The Björketorp Stone

Blekinge · Sweden · Stone formation

Four metres of standing stone carrying a runic curse: whoever breaks this shall be restless with malice and die by cunning. Nobody has cared to test it.

Some seven kilometres east of Ronneby, in a burial field at Björketorp, three stones stand in a triangle. The largest is over four metres tall and carries a runic inscription from the 7th or 8th century that is not a memorial to any dead man but a threat to the living. It says that mighty runes lie hidden here, that whoever breaks the monument shall be restless with malice – an Old Norse word for cowardice and dishonour – and shall meet death by cunning. On the back are three further runic characters usually read as a prophecy of ruin. Local tradition holds that several people have tried to clear the stone away over the centuries, and that it always ended badly for them. The stone is still standing. That says something.

FAQ

Where is The Björketorp Stone located?

The Björketorp Stone is in Blekinge, Sweden.

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• Church of the Holy Cross, Ronneby Blekinge · Church
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• Ödekyrkogård – Mjällby Blekinge · Abandoned cemetery
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Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.