Laeborg Runestone

The Læborg or Laeborg Runestone, listed as DR 26 in the

The inscription on DR 26 consists of two lines of runic text designated as lines A and B in the

The runic text states that the stone was raised by a man named Tófi in memory of a woman named Þyrvé, which is normalized as Thyrve and sometimes as Thorvi. Thyrve is described as being his trutnik, a word meaning the wife or descendant of a trutin or "lord," which is transcribed into Old Norse as drotning and often translated as "lady."^[5] This same word is also used on DR 134 in Ravnkilde and translated as "lady." Tófi and Thyrve are also associated with Danish runestone DR 29 in Bække, which records that Tófi created a mound in honor of Thyrve, and DR 40 in Randbøl is a stone raised by Tófi in memory of his assistant named Þorgunnr.^[6] Thyrve was a common name of the period, and a different woman of that name is recorded on the Danish runestone DR 97 in Ålum.^[7] Because DR 26 is dated based upon stylistic and linguistic analysis from 900 to 950 C.E.,^[4] it may also be possible that the Thyrve of DR 26 might also be the same woman that is recorded on DR 41 and DR 42 in Jelling, which describe a Thyra who is the wife of king Gorm the Old.^[3][4] If these Thyrve are the same woman, then the runestones may be a record of a dispute regarding inheritance between two competing Danish families.^[5] However, most scholars believe that it is more likely that DR 26 along with DR 29 refer to a different woman with the same name than the Thyra noted on the Jelling Stones DR 41 and DR 42.^[7]

The stone is known locally as the Læborgsten.

Inscription

References