The secret messages of Viking runestones - Jesse Byock

Prevodilac: Stefan Vesić Lektor: Ivana Korom

In the 8th century CE, Vikings surged across the misty seas.

U 8. veku nove ere, Vikinzi su gospodarili maglovitim vodama.

They came from Scandinavia in Northern Europe

Dolazili su iz Skandinavije u Severnoj Evropi,

but would travel far and wide.

ali su putovali svuda naokolo.

Some plundered and settled in the British Isles and France;

Neki su pljačkali i naselili se na britanskim ostrvima i u Francuskoj,

others braved Artic exploration

drugi su se usudili na istraživanje Arktika,

or forged clever new trade routes to the Middle East.

ili su stvarali nove trgovinske puteve do Bliskog istoka.

With their steely navigational skills, advanced long-ships and fearsome tactics,

Svojim neumoljivim veštinama navođenja, naprednim drakarima i izvrsnim taktikama

the Vikings sustained their seafaring for over three hundred years.

Vikinzi su održavali svoje mornarstvo preko 300 godina.

But for all their might, they left few monuments.

Međutim, iako su bili toliko moćni, ostavili su malo spomenika.

Instead, fragments of stone, bark, and bone

Umesto toga, delovi kamenja, kore drveta i kostiju

provide the keys to their culture.

daju nam uvid u njihovu kulturu.

Found in graves, bogs, and sites of ancient settlements,

Nađeni u grobovima, močvarama i na mestima drevnih naselja,

many of these objects are inscribed

mnogi od ovih objekata imaju urezbarene

with messages in Old Norse written in runic letters.

poruke na staronordijskom napisane u runama.

But the Vikings also scratched runes into household goods,

Međutim, Vikinzi su urezivali rune i u kućne predmete,

jewellery, weapons, and even shoes.

nakit, oružje, čak i u cipele.

Deciphering these messages is no easy task.

Dešifrovanje ovih poruka nije lak zadatak.

Runes are short, straight, and diagonal lines

Rune su kratke, prave i dijagonalne linije

that make up an alphabet called the “futhark.”

koje sačinjavaju alfabet pod imenom "futark".

All classes of people spoke and wrote this language, in many different dialects.

Ljudi svih staleža pričali su

i pisali ovim jezikom u mnogo različitih dijalekata.

There was no standard spelling, they wrote the individual runic letters

Nije postojao standardizovan pravopis, već su pisali pojedinačne rune

by pronouncing the sounds of their regional accents.

po tome kako su izgovarali glasove u svom lokalnom akcentu.

Some of these inscriptions also bore the influence of other cultures

Na neke od ovih zapisa uticale su i druge kulture

the Vikings interacted with—

sa kojima su Vikinzi dolazili u kontakt.

the runic inscription “love conquers all,” for example,

Na primer, runski zapis "ljubav pobeđuje sve",

is originally a Latin phrase from the poet Virgil.

originalno je latinska izreka pesnika Vergilija.

Many, like the enigmatic Rok runestone, were carved in verse,

Mnoge rune, poput zagonetne Rok rune, bile su urezbarene u stihu,

highlighting the tradition of Old Norse poetry.

tako ističući tradiciju staronordijske poezije.

So even though modern runologists can read runes,

Iako savremeni naučnici u oblasti runa mogu da ih čitaju,

their meaning isn’t always obvious.

njihovo značenje nije uvek očigledno.

Still, in spite of the remaining mysteries,

Međutim, iako misterije još uvek postoje,

many inscriptions memorializing the dead

mnogi zapisi koji odaju počast mrtvima

and recording local histories have been deciphered—

i na kojima su zabeležene lokalne istorije su dešifrovani -

along with some containing magical incantations.

zajedno sa nekima na kojima se nalaze vradžbine.

The Ramsund runes in Sweden are carved on a rocky outcrop beside a bridge

Ramsund rune u Švedskoj urezbarene su na stenovitom nasipu pored jednog mosta

for travelers passing over swampy ground.

za putnike koji prelaze preko močvare.

This causeway was commissioned by a prominent local woman named Sigríðr.

Izgradnju ovog nasipa poručila je ugledna žena tog područja, Zigrilda.

