The Thorsberg chape^[1] (a metal piece belonging to a scabbard), that was found in the Thorsberg moor, Germany, as an apparent votive offering. It bears an Elder Futhark runic inscription, one of the earliest known altogether, dating to roughly 200 CE. The inscription reads:

owlþuþewaz / niwajmariz

The first element owlþu, for wolþu-, means "glory," "glorious one," cf. Old Norse Ullr, Old English wuldor. The second element, -þewaz, means "slave, servant." The whole compound is a personal name or title, "servant of the glorious one", "servant/priest of Ullr." On the reverse, ni- is the negative particle, waj- corresponds to "woe, ill" (Old Norse vei). The final element is -mariz "famous" (Old English maēre), the second word thus translates to "not ill-famous", viz. "famous, renowned" or "not of ill fame, not dishonoured." The translation of the inscription can thus be either "Wolthuthewaz is well-renowned," or "the servant of Ullr, the renowned."

Another reading, avoiding the emendation of the first element, reads the first letter ideographically, "Odal", resulting in o[þalan] w[u]lþuþewaz / niwajmariz "inherited property of Wulthuthewaz, the renowned."

[edit] See also

• Weapons sacrifice

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~marisal/ie/ngmc.html
• http://www.nordic-life.org/nmh/Krause2.htm

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