Kulisteinen, Norse runestone in Smøla Municipality, Norway
Kulisteinen is a Norse runestone in Smøla Municipality featuring a prominent cross carved on its broad face and runic text along its narrower edges. The stone serves as a key source for understanding medieval Scandinavian writing and religious imagery from this period.
The stone was carved when Christianity had been present in Norway for roughly 12 years and was still spreading across the region. This early date makes it a valuable record of how quickly the new faith took root in Scandinavian lands.
The inscription records the earliest written use of the name Norway in the country itself. This moment captures how the land came to identify itself and marked a turning point in Norwegian self-awareness.
The original stone is housed at Vitenskapsmuseet in Trondheim, while a replica marks the presumed original location in Kuløy. Visitors who want to see the stone where it once stood can visit the replica on site, while researchers have access to the original in the museum.
Advanced laser scanning and microcartography in the 1990s revealed previously hidden details in the runic inscriptions that were not visible to the naked eye. This technological examination uncovered subtle features that experts had missed during centuries of study.
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