Lingsberg Runestones - U 241

U 241

This runestone, known locally as the Lingsbergsstenen 2, was originally located at the end of a causeway facing U 240. It was discovered in 1909 when plowing a field. It has been moved and is currently in the courtyard of the main building of Lingsberg. The inscription consists of runic text carved on an intertwined serpent that is under a cross. Similar to U 240, U 241 is classified as being carved in runestone style Pr3 and is attributed to the runemaster Åsmund.

The runic text mentions Húskarl and Sveinn like U 241, except for Holmfríðr, and it adds Halfdan's father Ulfríkr, who had taken two danegelds in England. Unfortunately, it does not mention which leaders paid the danegelds, unlike the other two runestones located in Uppland that talk of danegelds, U 344 and U 194. As noted above, the runic text of U 240 and U 241 were intended to be read together to form a unified message, with the text on U 241 beginning with the Old Norse word en meaning "and."

It was common to only carve a single rune for two consecutive letters, even when the letters were at the end of one word and the beginning of a second word. When the text shown as Latin characters, the transliterated runes are doubled and separate words are shown. U 241 has three examples in its runic text where this occurred. The runes onklanti are transliterated as o| |onklanti, kialtakit as kialt| |takit, and salukuþs as salu| |uk| |kuþs.

Latin transliteration:

n tan auk huskarl ' auk sua(i)n ' l(i)tu rita stin afti ' ulfrik ' faþurfaþur sino ' hon hafþi o| |onklanti tuh kialt| |takit + kuþ hialbi þia kiþka salu| |uk| |kuþs muþ(i)

Old Norse transcription:

En Dan ok Huskarl ok Svæinn letu retta stæin æfti Ulfrik, faðurfaður sinn. Hann hafði a Ænglandi tu giald takit. Guð hialpi þæia fæðga salu ok Guðs moði.

English translation:

And Danr and Húskarl and Sveinn had the stone erected in memory of Ulfríkr, their father's father. He had taken two payments in England. May God and God's mother help the souls of the father and son.