536-538 AD may have weakened many Nordic societies at that time – probably causing famine and illness. Several contemporary hoards with fibulas and bracteates indicate a threat26. The archaeology shows dramatically archaeologic changes in the following time. This would support the progress of a warlike people like the Heruls – not necessarily as conquerors, but as mercenaries for the richest societies as they were for the Romans – which even the later rune stone in Björketorp may indicate. Maybe their most important role was to be catalysts in the development against a new religion and a new more international culture with stronger kingdoms.

Where they settled next time is a separate question, which we shall not discuss here, but 300 years after their arrival a branch of their dynasty probably raised the rune stone in Rök – but they do not need to have lived near Rök all the time.

The rune stones, Jordanes and Procopius may together prove a Herulian arrival. The other sources cannot be regarded as historical evidence as they were written much later. Nevertheless we have explained many different events and important connections and several names and words like “erilar”,

25 Morten Axboe: ”Guldbrakteater fra Trollhättan”, Fornvännen 108, 2013 26 Morten Axboe: Bracteat studier (Doctoral thesis), 2007. 16

The Lister rune stones

Vikings, sea warriors, Marika, Huns in Scandinavia, Lister and incantations, which we have never been able to understand or regard in that context before. Suddenly everything appears to be connected. The arrival of the Heruls is supported by two contemporary historical sources, but we cannot regard the rest as history – just as likely explanations.

Troels Brandt 30/8 2018

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