There are over 3000 runic inscriptions on stone made in Scandinavia in the late Viking Age. This book is the first attempt by a historian to study the material as a whole. The analysis reveals significant regional variations that reflect different stages in the process of conversion, and the growth of royal power. Many monuments were declarations of faith or manifestations of status; but virtually all reflect inheritance claims, and cast unexpected light on the
prehistory of the inheritance customs found in later Scandinavian law codes. The results of this analysis make a significant contribution to understanding developments in other parts of the Germanic world, as well as Scandinavia. The inclusion of a digest of the data-base on which this book is based
will facilitate further study of this rich vein of evidence.
- ISBN10 0198206437
- ISBN13 9780198206439
- Publish Date 7 December 2000 (first published 1 January 2000)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 20 April 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Oxford University Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 300
- Language English