Funn frå kvinnegrava på Trå (Ann-Mari Olsen, eigar: Universitetsmuseet i Bergen (B 6657))

Finds from the woman’s grave at Trå.

Finds from the woman’s grave at Trå. (Ann-Mari Olsen, owner: Universitetsmuseet i Bergen (B 6657))

Written by Svein Indrelid Sigrid H.H. Kaland

Published 06.02.2024

Trå

A WOMAN’S GRAVE FROM VIKING TIMES

In a woman’s grave on the farm Trå remains of a bronze ladle and runic inscriptions were found many years ago. Burial gifts for the woman show that she was well off and it was likely that she enjoyed a high social status, for this is what was buried with her: two fine oval bronze clasps with gilding and twisted silver threads, a gilded, three-bladed bronze clasp with animal ornamentation, and a necklace with pearls made of rock crystal. At her feet and along the sides were placed usable items; combs for wool, spinning wheels, weaver’s reed, scissors and a seam flattener of glass, frying spit, frying pan, iron pot, iron ladle, a steatite pot, a bronze cooking pot and a bronze ladle, a small green glass bottle, knife, sharpening stone, bridle, and trunk fittings.

The bronze ladle was in several fragments, the ladle itself had a diameter of 20 cm, the handle was 11 cm long. With a sharp pointed knife, sharp, fine runes had been inscribed in the shiny bronze surface. The runes are so-called kortkvistruner, also known from Isle of Man and Sweden. Several of the runes are missing, and some are indecipherable, thus making the inscription difficult to interpret. One of them reads as follows: “Lekamsskade (vert) påtala ettersom det er sett kvinnegrid” Another one says: “Eg ser ikkje…og ikkje urette, aldeles ikkje urette runer”. This last inscription is probably the introduction to a poem, while the meaning was that preparations for a party was done with care.

The inscription on the ladle gives us a glimpse of conditions on a large farm when there is festivity. The numerous medieval rune sticks from Bryggen in Bergen show that runes were used far into the Middle Ages, and one of the inscriptions go as follows: “Now here is great noise and fuss”. This is not what the housewife from Granvin wanted, but celebration and order.