Krister Vasshus
@kristervasshus.bsky.social
Interdisciplinary scholar of (North) Germanic languages, runes, archaeology, religion, biology and cultural history. Currently working as disseminator at Sagnlandet Lejre, and freelancing research. Environmentalist. He, him, jotun.
The hǫrgr at Sagnlandet Lejre also looks good in snow.
I recently read Eldar Heide's book on hǫrgr, and perhaps this conjecture of a cult-site is not THAT far off from something that might have been called a hǫrgr.
Heide's book is available open access: www.scup.com/doi/book/10....
I recently read Eldar Heide's book on hǫrgr, and perhaps this conjecture of a cult-site is not THAT far off from something that might have been called a hǫrgr.
Heide's book is available open access: www.scup.com/doi/book/10....
November 26, 2025 at 10:26 AM
The hǫrgr at Sagnlandet Lejre also looks good in snow.
I recently read Eldar Heide's book on hǫrgr, and perhaps this conjecture of a cult-site is not THAT far off from something that might have been called a hǫrgr.
Heide's book is available open access: www.scup.com/doi/book/10....
I recently read Eldar Heide's book on hǫrgr, and perhaps this conjecture of a cult-site is not THAT far off from something that might have been called a hǫrgr.
Heide's book is available open access: www.scup.com/doi/book/10....
In Sagnlandet Lejre we have this huge wooden recreation of a small silver figurine standing in front of the reconstructed mead-hall from 8th century Lejre. Looks alright in a light snowfall.
November 24, 2025 at 4:40 PM
In Sagnlandet Lejre we have this huge wooden recreation of a small silver figurine standing in front of the reconstructed mead-hall from 8th century Lejre. Looks alright in a light snowfall.
Norwegian: Leirgauk 'clay cockoo'
English: Okarina 'little goose'
Danish: Pip-i-røv-fugl 'peep-in-the-arse-bird'
English: Okarina 'little goose'
Danish: Pip-i-røv-fugl 'peep-in-the-arse-bird'
November 3, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Norwegian: Leirgauk 'clay cockoo'
English: Okarina 'little goose'
Danish: Pip-i-røv-fugl 'peep-in-the-arse-bird'
English: Okarina 'little goose'
Danish: Pip-i-røv-fugl 'peep-in-the-arse-bird'
Sometimes I take detours just to stop by an interesting piece of history. This summer I passed the Kalleby-stone. The exact meaning of the inscription is somewhat debated. It says "Þrawijan haitinaz was".
October 24, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Sometimes I take detours just to stop by an interesting piece of history. This summer I passed the Kalleby-stone. The exact meaning of the inscription is somewhat debated. It says "Þrawijan haitinaz was".
Når noko heilt moderne stikk seg så djupt ned i folkeoldet at du må hella ut ein tår for å føla deg sikker på at du kjem deg heilskinna heim. Då er det godt.
August 23, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Når noko heilt moderne stikk seg så djupt ned i folkeoldet at du må hella ut ein tår for å føla deg sikker på at du kjem deg heilskinna heim. Då er det godt.
Strandurunōʀ skar-eka
'I cut beach-runes'
'I cut beach-runes'
August 15, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Strandurunōʀ skar-eka
'I cut beach-runes'
'I cut beach-runes'
Summer-slacking.
July 24, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Summer-slacking.
When children know stuff about Scandinavia.
July 8, 2025 at 6:37 AM
When children know stuff about Scandinavia.
Når kona har vore på feltarbeid på Bornholm og køyrt øve Sverige på veg heim, og veit nøyaktig kva gåve ho skal gjera husbonden glad med.
May 3, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Når kona har vore på feltarbeid på Bornholm og køyrt øve Sverige på veg heim, og veit nøyaktig kva gåve ho skal gjera husbonden glad med.
Oh, Denmark. Always so explicit.
"Do you wash hands after having been to the loo? Otherwise this [handshake image] becomes this [that other image]"
"Do you wash hands after having been to the loo? Otherwise this [handshake image] becomes this [that other image]"
April 25, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Oh, Denmark. Always so explicit.
"Do you wash hands after having been to the loo? Otherwise this [handshake image] becomes this [that other image]"
"Do you wash hands after having been to the loo? Otherwise this [handshake image] becomes this [that other image]"
After having gone through runic inscriptions from around the 700s, we have settled on using a transitional fuþark in our mead-hall in Sagnlandet Lejre.
April 7, 2025 at 12:06 PM
After having gone through runic inscriptions from around the 700s, we have settled on using a transitional fuþark in our mead-hall in Sagnlandet Lejre.
My trip to work in the morning is pretty nice.
