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Bergakker inscription

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The Bergakker inscription is an Elder Futhark inscription discovered on the scabbard of a 5th-century sword. It was found in 1996 in the Dutch town of Bergakker, near Tiel (in the Betuwe, once the habitat of the Batavi).

Contents

Background

Runic writing at the time was used along the North Sea coast, in Frisia, but there are very few other known inscriptions from Francia. There is consensus that the find dates from the period 425-475 and that the inscription is either the singular direct attestation of Frankish (Franconian) or the earliest attestation of Old Dutch (Old Low Franconian).

Inscription

The inscription can be read as

ᚺᚨ?[V]ᚦ[V]??ᛋ᛬ᚨᚾᚾ᛬ᚲ[V]ᛋᛃᚨᛗ᛬ ᛬ᛚᛟᚷ[V]ᚾᛋ᛬ ha?VþV??s : ann : kVsjam : : logVns :

where V is a non-standard rune, apparently a vowel (variously read as e or u, or as "any vowel").

Several readings have been presented in literature. There seems to be consensus that the ann means "give/bestow/grant". Several authors read the first word as a personal name in the genitive (indicating property), and the last word as meaning "flame, brand", a kenning for swords. The third word is read either as kusjam, meaning "chooser" or "chosen", or as keisjam meaning "cut" or "cutter", also referring to swords or sword-fighters.

Scholarly interpretations

  • Quak (2000): Ha(þu)þ[e]was ann k(u)sjam log(u)ns, interpreting it as "[property] of Haþuþewaz. I bestow upon the choosers of the swords".
  • Vennemann (1999): Haþ(ur)s ann k(u)sjam lōg(u)ns "[property] of Haþur. I grant lodging to the swordblades".
  • Seebold (1999): h(ǫ)þ(u)was ann k(u)sjam log(u)ns. "I grant combat to the choosers of the sword".
  • Odenstedt (1999): hā(le) þ(e)was ann k(eis)am lo(ka)ns: "hale servants [warriors] I [the sword] like. I place cuts".
  • Looijenga (1999): Hā(le)þ(e)was ann k(e)sjam log(e)ns. "[property] of Hāleþewaz: He grants the swords to the swordfighters" (possibly a maker's inscription).
  • Bammesberger (1999): Haþ(u)þ(u)ras ann k(u)s(j)am lōg(u)n[r]... "I grant to Haþuþuraʀ and his chosen [bride] the wedding-rune".
  • Mees (2002): Ha(þu)þ[ȳ]was ann k(u)sjam lōguns. "[property] of Haþuþȳwaʀ. He grants a flame [=brand, sword] to the chosen".
  • Grünzweig (2004): Ha(þu)þ(ewa)s ann k(u)sjam log(ō)ns "[property] of Haþuþyewaʀ - he grants the choosers [enemies?] the flame [sword?]".

    • Comparison with legend

    There is a possibility that the text refers to the Dutch-Flemish folk tale which survives in folk ballad 'Van Here Halewijn' (in English: The Song of Lord Halewijn). In that case the reading would be: Hā(le)þ(uin)s ann k(u)sjam log(u)ns "I grant Halewijn's [sword] to the chooser of the sword(s)", the chooser of the sword (vs. the noose) being the maiden/princess about to be killed by Lord Halewijn.

    References

    Bergakker inscription Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA