Inscription identifier (signature)

The database contains a collection of runic inscriptions with information about them. Every runic inscription is referenced by a unique identifier also known as signature, i.e. when one searches for a particular inscription by it’s ID, we call such search searching by signature.

Signature format is inherited from Rundata. Signatures in Rundata could consists of three parts, of which only the first two are mandatory. Parts are separated from each other by a whitespace.

Signature: part 1

The first part indicates the origin of the inscription.

For Swedish inscriptions, the first element is the province designation used in Sveriges runinskrifter. For inscriptions from provinces which have not yet been published in Sveriges runinskrifter, a different designation is used. Here is the complete list of possible designations in alphabetic order:

ID Meaning
Bo Bohuslän, Sweden
By Byzantium
D Dalarna, Sweden
DE Germany
DR Denmark
Ds Dalsland, Sweden
E England!!
F France
FI Finland
FR Faeroes
G Gotland, Sweden
GR Greenland
Gs Gästrikland, Sweden
Hr Härjedalen, Sweden
Hs Hälsingland, Sweden
IM Isle of Man
IR Ireland
IS Iceland
IT Italy
J Jämtland, Sweden
LV Latvia
Lp Lappland, Sweden
M Medelpad, Sweden
N Norway
NL the Netherlands
Nä Närke, Sweden
Or Orkney islands
PL Poland
RU Russia
SE Inscription from unknown origin in Sweden
Sc Scotland
Sh Shetland
Sm Småland, Sweden
Sö Södermanland, Sweden
U Uppland, Sweden
UA Ukraine
Vg Västergötland, Sweden
Vr Värmland, Sweden
Vs Västmanland, Sweden
Ån Ångermanland, Sweden
Ög Östergötland, Sweden
Öl Öland, Sweden

Signature: part 2

The second part of the signature contains either

  • Serial number from the relevant country’s official runic register.
  • Reference to another source where the inscription is accessible; this reference most often consists of an abbreviation of the name of the source plus the year and page reference. For example, Fv1958;252 (= Fornvännen year 1958, p. 252). If more than one inscription appears on the same source page, the references are distinguished by the letters A, B, etc. directly after the page number. All abbreviations are given in the Bibliography.

Signature: part 3

The third part of signature may contain the following symbols:

  • † meaning that inscription has been lost.
  • $ meaning new reading or new interpretation, i.e. reading or interpretation has been completed from a later source than the source indicated in the signature.

Warning

This part provides user a quick glance of some inscription properties from signature. However, the same information is contained in inscription meta data. Rundata-net use part 3 of signature only for displaying the list of inscriptions. The search by signature is performed within the first two parts only!

Signature examples

Here are some examples of signatures:

  • Öl 1
  • Öl SHM1304:1836:64
  • Ög F7;54
  • Bo Peterson1992
  • X SvIK365,1,7