The secret messages of Viking runestones - Jesse Byock

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

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

西元第八世紀，維京人 穿越洶湧又多霧的大海。

They came from Scandinavia in Northern Europe

他們來自北歐的斯堪的那維亞，

but would travel far and wide.

但足跡又遠又廣。

Some plundered and settled in the British Isles and France;

有些維京人在不列顛群島 和法國劫掠並定居；

others braved Artic exploration

其他人則是到北極冒險

or forged clever new trade routes to the Middle East.

或者打造聰明的新貿易 路線，通往中東。

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

維京人有鋼鐵般的導航技巧、

先進的長型船隻， 以及讓人生畏的戰略，

the Vikings sustained their seafaring for over three hundred years.

因此維持航海霸業超過三百年。

But for all their might, they left few monuments.

但，儘管能力這麼強， 他們留下的紀念卻很少。

Instead, fragments of stone, bark, and bone

因此，石頭的碎片、樹皮，及骨頭

provide the keys to their culture.

反而提供了了解他們文化的關鍵。

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

這些物品多半是在墳墓、沼澤，

和古老定居地找到的，上面刻有

many of these objects are inscribed

with messages in Old Norse written in runic letters.

古北歐語的訊息， 用盧恩字母撰寫。

But the Vikings also scratched runes into household goods,

但維京人也會在家庭物品、珠寶、

jewellery, weapons, and even shoes.

武器，甚至鞋子上刮出盧恩文。

Deciphering these messages is no easy task.

要破解這些訊息並不容易。

Runes are short, straight, and diagonal lines

盧恩文是短、直、對角的線條，

that make up an alphabet called the “futhark.”

產生出來的字母系統 叫做「弗薩克」。

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

各種人都會說、寫這種語言， 用在許多不同的方言中。

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

並沒有標準的拼音，他們會透過

地區性口音的發音 來寫下個別的盧恩字母。

by pronouncing the sounds of their regional accents.

Some of these inscriptions also bore the influence of other cultures

有些刻文還有受到和維京人

有互動的其他文化所影響——

the Vikings interacted with—

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

比如，盧恩刻文「愛能戰勝一切」

is originally a Latin phrase from the poet Virgil.

原本是出自詩人 維吉爾的拉丁句子。

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

有許多像洛克盧恩石這樣的 例子，刻的都是詩句，

highlighting the tradition of Old Norse poetry.

強調出古北歐詩作的傳統

So even though modern runologists can read runes,

所以，雖然現代的盧恩文學家 能夠閱讀盧恩文，

their meaning isn’t always obvious.

盧恩文的意義不見得都很清楚。

Still, in spite of the remaining mysteries,

不過，雖然還有很多謎，

many inscriptions memorializing the dead

但已有許多刻文被破解了， 內容是在紀念亡者

and recording local histories have been deciphered—

及記錄當地的歷史——

along with some containing magical incantations.

還有一些內文含有魔法咒語。

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

瑞典的羅母薩盧恩文被刻在 一座橋旁邊露出的岩石上，

for travelers passing over swampy ground.

是用來讓旅客橫越沼澤地用的。

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

這條堤道是由當地著名的 女子西格露德委託打造。

She proclaimed both her importance and her family’s power

她把家人的名字刻在石頭上，

以張揚她的重要性和家人的權力，

by carving their names in stone,

and even associated herself and her family with mythical heroism

甚至刻出西格露德屠龍勇士的圖像，

來將她自己和家人 與神話英雄主義建立連結。

by carving illustrations of Sigurd the dragon slayer.

In the town of Jelling in Denmark,

在丹麥的耶靈鎮上，

two standing stones from the 10th century

有兩塊第十世紀就存在的立石，

memorialize different generations of a royal family.

紀念了一個皇室家庭的不同世代。

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

第一塊立石是由老高姆國王 所豎立，紀念他的皇后索維，

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

第二塊立石則是他們的兒子 哈拉爾藍芽在高姆死後所豎立。

The stones announce the power of this Viking Age dynasty,

這兩塊石頭是在宣揚 這個維京時代王朝的權力，

and they are among the earliest historical documents of Denmark.

它們是丹麥最早的 歷史記錄的一部分。

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

可以知道，丹麥是最早的大型 維京時代王國，因為這些資訊指出

by telling that Harald controlled southern Norway,

哈拉爾控制了南挪威， 且他改信了基督教。

and that he converted to Christianity.

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

現今，藍芽符號就是由 哈拉爾藍芽的字首所組成。

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

第十世紀的戰士詩人埃吉爾 是知名的盧恩文雕刻者。

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

根據詩中的記述，他曾經在 滿是毒液的角上刻下盧恩文，

causing the horn to shatter.

導致角破碎。

In another story,

在另一個故事中， 埃吉爾救了一個女孩的性命，

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

他將一片刻上了療癒盧恩文的 鯨魚骨放到女孩的枕頭下。

carved with healing runes under her pillow.

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

北歐詩作會提到盧恩文的咒語， 用來確保海洋風平浪靜、

safe childbirth and triumphant battles.

孩子安全出生，以及戰爭勝利。

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

但這些咒語的確切本質 仍然未被全部了解——

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

許多在劍、斧、茅 上面的刻文都無法破解。

Other objects, like the Lindholm amulet,

其他物品，如林德霍爾姆護身符，

have inscriptions that could be incantations, riddles,

上面的刻文可能是咒語、 謎題，或者宗教訊息。

or religious messages.

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

雖然很難確定維京時代在何時結束，

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

到了西元 1100 年時，他們海上 勢力擴展差不多就告一段落了。

However, people continued to speak versions of Old Norse

然而，在斯堪的那維亞各地，

人民仍然持續說著 不同版本的古北歐語；

throughout Scandinavia;

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

到了十九世紀，在鄉村地區 仍然有人持續使用盧恩文。

Today, many runestones remain standing at their original sites.

現今，許多盧恩石仍然 豎立在它們原始的所在。

The inscription on the Danish Glavendrup stone

在丹麥葛蘭維德魯普石上的刻文

has fearsomely declared for a thousand years:

一千年來都令人生畏地宣示著：

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

「能破壞這塊石頭或者能為了紀念 他人而拖動它的人就是巫師！」