Study › Runes & Norse › The Karlevi Runestone
The Karlevi Runestone on Öland, Sweden, about 1000 CE, carries the oldest complete stanza of skaldic poetry carved in runes.
What is the Karlevi Runestone?
The Karlevi Runestone stands near Karlevi on the island of Öland, Sweden, close to the island's western coast. It was created around 1000 CE, making it about 1,000 years old. Likely erected as a memorial to a Viking chieftain named Sibbi the Good, its inscription contains a complete stanza of skaldic poetry — the oldest surviving complete example of that highly developed Norse poetic style carved in runes. The granite stone stands approximately 1.3 meters above ground and is estimated to weigh around 1–2 tonnes. Its Younger Futhark inscription is especially valuable for preserving Viking Age poetry that otherwise survives mainly through later medieval manuscripts.
Read the Younger Futhark and the Rök Runestone.
Questions
Who is the Karlevi stone for?
Probably a chieftain named Sibbi the Good.
Why is it famous?
It holds the oldest complete stanza of skaldic poetry in runes.