Runic stones up to 1,000 years old continue to be discovered by chance in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, shedding light on unknown aspects of the lives, relationships, and concerns of the Vikings. These are stone inscriptions that functioned as public monuments of remembrance, social display, and—in some cases—personal confession, and today they constitute one of the most important archives of Scandinavian history.

As reported by aftonbladet.se, a characteristic example is a stone found by a farmer in a field south of Stockholm, which he intended to use as a doorstep—until he turned it over and saw runes carved on it. When Swedish runologist Magnus Källström was called to examine it, he read for the first time in nearly a millennium the message: “Gerðr raised this stone in memory of her father Signdjarv, husband of Ogard.”

Runes were written on various materials such as wood, bone, and stone, even on everyday tools. “You think of me, I think of you; you love me, I love you,” says a message on a weaving tool from the late 11th century found outside Gothenburg. However, texts carved in stone are the most durable and visible form. Runic writing can even be found on rock faces, though it usually appears on runestones: inscriptions on stone slabs that are often human-sized or taller.

Such discoveries are not rare, according to the BBC. Runic inscriptions come to light during road construction, field cultivation, or even embedded in the foundations of buildings and churches. Some date back as far as 2,000 years, such as a stone found in Norway in 2023, while others had been used as building material and were damaged or covered over the centuries.

The word “rune” comes from the Old Norse word rún, meaning “secret.” The runic alphabet appeared in northern Europe about 2,000 years ago, influenced by scripts such as the Latin alphabet, and was used to record languages like Old Norse. Runes were carved on wood, bone, tools, and stone, with stone inscriptions being the most durable and visible form.

The so-called “runestones” began to be erected en masse from the 4th century AD, reaching their peak during the Viking Age (800–1050 AD). According to Källström, they functioned as public monuments placed along routes of passage—roads, crossings, and assembly sites—and have been described as a kind of “social media” of their time. Their construction required money and skilled craftsmen, indicating that they were not accessible to everyone.

Many inscriptions are connected to the spread of Christianity in Scandinavia and include crosses or appeals for prayers for the dead. Others, however, reveal more everyday or humorous aspects of Viking life: riddles, wordplay, and educational inscriptions on animal bones which, when read correctly, reveal phrases such as “decode it” or “tasty beer.”

Today, around 7,000 runic inscriptions are known worldwide, mainly in southern Sweden and Norway, but also in Denmark, Iceland, the United Kingdom, and even regions such as Turkey and Greenland—reflecting the breadth of Viking travel and influence. After the 12th century, the use of runes declined as the Latin alphabet prevailed.

Although the stones now appear gray and worn, they were originally painted in vivid colors. Their texts usually follow a specific structure: they commemorate a death, refer to the deeds of the deceased, or express wishes for the afterlife. In some cases, they also served as legal or practical markers, defining boundaries or inheritance rights.

A special place is held by the so-called Rök Stone, which bears the longest known runic inscription in the world. Carved in the 9th century, it has been the subject of intense scholarly debate. Modern interpretations suggest that its text refers not only to mythological and heroic themes, but also to fears of climatic catastrophes that caused massive deaths centuries earlier, possibly following volcanic eruptions.

Experts note that each era “reads” the runes through its own interpretive lens. Nevertheless, these stones remain a unique window into the Viking world: their family relationships, grief, faith, ambition, and fears. And as new inscriptions continue to be discovered by chance, the past keeps returning unexpectedly to the present, carved in stone.