Karlevi Runestone (Karlevistenen) — Öland Burial Place
Öl 1 · Karlevi stone
Late Viking Age (with Iron Age grave field)·Late Viking Age Öland (Yngling / Danish sphere)·🇸🇪 Öland, Kalmar County, Karlevi near Färjestaden, Sweden
About
About Karlevi Runestone (Karlevistenen) — Öland Burial Place
Most important Viking Age runestone in Sweden standing in original grave-field context near Karlevi village, west coast of Öland: 1.4 m high limestone runestone (Öl 1, c.1000 CE) with oldest full skaldic stanza (drottkvætt meter) commemorating war-chief Sibbe Foldarsson, plus adjacent stone ship setting, 12 m diameter grave mound and Iron Age grave field. Combines Late Iron Age megalithic ship tradition with Christian-era runic poetry transition. Located 10 km south of Öland Bridge along Kalmar Sound.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Skaldic stanza authorship — unknown poet's identity
Theories
- 01War-band memorial linking Öland aristocracy to Danish Jelling dynasty struggles
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Runestone c. 980–1010 CE; grave field c.400–1000 CE
- Period
- Late Viking Age (with Iron Age grave field)
- Culture
- Late Viking Age Öland (Yngling / Danish sphere)
- Purpose
- Memorial runestone within stone ship grave field
- Abandoned
- Christianization 11th century
- Rediscovered
- Recorded 17th century (Rhezelius); scholarly since 19th century
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
Runestone c. 980–1010 CE; grave field c.400–1000 CE
Initial construction
c. 1415 CE
Rediscovery
On the ground
Structures & features
56.6160° N · 16.4300° E · 10 m · 2 mapped features
Runestone Öl 1
runestone1.4 m limestone with 60 runes in skaldic verse
56.6160° N · 16.4300° EStone ship setting
stone shipShip outline in grave field adjacent to stone
56.6161° N · 16.4302° E