An exceptionally rare runestone has been discovered in the village of Sandur on the Faroe Island of Sandoy. The stone had been built into the floor of a building in the archaeological site of Á Sondum. The runes have not yet been interpreted, but a runeologist is scheduled to examine the stone in August.

Meanwhile, National Museum archaeologist Helgi Michelsen believes part of the inscription reads “Her hvílur” which is Old Norse for “Here lies.” If that’s accurate, the stone may be a grave marker. Other artifacts found in the July excavation include Christian artifacts which suggest the building was a medieval oratory (prayer chapel), so a burial there would make sense.

The building faces east and west, and has an entrance at the west end. These architectural features are common in medieval prayer houses and chapels. Faroese examples of east and west-facing prayer houses with an entrance at the west end are the prayer house at Bønhúsberg in Mykines, Bønhústoft in Leirvík and the toft down at Bakki at Velbastaður.

Located in the North Atlantic Ocean north of Scotland, southeast of Iceland and west of Norway, the Faroe Islands show evidence of settlement going back to the middle of the 4th century and appears to have been populated by the 7th century.

Settlers from Norway and ones of mixed Norse and Gaelic heritage from Norse communities in Ireland and the Hebrides began to arrive in the early 9th century. They built farms, reared livestock, fished, gathered food, relying on imports from other Norse colonies for essential goods like timber, metal and tools. The settlers established a parliament based on the Norwegian model and local parliaments were established in largely self-governing regions.

Christianity was introduced to the Faroes by Viking chieftain Sigmundur Brestisson around the year 1000. He had been converted by King of Norway Olaf Tryggvason and brought Christianity to the islands as a stalking horse for centralized Norwegian rule. Local chieftain Tróndur í Gøtu was the main local of resistance, although he finally converted under violent duress, and it was only after his death in 1035 that the Faroe Islands were brought under the Norwegian crown as a tributary country. The islands became their own independent bishopric in the 12th century.

The stone has been moved to the National Museum for conservation under controlled conditions.