Interview with a runecarver

Why did you become a runecarver?

I have always been interested in archeology, history and art. I have also always liked animals and nature, for a while I kept some snakes and lizards. Studying the snakes movements have helped me a lot when I make my rune arabesque (nowadays I have realized that snakes are most beautiful in nature). All these parts made him a runecarver. The big kick was when he actually managed to read a whole runestone by himself. He felt like the inscription was adresed to himself. It wasn't he that was passing the stone, but the stone that was passing him on it's way to the future. He decided to make a stone himself. To the people in the future.

Tell me a bit about runecarving!

One normal sized stone (900 kg), including arabesque, carving and the colors usually takes about three months to make. The bigger stones often gets to companies and manors. The smaller stones (100-200 kg) often goes to persons who order it for themselves or get it on their 50th birthday. A runestone is a memorial monument, from another time. And at the same time the stones are very beautiful. The summer of 1998 he carved his first gravestone. That made him feel both honorable and nervous. He was about to confirm one human life into the future. He sees that runestones are taken seriously, even in our time. That means he is keeping up an old tradition and he doesn't think it will die in the closest future.

What motives does the stones have?

I have sticked to something called "urnestyle". That means a dragon that twists into himself. He has, if you compare to his runecarving ancestors, much more material to get his inspiration from. He does a lot of experimenting. During the six years that he has been working with this he has noticed that he gets better and more secure about what he is doing. And every year he tries something new.

Do you restore old stones or do you make new ones?

I am only carving new stones and I would never copy anybodyelse's stone. But I do restore old stones to their original colors in my computer. Sometimes I take details from old stones and use them on new ones.

Which futhark do you use?

If there are only text to be read I use the runerow of 16 runes, but if the runes should have a magic meaning I use the 24-type runerow. There is no rune for some of the Swedish letters we use today, so I have created a few new ones.

Can you tell me why and by whom the runestones were carved?

Under the years 175-700 the runes were only for well-educated people. Only a few could read the runes and they had a more magic meaning. There has been runeinscriptions found in graves, those are probably not meant to be read by a human eye. During the viking age runes became more known to everybody and the runestones were used as a documet that told who was the owner of the farm in the future. The stones were also a symbol of status.

Do you have any favorite stones?

Many, but there is a flat rock in Sundby, Spånga, one mile west of Stockholm. It has registration number "U 80". I often passes it and when I stand at its foot looking up the almost five meteres high carving I wonder if I will ever be that skillful. The carvings are incredible close to perfection, but as I see it the cuts could have been deeper and it could have been without crosses. It might seem strange, but as a runecarver I think a lot about one little detail on the stone. A small line coming out of the dragon's toe. It has a meaning, but I can't find out which (maybe it's just there to make me curious?).

Do you have any favorite Runecarvers?

Livsten's runeanimals and the way he twists them into the other arabesque have always fascinated me. I also like the precisios and small details of Fot. He has carved "U 80".

[Ginnungagap note: Livsten carved runes in the middle of 1000-century in west Uppland, often with elegant animals with high necks. Fot did his work during 1060 and is known for his elegance and secure carving. He has probably carved about 50 stones in the Stockholm/Uppsalaarea.]

     [U 80 in Sundby, Spånga]
[See whole stone]

    
[Small Fot detail]

When did you become interested in nordic mythology?

At the same time as I got my interest for archeology. It sticks together; it's the similar respect for the history. I realized pretty quick that the poor knowledge school had given me, and the overall picture that the society had about asatru wasn't the real one.

Why choose asatru?

There is a wise sentence that goes: A society which not has an own history and an own culture is judged to die. I am feeling much more secure now when I believes. I respect other religions even if I don't share their values. Before I got into asatru I was always afraid of other religions. I thought they were all just going to limit my personal freedom. My believe in the nordic gods have instead made me a free man. It's up to me how much and what I want to believe. That is something between me and the gods.

Most people thinks that Thor, Odin, Frey and even Freya is the most important gods. Is there anybody else in nordic mythology that you finds extra interesting?

Loki. Yes, he is a pain in the ass many times, but what would our stories be without him? Through his actions and wicked deeds we can see how patient and how "human" the gods tries to solve the problems. I think that the knowledge about as many gods as possible is the important key to freedom for the ones who belief. When you have the knowledge it's easy to draw lines to your own behavior and mistakes. If the gods gets a second change it means me too gets one.

Could you tell me a bit about Asatrosamfundet?

I am a member of Sweden's Asatrosamfund, founded spring 1994 and registered November of 1994. We were a group of 10 - 15 persons with approximately the same background, interest in history and handicraft. We had all realized what a treasure that was only waiting to be discovered and used in a serious way again. Six months before we registered us we spent much time planning. We saw some risks with bringing the asatru back to our society. But finally we got registered and our work started. The goal was to have a platform that in the end was going to reproduce itself. The material of the platform should be a good reputation, serious actions and an acceptance from the society. The greatest danger as we saw it would be that media would start a campaign full of prejudices and mean slander. On our first year meeting we decided that all parts of the organizations should be open for insight so that there could be no mistakes. This worked, and one year later the first reporter came.

The reporter asked for written material and we gave her EVERYTHING we had. She came to us and talked to our members, trying to find a political meaning with the organization. One week later and two days before the publishing of the "Midsummer Blot 1996" article she called us and said: I have now examined you, and I can admit the meaning was to find something frightening to write about, but I didn't find anything. All I have seen is a group of friendly people who are serious to what they are doing. But before I publish this I want you to promise me one thing. Keep on working like this and don't change your direction. So I promised her. Then she says the most wonderful words: If I hadn't been a reporter I would after all this love to be a member in the organization...... I felt tears in my eyes and thought "By the beard of Odin, we will succeed".

Do you have any contact with organizations in other countries?

We have contacts with organizations in all other nordic countries. Since I'm not in the committee anymore I don't know exactly how these contacts works. I think it is mostly an exchange of information.

A big thanks to Kalle Dahlberg who answered the questions of this email interview 980826 - 980905! Some of his material can bee seen at Sweden's Asatrosamfund and Kalle can be reached at runkalle@asatro.a.se.

See also: Magic: Creating your own runes Magic: How to use your runes Runes: Rune alphabets Viking: Runestones