She proclaimed both her importance and her family’s power

Istakla je i svoju važnost i uticaj svoje porodice

by carving their names in stone,

time što je urezala njihova imena u kamen,

and even associated herself and her family with mythical heroism

a čak je povezala i sebe i svoju porodicu sa mitskim heroizmom

by carving illustrations of Sigurd the dragon slayer.

time što je urezala slike Zigfrida, ubice zmajeva.

In the town of Jelling in Denmark,

U gradu Jeling u Danskoj,

two standing stones from the 10th century

dva kamena spomenika iz 10. veka

memorialize different generations of a royal family.

odaju počast različitim generacijama kraljevske porodice.

The first was erected by King Gorm the Old in memory of his Queen Thyrvi,

Prvi je podigao kralj Gorm Stari u sećanje na svoju ženu, kraljicu Tiru,

and the second by their son, Harald Bluetooth, after Gorm’s death.

a drugi je, nakon Gormove smrti, podigao njihov sin Herald Blutut.

The stones announce the power of this Viking Age dynasty,

Spomenici svedoče moći ove vikinške dinastije

and they are among the earliest historical documents of Denmark.

i oni su jedni od najstarijih istorijskih spomenika Danske.

They indicate that Denmark was the earliest major Viking Age kingdom,

Oni ukazuju na to da je Danska bila prvo veliko vikinško kraljevstvo,

by telling that Harald controlled southern Norway,

da je Herald upravljao Južnom Norveškom

and that he converted to Christianity.

i da je primio Hrišćanstvo.

Today, Harald Bluetooth’s initials make up the Bluetooth logo.

Danas, inicijali Heralda Blututa čine logo Blututa.

The 10th century warrior poet Egil was a well-known carver of runes.

Ratnik-pesnik iz 10. veka Egil bio je poznati rezbaroš runa.

According to poetic accounts, he once carved runes on a horn filled with poison,

Kako pesme kažu, jednom je urezivao rune u rog pun otrova,

causing the horn to shatter.

što je dovelo do toga da rog pukne.

In another story,

U drugoj priči,

Egil saves a young girl’s life by placing a piece of whale bone

Egil spašava život mlade devojke tako što je stavio komad kosti kita

carved with healing runes under her pillow.

sa urezanim runama za lečenje, ispod njenog jastuka.

Norse poetry tells of runic spells, cast to ensure calm seas,

Nordijska poezija govori o runskim činima koje se bacaju za mirno more,

safe childbirth and triumphant battles.

bezbedan porođaj i uspešne bitke.

But the exact nature of these spells isn’t fully understood—

Međutim, prava priroda ovih čini nije potpuno jasna.

many of the inscriptions on swords, axes, and spears are indecipherable.

Mnogi zapisi na mačevima, sekirama i kopljima su nerazumljivi.

Other objects, like the Lindholm amulet,

Drugi predmeti poput amajlije iz Lindholma

have inscriptions that could be incantations, riddles,

imaju zapise koji mogu biti vradžbine, zagonetke,

or religious messages.

ili religiozne poruke.

While it’s difficult to pinpoint the end of the Viking era,

Iako je teško tačno odrediti kraj ere Vikinga,

by 1100 CE their sea-borne expansion had mostly come to an end.

do 1100. godine nove ere njihovo pomorsko širenje se zaustavilo.

However, people continued to speak versions of Old Norse

Međutim, ljudi su nastavili da pričaju verzijama staronordijskog

throughout Scandinavia;

širom Skandinavije,

and runes remained in use in rural areas into the 19th century.

a rune su se koristile u seoskim predelima do 19. veka.

Today, many runestones remain standing at their original sites.

Danas, mnogi spomenici sa runama još uvek stoje na svojim prvobitnim mestima.

The inscription on the Danish Glavendrup stone

Zapis na danskom Glavendrup kamenu

has fearsomely declared for a thousand years:

već hiljadu godina prenosi zastrašujuću poruku:

“A warlock be he who damages this stone or drags it in memory of another!”

"Proklet bio onaj ko ošteti ovaj kamen, ili ga posveti bilo kome drugom!"