March 31, 2025 at 4:33 PM
My trip to work in the morning is pretty nice.
Yesterday we had a little workshop on gold foil art for the upcoming season at Sagnlandet Lejre.
March 22, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Yesterday we had a little workshop on gold foil art for the upcoming season at Sagnlandet Lejre.
Writing yard-runes.
Hafrōz
You"ll never guess what that means.*
*irony may occur – many of you will surely guess, some of you already knows
#runes #futhark #ironage #livingthepast #culturalcontinuity
Hafrōz
You"ll never guess what that means.*
*irony may occur – many of you will surely guess, some of you already knows
#runes #futhark #ironage #livingthepast #culturalcontinuity
February 11, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Writing yard-runes.
Hafrōz
You"ll never guess what that means.*
*irony may occur – many of you will surely guess, some of you already knows
#runes #futhark #ironage #livingthepast #culturalcontinuity
Hafrōz
You"ll never guess what that means.*
*irony may occur – many of you will surely guess, some of you already knows
#runes #futhark #ironage #livingthepast #culturalcontinuity
Concerning placenames near the Svingerud grave field, the first thing that strikes us is the density of sacral placenames, where the name refers to pre-Christian religion. Here is a section of map from www.norgeskart.no where the star marks the grave field. The red circles mark a sacral name.
2/7
2/7
February 6, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Concerning placenames near the Svingerud grave field, the first thing that strikes us is the density of sacral placenames, where the name refers to pre-Christian religion. Here is a section of map from www.norgeskart.no where the star marks the grave field. The red circles mark a sacral name.
2/7
2/7
Writing sea-runes
February 1, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Writing sea-runes
Linguistic zoology:
English "sheep", German "Schaf", Dutch "schaap" all derrive from a common proto-Germanic neuter word, *skēpa. This word is in turn probably derrived from a weak verb *skaban- which means 'to shave/scrape'.
1/4
#animals #etymology #history
Photo: Krister Vasshus
English "sheep", German "Schaf", Dutch "schaap" all derrive from a common proto-Germanic neuter word, *skēpa. This word is in turn probably derrived from a weak verb *skaban- which means 'to shave/scrape'.
1/4
#animals #etymology #history
Photo: Krister Vasshus
January 21, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Linguistic zoology:
English "sheep", German "Schaf", Dutch "schaap" all derrive from a common proto-Germanic neuter word, *skēpa. This word is in turn probably derrived from a weak verb *skaban- which means 'to shave/scrape'.
1/4
#animals #etymology #history
Photo: Krister Vasshus
English "sheep", German "Schaf", Dutch "schaap" all derrive from a common proto-Germanic neuter word, *skēpa. This word is in turn probably derrived from a weak verb *skaban- which means 'to shave/scrape'.
1/4
#animals #etymology #history
Photo: Krister Vasshus
Petroglyps next to the waterfall Møllerstufossen in Norway. The animals you can see here are Scandinavian elk (Alces alces), but there are other animals carved in the same rocks. Not sure if they are beaver, wolverine or badger or something.
#petroglyphs #rockart #stoneage #huntergatherer
#petroglyphs #rockart #stoneage #huntergatherer
January 14, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Petroglyps next to the waterfall Møllerstufossen in Norway. The animals you can see here are Scandinavian elk (Alces alces), but there are other animals carved in the same rocks. Not sure if they are beaver, wolverine or badger or something.
#petroglyphs #rockart #stoneage #huntergatherer
#petroglyphs #rockart #stoneage #huntergatherer
Full moon hanging over Lejre. If you know, you know.
(If you didn't know: the pagan kings of Lejre threw feasts at certain times of the year, and the first full moon in a full lunar cyckle after a winter solstice seems to have been one of those events.)
(If you didn't know: the pagan kings of Lejre threw feasts at certain times of the year, and the first full moon in a full lunar cyckle after a winter solstice seems to have been one of those events.)
January 13, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Full moon hanging over Lejre. If you know, you know.
(If you didn't know: the pagan kings of Lejre threw feasts at certain times of the year, and the first full moon in a full lunar cyckle after a winter solstice seems to have been one of those events.)
(If you didn't know: the pagan kings of Lejre threw feasts at certain times of the year, and the first full moon in a full lunar cyckle after a winter solstice seems to have been one of those events.)
Ever wondered what the inside of a Norwegian stave church looks like? Here is an example. Perhaps it is not a very representative example, as churches usually aren't this heavily inscribed.
Borgund stavkyrkje.
#medievalchurch #stavechurch #runes #literacy
Borgund stavkyrkje.
