Epigraphic areas in medieval Västergötland: an interplay between Latin and runic script culture

In this article, runic and Latin monumental epigraphy from early medieval Vastergotland is studied in order to answer three questions regarding the establishment and development of these two written traditions: 1. Which were the geographical domains of runic and Latin epigraphy, and to what extent did they overlap? 2. How did the two traditions' geographical spread change during the period under scrutiny? 3. How do the two traditions compare with regard to socio cultural context, number and type of inscriptions, and the stonecutters' literacy level? The study has yielded two main results. The first concerns the establishment, in the early 12th century, of a Latin epigraphic tradition in the area around Kinnekulle, which remained a hub of almost exclusively Latin epigraphy for the whole period, in contrast to - or as a continuation of - the late Viking-Age runic tradition attested there. The second result concerns the strong presence of both runic and Latin epigraphy in an area around today's Falkoping, close to the monasteries of Gudhem and Varnhem. Here, the two traditions seem to have flourished together, establishing a bilingual and biscriptal epigraphic culture. The considerable number of inscriptions and their high level of literacy, in particular on funerary monuments, indicate that this area was a sociocultural centre in early medieval Vastergotland, where some individuals had the means, education and ambition necessary to take part in the literary and intellectual discourse of the time.