Stora Hammars stones

The four Stora Hammars image stones are phallic shaped. Similar combinations of death with this erotic symbology occur on other Gotland rune and image stones.^[1] The images on the Stora Hammars II and IV stones are very worn and not currently decipherable.

Depicted on the Stora Hammars I stone are six panels with mythological, religious and martial background, including panels depicting a woman between two men, a sacrifice scene with a Valknut over an altar, a woman standing between a longship manned with armed warriors and another group of armed men, and a battle scene.^[2] It is interpreted as illustrating the legend of Hildr and its never-ending battle.^[2] The stone includes an image of a warrior about to be hanged from a tree, possibly as a blood eagle sacrifice,^[3] with a nearby Valknut (considered to be Odin's cult symbol) giving validity to reports regarding human sacrifice in Norse paganism.^[4] Near the altar is a shaped stone, which one scholar has been suggested may be a cult stone similar to the Elgesem runestone.^[5]

The Stora Hammars III image stone has four panels, the lower of which shows a ship with warriors. One of the panels has been interpreted as depicting Odin in the form of an eagle taking the mead of poetry,^[6] a legend described in section 6 of the Skáldskaparmál.^[7] Gunnlöð and Suttungr are shown to the right of the eagle. Another panel depicts a rider on a horse being greeted by a woman who has been interpreted as being a Valkyrie.^[8] The woman appears to be wearing a long serk or underdress, which may be pleated, and a short overdress.^[9]

• Blood eagle
• Death in Norse paganism
• Tängelgarda stone

• Photograph of Stora Hammars I - Swedish National Heritage Board
• Photograph of Stora Hammars II - Swedish National Heritage Board
• Photograph of Stora Hammars III - Swedish National Heritage Board
• Photograph of Stora Hammars IV - Swedish National Heritage Board
• Photograph showing 4 stones - Swedish National Heritage Board