#medievalchurch #stavechurch #runes #literacy
January 7, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Ever wondered what the inside of a Norwegian stave church looks like? Here is an example. Perhaps it is not a very representative example, as churches usually aren't this heavily inscribed.
Borgund stavkyrkje.
#medievalchurch #stavechurch #runes #literacy
Borgund stavkyrkje.
#medievalchurch #stavechurch #runes #literacy
Rune stone DR 398 is placed in Østerlars kirke on Bornholm. Inscripted on three sides, and reads §A broþir: auk : eimotr : þeir : litu : reisa : stein : þana : eft¶ir §B : sikmut : faþur : sin : §C kristr : hialbi : sialu : hans : auk : sata : mikel : auk : sata : maria :
#runestone #olddanish
#runestone #olddanish
January 6, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Rune stone DR 398 is placed in Østerlars kirke on Bornholm. Inscripted on three sides, and reads §A broþir: auk : eimotr : þeir : litu : reisa : stein : þana : eft¶ir §B : sikmut : faþur : sin : §C kristr : hialbi : sialu : hans : auk : sata : mikel : auk : sata : maria :
#runestone #olddanish
#runestone #olddanish
Remains of one of the many stone shipsettings at Lejre in Denmark, with the burial mound Grydehøj in the background. Some new and interesting analysis on the monuments by Julie Nielsen has just been published in Viking dynasties.
#archaeology #culturalhistory #vikings
#archaeology #culturalhistory #vikings
January 5, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Remains of one of the many stone shipsettings at Lejre in Denmark, with the burial mound Grydehøj in the background. Some new and interesting analysis on the monuments by Julie Nielsen has just been published in Viking dynasties.
#archaeology #culturalhistory #vikings
#archaeology #culturalhistory #vikings
Language birding - linguistic ornithology
The osprey is a small eagle which has specialized in fishing. The word "ospey" originates in the latin "avis praedae" (through an Anglo-Norman form "ospriet"), which literally means 'bird of prey'.
#languagebirding #birds #linguistics #etymology
The osprey is a small eagle which has specialized in fishing. The word "ospey" originates in the latin "avis praedae" (through an Anglo-Norman form "ospriet"), which literally means 'bird of prey'.
#languagebirding #birds #linguistics #etymology
December 21, 2024 at 10:29 AM
Language birding - linguistic ornithology
The osprey is a small eagle which has specialized in fishing. The word "ospey" originates in the latin "avis praedae" (through an Anglo-Norman form "ospriet"), which literally means 'bird of prey'.
#languagebirding #birds #linguistics #etymology
The osprey is a small eagle which has specialized in fishing. The word "ospey" originates in the latin "avis praedae" (through an Anglo-Norman form "ospriet"), which literally means 'bird of prey'.
#languagebirding #birds #linguistics #etymology
Language birding - linguistic ornithology
The northern lapwing has an interesting name in English. The name has developed from Old English hlēapwince, which is a compound of the words for "leap" and "wink". This may be due to its sudden movements in flight during spring and mating season.
#birds
The northern lapwing has an interesting name in English. The name has developed from Old English hlēapwince, which is a compound of the words for "leap" and "wink". This may be due to its sudden movements in flight during spring and mating season.
#birds
December 18, 2024 at 10:18 AM
Language birding - linguistic ornithology
The northern lapwing has an interesting name in English. The name has developed from Old English hlēapwince, which is a compound of the words for "leap" and "wink". This may be due to its sudden movements in flight during spring and mating season.
#birds
The northern lapwing has an interesting name in English. The name has developed from Old English hlēapwince, which is a compound of the words for "leap" and "wink". This may be due to its sudden movements in flight during spring and mating season.
#birds
Language birding - linguistic ornithology
Oystercatcher, the kind of name that sounds like it was made by a committee. The name explains itself, as this bird eats molluscs and worms close to the shore. In parts of Scotland, it is also called chalder, whilch comes from Old Norse tjaldr.
#oldnorse
Oystercatcher, the kind of name that sounds like it was made by a committee. The name explains itself, as this bird eats molluscs and worms close to the shore. In parts of Scotland, it is also called chalder, whilch comes from Old Norse tjaldr.
#oldnorse
December 15, 2024 at 8:04 AM
Language birding - linguistic ornithology
Oystercatcher, the kind of name that sounds like it was made by a committee. The name explains itself, as this bird eats molluscs and worms close to the shore. In parts of Scotland, it is also called chalder, whilch comes from Old Norse tjaldr.
#oldnorse
Oystercatcher, the kind of name that sounds like it was made by a committee. The name explains itself, as this bird eats molluscs and worms close to the shore. In parts of Scotland, it is also called chalder, whilch comes from Old Norse tjaldr.
#oldnorse