Runes and commemoration in Anglo-Saxon England

Findell, Martin; Kop�r, Lilla

Abstract

Runic inscriptions are of interest not only as evidence of language and literacy in early medieval England, but also of the cultural functions of the objects on which they appear. In this paper, we present three case studies to examine the ways in which runic writing was used to commemorate the dead in Anglo-Saxon England: a cremation urn from Loveden Hill, Lincolnshire; the wooden coffin of Saint Cuthbert; and a carved memorial stone from Great Urswick, Cumbria. Our study highlights the diversity of rune-inscribed objects in their material and function, from containers for human remains to monuments on public display. In each case we discuss the linguistic problems of the text and the relationship of the inscription to the object and its find context, before turning to a broader examination of the role of inscribed objects in the act of commemoration and the question of the choice of runic over the Roman script.

Citation

Findell, M., & Kopár, L. (2017). Runes and commemoration in Anglo-Saxon England. Fragments, 6, 110-137

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 23, 2017
• Publication Date: 2017
• Deposit Date: Nov 7, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 8, 2018
• Journal: Fragments: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Ancient and Medieval Pasts
• Electronic ISSN: 2161-8585
• Publisher: Michigan Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 6
• Pages: 110-137
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1234582
• Publisher URL: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/f/frag/9772151.0006.004/--runes-and-commemoration-in-anglo-saxon-england?rgn=main;view=fulltext