Runestone  

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-Ole Worm was something of a [[perpetual student]]: after attending the [[grammar school]] of Aarhus, he continued his education at the [[University of Marburg]] in 1605, received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the [[University of Basel]] in 1611, and received a Master of Arts degree from the [[University of Copenhagen]] in 1617. The rest of his academic career was spent in Copenhagen, where he taught [[Latin]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[physics]], and [[medicine]]. He was personal physician to [[Christian IV of Denmark|King Christian IV of Denmark]]. Somewhat remarkable for a physician of the time, he remained in the city of Copenhagen to minister to the sick during an [[epidemic]] of the [[bubonic plague|Black Death]].+A '''runestone''' is typically a raised stone with a [[runic alphabet|runic]] inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition began in the 4th century, and it lasted into the 12th century, but most of the runestones date from the late [[Viking Age]]. Most runestones are located in [[Scandinavia]], but there are also scattered runestones in locations that were visited by [[Norsemen]] during the Viking Age. Runestones are often [[memorial]]s to deceased men. Runestones were usually brightly coloured when erected, though this is no longer evident as the colour has worn off.
-==Scientific and cultural significance== 
-In medicine, Worm's chief contributions were in [[embryology]]. The [[Wormian bone]]s (small bones that fill gaps in the [[skull|cranial]] [[suture (anatomical)|suture]]s) are named after him.  
-Worm is also known to have been a collector of early [[literature]] in the [[Scandinavian languages]]. He also wrote a number of treatises on [[runestone]]s and collected texts that were written in [[Runic alphabet|runic]]. Worm received letters of introduction to the [[bishop]]s of [[Denmark]] and [[Norway]] from the King of Denmark due to the King's interest and approval. In 1626 Worm published his ''Fasti Danici'', or "Danish Chronology," containing the results of his researches into runic lore; and in 1636 ''Runir seu Danica literatura antiquissima'', "Runes: the oldest Danish literature," a compilation of transcribed runic texts. In 1643 his ''Danicorum Monumentorum'' "Danish Monuments" was published. The first written study of runestones, it is also one of the only surviving sources for depictions of numerous runestones and inscriptions from Denmark, some of which are now lost.+==See also==
- +*[[Alliterative verse]]
-As a [[natural philosopher]], Worm assembled a great collection of [[cabinet of curiosities|curiosities]], which ranged from native artifacts collected from the New World, to [[taxidermy|taxidermed]] animals, to [[fossil]]s, on which he speculated greatly. Worm compiled engravings of his collection, along with his speculations about their meaning, into a catalog of his ''Museum Wormianum'', published after his death, in 1655. As a scientist, Worm straddled the line between modern and pre-modern. As an example, in a very modern, [[empiricism|empirical]] mode, Worm determined that the [[unicorn]] did not exist and that purported unicorn horns were really simply from the [[narwhal]]. At the same time, however, he then wondered if the anti-poison properties associated with a unicorn's horn still held true, and undertook experiments in poisoning pets and then serving them ground up narwhal horn (his poisoning must have been relatively mild because he reported that they did recover). +*[[List of runestones]]
 +*[[Old Norse orthography]]
 +*[[Picture stone]]
 +*[[Stele]]
 +*[[Valknut]]
 +*[[Viking Runestones]]
 +*[[Varangian Runestones]]
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A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition began in the 4th century, and it lasted into the 12th century, but most of the runestones date from the late Viking Age. Most runestones are located in Scandinavia, but there are also scattered runestones in locations that were visited by Norsemen during the Viking Age. Runestones are often memorials to deceased men. Runestones were usually brightly coloured when erected, though this is no longer evident as the colour has worn off.


See also




Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Runestone" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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