Dynna stone

Dynna Stone
Rundata ID	N 68
Country	Norway
Region	Gran
City/Village	Currently Oslo, originally Gran
Produced	11th century
Runemaster	Unknown
Text – Native
Gunnvǫr gerði brú, Þrýðríks dóttir, eptir Ástríði, dóttur sína. Sú var mær hǫnnurst á Haðalandi
Text – English
Gunnvor, Thrydrikr's daughter, made the bridge in memory of her daughter Astridr. She was the handiest maiden in Hadeland
Other resources
Runestones – Runic alphabet Runology – Runestone styles

The Dynna Stone is a runestone from the late Viking age that was originally located in Gran, Norway.

The Dynna Stone, listed as N 68 under Rundata, is a roughly 3-meter-tall, triangular slab of pinkish-red sandstone with runic inscriptions running down one of its edges, and with carved images on the front. The stone was erected ca. AD 1040 – 1050, and its imagery is considered among the first Christian pictorial art in Norway. The rather crude images on the front of the stone slab depict the nativity scene of Matthew 2:1–12, including the infant Jesus, the Star of Bethlehem and the three wise men on horseback. The two women mentioned in the runic inscription were likely familiar with the story of the Epiphany. It has been suggested that the use of the term "handiest" (or "most skilled") in the runic text for the dead girl was a reference to her textile or embroidery designs, and that the images on the stone may represent these designs.

The Stone's inscription is in the younger futhark, although their use is inconsistent with long-branch and short-twig runes used in some places. Sometimes the carver used both the long-branch and short-twig forms of the same rune within the same word.

The reference to bridge-building in the runic text is fairly common in rune stones during this time period. Some are Christian references related to passing the bridge into the afterlife. At this time, the Catholic Church sponsored the building of roads and bridges through the use of indulgences in return for intercession for the soul. There are many examples of these bridge stones dated from the eleventh century, including runic inscriptions Sö 101, U 489, and U 617. Although the Dynna Stone uses Christian imagery and text, the stone was raised among the old family grave mounds, an indication of cultic continuity even after the conversion to Christianity.

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