The Solar Stones of the Goths
by Survive the Jive
THE FAMOUS picture stones of Gotland are like Viking rune stones from Scandinavia, but they have pictures and fewer runes. The themes and images depicted on them developed over the Iron Age and into the Viking Age. Originally they seem to have pertained to some kind of Indo-European solar cult involving horses, but later stones have more familiar figures from Norse mythology.
Early stones could have served as grave monuments which may explain the solar iconography focusing on the eternal solar cycles. There are many images relating to death — including sleipnir, the sacrifice, battles and possibly valknutl. Cremation graves sometimes found at foot of stones.
I also explain that Gutasaga records Gotland as the homeland of the Goths and that the nation was founded by Tjelvar, servant of Thor, whose grave I visit. It is a stone ship setting.
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Source: Survive the Jive