Linnaeus’ Rune Stone

The runestone is a big granite boulder, surrounded by smaller bolders, trees and low vegetation. The upper right quarter, where the runic inscription is, is clean of moss and lichen. The runes are coloured in red.

Carved into this large boulder is a runic inscription:

Sir
Carl Linnaeus
purchased
Hammarby-Säfja
in 1758

Linnaeus bought the two estates of Hammarby and Sävja in 1758 and had this inscription made to mark the occasion. It was not unusual in the 18th century for scholars to have texts carved in runes as evidence of their learning. Linnaeus was fascinated by runic writing, and recorded many rune stones on his travels around Sweden.

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Linnaeus’ Natural History Museum