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The Picture Stone from Väskinde Cemetary |
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The stone is dated to the period 400–600 A.D. The prevalent design is a whirling disc which is generally thought to represent the sun. Sun worship has featured in many religions at various times in history – life returned with the sun every spring. In India, e.g. the swastika was a religious symbol denoting the sun, prosperity and happiness. On Gotland this sign has been found on a spherical stone on an Iron Age grave. The whorl can be found in contemporaneous Roman mosaics and on jewellery in the Baltic countries, where enamel of various colours has been inserted in the whorls. The Gotlandic picture stones have probably also been richly coloured, a feature which would have enhanced the visual impression, leaving none of its beholders unmoved. |
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| Apart from the whorl – whose brilliance was intensified by decorative ‘beams’ around its outer edge – the stone, like most others, has a border around the edges and four confronting animals. These probably depict fighting stallions. Stallion-duelling was a common and popular sport with a symbolic meaning. It symbolised the struggle between good and evil, ultimately between life and death. | ||
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