Fámjin stone, Norse runestone in Fámjins Church, Faroe Islands
Fámjin stone is a Norse runestone housed in Fámjins Church on the Faroe Islands that bears both Latin and runic inscriptions. The object shows the simultaneous use of two different writing systems on a single surface.
The stone was created after the Reformation of 1538 in the Faroe Islands and marks the end of runic writing practices in the territory. This late dating shows that the Norse writing tradition persisted on these islands longer than in other places.
The stone sits within a church space where Norse traditions and Christian beliefs coexisted in the Faroe Islands. This blend appears in the mixture of Latin and runic inscriptions carved into the same surface.
The stone sits inside the church and is easy to reach as a visitor. You should visit during church opening hours to view this object along with other items housed in the building.
This is the youngest runestone ever discovered in the Faroe Islands, showing that the runic tradition lasted unusually long here. No other location in Northern Europe displays such a late continuation of this ancient writing technique.
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