@kristervasshus
Interdisciplinary scholar of (North) Germanic languages, runes, archaeology, religion, biology and cultural history. Currently working as disseminator at Sagnlandet Lejre, and freelancing research. Environmentalist. He, him, jotun.
Happy International Women’s Day to Þora, who owned this spindle-whorl sometime in the 14th century in Iceland.
The inscription reads þo^ra:amig, ‘Þora owns me’. #runology #runes
Førsta gong eg fekk korona og lukteløyse, låg eg i ei hengekøye i dagevis og drøymde om komle. Sprøtt å oppleva koss alt smakte som å stikka tunga ut eit vindauge.
Classicists, help!
How can I date this inscription (31996)? The source is CIL VI.
Regarding translation, I tend to translate things directly. Any idioms or fixed formulas in here that can change the meaning compared to a direct translation?
#classics
#classicist
#latin
#academia
#inscription
Läs om nästa runkonferens i augusti och om Lis Jacobsen som för 100 år sedan inledde arbetet med Danmarks Runeindskrifter. runbloggen.gamlebo.se/2026/02/28/i...
I primarily don't have office work for most of the year. But in this case, I should have calked it a gardrning accidebt, as it wasn't during payed work.
Three characters from the 'Vikings' TV series, wearing a variety of impractical-looking dark leather outfits with various gridded elements, arbitrary straps, and decorative panelling.
Three dark leather lawn chairs made of interwoven leather and gridded panelling.
One of our survey respondents characterised present-day popular viking outfits as 'lawn chair armour', and there is frankly no better description out there.
XD
A great kenning, if I ever read one!
Interested in the settlement history of the Baltic Sea region? There’s a free online course with the University of Tartu, starting next week: sisu.ut.ee/eestijuured/...
Today I almost lost a finger in a working accident (yes I am fine, thanks). I know my closest friends, family and colleagues well enough to know what my potential immenent nickname would be ("ni(o/u)" being the Scandinavian word for 'nine).
Den høna synest eg synd på.
Det til høgre er vanleg storleik på egg. Synest riktignok at der kom ei litt uvanleg kakling frå hønsegården i morges, så mogleg det er samanheng med denne meteoritten. Må ha svidd!
I'll give an update when the paper is published.
Some days are a bit more exciting than others. Recently Lisbeth Imer and I had a very beautiful little knife under the scope to document its small cuts.
We are joining Jakob Bonde from Museum Odense to write about the archaeological discovery and a runological and linguistic interpretation.
#runes
Atlantic Puffin at Hornøya, Norway
New opening for a 3-year PhD project in 'Seabird Ecology in a Changing Arctic' at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (Tromsø) and the Arctic University of Norway (UiT). Apply before 25 Mar 2026. #seabirdscience @ninanatureresearch.bsky.social nina.attract.reachmee.com/jobs/84-phd-...
I have written a bit about how to use runes when writing modern languages (in Norwegian). Overall, my approach is flexible because modern runic uses are adaptations. But I do give some advice e.g. regarding the use of older vs. younger runes. sprakprat.no/2026/02/19/h...
Det Lars sa.
Wolf or hound? Trancks spotted in Vingsted in Denmark, fairly close to a recent sighting of wolf.
A very interesting talk for you this morning with @kristervasshus.bsky.social about the possible entomological etymology of some difficult names we encounter in early runic inscriptions and in later Norse literature too. youtu.be/39_uVHStoXk
Proud that our article on the Hole rune‑stone, currently the earliest archaeologically dated, was among the 20 most‑read articles of 2025! Many thanks to @steinarsol.bsky.social @kristelzilmer.bsky.social @kristervasshus.bsky.social, and other co-authors
10/10
Of all the sacred ponds I took a dip in last year, Odensjön (The Sea of Odin) in Skåne was definitely on top two.
The small lake is situated in between steep non-active volcanic hills and cliffs, filled with both natural and cultural history. Would do it again.
Hvor er Sápmi? Hva er Sápmi? Hva er Sápmis høyeste fjell og største innsjø og så videre?
Dette og mye mer får du kanskje i alle fall delvis svar på i den nye Store Norske Leksikon-artikkelen om, vel, den handler ikke om Paraguay.
snl.no/S%C3%A1pmi
📰 Bird remains from monumental 'great houses' in Chaco canyon, New Mexico suggest Puebloan communities kept parrots and macaws for ceremonial purposes, possibly linked to their vocal mimicry 🦜
🏺 #ArchaeologyNews via @archaeologynews.bsky.social
archaeologymag.com/2025/12/anci...
Give us a heads up when this article gets published, I would love to read it. Always interesting to go #languagebirding.
Laurine Albris har skrive ein del om ideologi i namngiving i jernalderen, og noko av det ligg formulert på denne bloggen. Ho fann at religion var eit ynda tema i gamle namn arcnames.w.uib.no
Gudenamn blei ofte brukt i som del av personnamn i samansetjing som i Othindisa, Torolf og Freysteinn. Det finst der rikeleg med eksempel på før religionsskiftet. Men å bruka gudenamn som simpleks, altså utan andre språkledd, er ei rimeleg moderne greie, ja, først vanleg på 1900-talet.
Av denne sotten døydde erkebiskop Arne og alle korsbrørne i Nidaros, utanom ein som heitt Lodinn, og det var han som stod for å utpeika abbed Olav av Holme til erkebiskop."
3/3
...vtan einn lifdi eftir er Lodinn hiet. ok hann giordi lecceionem kiosandi. Olaf abota af Holmi til erkebyskops. "
Omsett: "Sotten oppførte seg sånn at ein levde ikkje lenger enn ein dag eller to med store smertar. Etter dette byrja ein å spy blod, og ånda for sin veg...
2/3
Det er svart fredag, dagen me minnest svartedauden.
"Þat var kyn sottarinnar at menn lifdu eige meirr en eitt dægr edr tuo. med hordum stinga. eftir þat sætte at blod spyiu ok for þar ondin med sinn vegh. af þessi sott saladizst Arni erkebyskop. ok allir korsbrædr i Nidarose...
1/3
Eg kjenner ein 8-åring som har ein naturblogg som gir plass til djupgåande nørderi og fagkunne. Vedkommande øver seg på å bli naturfotograf, og det blir jo naturveilederen i meg riktig glad for. Så ta ein kikk på koss faktastoff i barnehøyde kan sjå ut.
naturskjold.blogspot.com
