Uppland Runic Inscription 11, Norse runestone in Hovgården, Sweden
Uppland Runic Inscription 11 is a Norse runestone positioned outdoors in Hovgården, featuring text carved into stone using ancient Nordic letters. The inscribed symbols contain personal names and information from the early medieval period, preserved through the durability of the stone.
The runestone was commissioned around 1070, during a period when such monuments were commonly raised to commemorate people and events of local importance. Its creation was connected to the royal administrative structure of the time, reflecting the networks of power that shaped the region.
The inscription reflects how people in medieval Scandinavia marked important connections by carving messages in stone for lasting memory. Runestones like this one showed ties to power and served as public records of significant relationships in the community.
The runestone can be visited year-round at its location in Ekerö Municipality as part of Sweden's protected archaeological heritage. Visitors should approach it respectfully, as it is an official protected monument with legal protections.
The stone directly names King Håkan and an official called Tolir, making it a rare written record of the administrative hierarchy from that era. This dual reference to royal and local authority provides insight into how power was distributed and recognized in early medieval Sweden.
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