Balderstein
The Balderstein is a 7.87 meter high slender building stone next to the Husabø cemetery in Leikanger in the province of Vestland . It is the largest in Norway . The building stone has had several names over the years and there are different opinions about its age and origin.
The Balderstein stands in a courtyard on a small hill, but not in or on a hill. It must once have stood in a Gravrøys that was long since worn out. The stone is made of coarse-grained gneiss . It is 1.25 m wide and 0.5 m thick at the bottom. It tapers towards the top and ends in a point. The portion that is underground is about 2.1 m. The stone weighs about 10 tons.
The stone was mentioned as "Ivar Elda stone". Snorre mentions Ivar Elda as a powerful man on Systrond who fell in the Battle of Fimreite in 1184 . Another name is "Fritjof Gravhøj" or "Fritjovstein", after a main character in the old Icelandic Frithjofs legend . The name of the Germanic god Balder is not found before the 20th century, but other name combinations with Balder in the area are older. The countless Baldern names are an indication that a cult site of the pagan god was located here.
In 1994 there were extensive excavations about 100 m south. The large cemetery of Baldershagen came to light.
See also
Web links
- Balderstein on kulturminnesok.no near Riksantikvaren (Norwegian)
- Description (norweg.) And pictures at Norsk rikskringkasting
- Baldersteinen - Kulturhistorisk Leksikon
- Balder stones on Leikanger.no
Coordinates: 61 ° 11 ′ 5.9 ″ N , 6 ° 48 ′ 19 ″ E