New Interpretation of Viking Runic Inscription Sheds Light on Collective Ownership of Galloway Hoard!

A fresh interpretation of a runic inscription on a silver arm ring from the renowned Viking-era Galloway Hoard has provided new insights into its ownership. Researchers at National Museums Scotland, in collaboration with specialists from the University of Wales, have translated the inscription to mean: “this is the community’s wealth/property.” This suggests that the hoard was collectively owned rather than the possession of a single individual.

Photo Credit: National Museums Scotland

The Discovery of the Galloway Hoard

The Galloway Hoard was unearthed in 2014 by metal detectorists near Balmaghie in southwest Scotland. This remarkable Viking-age treasure is considered one of the most significant ever found in Britain. Weighing over 11 pounds (5 kilograms), the hoard contains a wealth of silver and gold, carefully buried in four separate parcels. Dating back to around the year 900, its contents include silver bullion, a rare Anglo-Saxon pectoral cross, gold pieces hidden within a wooden box, as well as an assortment of relics, beads, pendants, brooches, and bracelets. Some objects within the hoard originated from as far as Iran, with experts tracing a silver-gilt vessel back to a mine in the Sasanian Empire.

Photo Credit: National Museums Scotland

A Breakthrough in Runic Translation

For years, scholars struggled to interpret the inscription on one of the four arm rings, while the other three contained recognisable Old English name elements. The mystery of the fourth ring was finally solved when researchers identified an unusual spelling pattern. The key breakthrough came when they realised the final rune, marked with dots on either side, represented the name of the F-rune, ‘feoh,’ meaning “wealth” or “property.” This helped them to decode ‘ЇIGNA’ as a variation of the Old English word ‘higna,’ which means “community.” Despite minor spelling variations, the full phrase was translated as: “This is the community’s wealth.”

What This Means for Our Understanding of Viking Society

Martin Goldberg, Principal Curator at National Museums Scotland, remarked:

“The idea that the wealth represented by this hoard would be communally held is fascinating. It still leaves us with unanswered questions about the circumstances in which a community’s wealth would come to be buried, and also which particular community. Some material within the hoard, such as the pectoral cross and the rock crystal jar made for Bishop Hyguald, would support this being a religious community.”

Photo Credit: National Museums Scotland

Leading runologist Dr. David Parsons from the University of Wales, who worked on the translation, acknowledged the complexities of the inscription:

“This is a difficult and unusual inscription, and the proposed translation is challenging. There are a number of things that are technically ‘wrong’ when compared with what we know about ‘correct’ runic writing. However, if we consider regional and idiomatic variations in spoken and written English today, it becomes possible to accept this as a plausible reading. And in the context of what we can deduce about the Galloway Hoard, it becomes really quite compelling.”

The Future of the Galloway Hoard

These findings are part of a three-year research initiative titled Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard, led by National Museums Scotland in partnership with the University of Glasgow, and supported by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

The arm ring and other artefacts from the hoard will soon go on display as part of Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard, a new international touring exhibition. Launching at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide on 8th February, the exhibition will showcase the extraordinary craftsmanship of the hoard and explore the mystery surrounding its burial. Through audiovisual presentations and 3D reconstructions, visitors will gain unique insights into the artefacts and the research behind them.

This discovery not only enhances our understanding of Viking-era societies but also raises intriguing questions about the role of wealth and community in the late ninth and early tenth centuries. Who buried the hoard, and why? While we may never know the full story, ongoing research continues to shed light on this remarkable treasure trove from Scotland’s Viking past.