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The Lister rune stones

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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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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.


“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:


“(h)AþuwolAfA sAte (s)tA(b)A þr(i)a fff”


“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.


“Haidz runo runu, falh'k hedra ginnarunaR.argiu hermalausz, ... weladauþe, saz þat brytR

| Uþarba spa”


“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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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


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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 Rök Stone – Frontside - TB

http://www.gedevasen.dk/roekstone.pdf


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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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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.


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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.

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 Vänarn – a spread indicating single items

from single members 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

9 Magnus Källström: ”Guldbrakteater fra Trollhättan”, Fornvännen 108, 2013

ErilaR inscriptions – Track of the incantations

and C-bracteats (Odin?) – TB


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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

is not necessary for the connections of this 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.

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.

Eastern Frisia with marshes and terpen (small artificial elevations for settlement) - Wikipedia

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

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.


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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

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.

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

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.

Fibulas from Augerum (SHM)

Since the finds at Bornholm from the Roman Iron Ages no other Scandinavian boat graves were found

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

Inscription from Fallward


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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

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

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

http://www.gedevasen.dk/heruls.html



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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.

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

Byzanteen or Sassanidian Eagle, Claestorp



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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-

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

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

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

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;

19 Lotte Hedeager: Iron Age myth and materiality, 2011

The globe stone (copy) from Inglingehög - TB

Ravenna mosaic

Buckle Szabadbattyan, Maxim Levada

http://www.heorot.dk/beo-intro-rede.html


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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

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.

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

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.

http://www.phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de/fileadmin/Redaktion/Institute/Anglistik/Anglistik_I/Downloads/Archiv/SS_06/VL06_Widsith.pdf


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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

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.


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

http://www.gedevasen.dk/roekstone.pdf


16

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”,

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

26 Morten Axboe: Bracteat studier (Doctoral thesis), 2007.

the lister rune stones and the heruls - gedevasen.dkgedevasen.dk/lister.pdf · the lister rune...

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