Uppland Runic Inscription 617, Norse runestone at Bro Church, Sweden
Uppland Runic Inscription 617, also called Assur's Stone, is a nearly square granite runestone 158 cm wide and 157 cm high. It stands in open meadow along Assurs väg about 250 m north of Bro Church. Straight runic bands frame a central Christian cross.
Ginnlaug, daughter of Holmger, had the stone raised around 1000 AD in memory of her husband Assur, son of a jarl named Håkon. The inscription calls Assur a "defender against Vikings" alongside Geter, and it is one of the few runestones where Vikings use the word for themselves. The stone was walled into the porch of Bro Church until 1866.
The inscription names Ginnlaug, daughter of Holmger, who raised the stone for her husband Assur, son of Håkon jarl. It calls Assur a "defender against Vikings" alongside Geter, a name linked to the Viking-age title "sea-king". The text also records that Ginnlaug had a bridge built, a common Christian act of charity in runic memorials.
The stone stands in open meadow along Assurs väg, about 250 m north of Bro Church and just south of the railway; the road once ran right beside it. From Upplands-Bro station it is roughly a 10-minute walk. The ground is open field, so wear footwear suited to the weather.
The inscription names Assur as "vikinga vorðr", a guardian against Vikings, one of the few runestones where Vikings call themselves Vikings. It also records that Ginnlaug had a bridge built, a Christian act of charity for the dead.
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