B. L. Freeborn © November 2022
Map Stone – Front. Photo Scott Wolter ©2009. Used with permission.
Map stone – obverse. Photo Scott Wolter ©2009. Used with permission.
The SP-1, Map stone
This an excerpt from: Deciphering the Spirit Pond, Nomans Land and Narragansett Runic Inscriptions – Full article PDF version.
In the paper entitled “Validating North American Runic Inscriptions” (PDF) , by this author, the Spirit Pond Rune stones were discussed briefly. It became apparent that there was too much information on the long inscription stone known as SP-3 to include it all there. This paper repeats the information stated in the aforementioned with respect to the Spirit Pond rune stones and considerably more on the SP-3 (following post here) and SP-2 (next post) that may be too much for the average reader. It then delves into the Leif Erikson (PDF and Post) inscription from Nomans Land and since Narragansett (PDF and Post) is a short distance from where that was found, it is included as well. These six represent the best runic inscriptions found on the east coast of North America.
Apologies are given in advance. This is end to end numbers which makes for poor reading. Do not let the number work deter one from discovering what lays within the inscriptions. The essence can be grasped regardless of the level of interest in the math.
Reading the first paper (PDF) is essential to understanding the importance of the numeric information that is given here and followed by ✓ marks. SP-1, the Map Stone, is discussed here. Its front has a map of Hoop, Maine and the reverse has ten pictograms.
Map Stone Obverse. Runes and pictograms traced in black.
SP-1, Map Stone, Back
The stone has a significant shape which can be seen from this side. It is shaped like an axe. The left upper corner is shaped like a crater. Both of these ideas are important to the story of Baal.
The back of the stone has eight✓ runes centered at the top between two pictures which immediately suggests 28.✓ There are two pictures on the top line and eight below in the group or 28.✓ The symbol Wolter suggested (X with hoop) meant 40 degrees latitude is present next to a hatch mark symbol. The 40 implies 56.✓ To its right the hatches can be counted two ways evidently. As he did and find 44 which is the latitude of Spirit Pond; and as others do, find 48 which is the latitude of Newfoundland Island.
The runes at the top center are transcribed as M I L T I A K I and correspondingly the numbers are: 14 9 15 12 9 10 6 9.
The sum is a sad and useless 84. However, the sum from 14 to 10 is 69 which is repeated by the last two numbers 6 and 9. This is essentially the longitude of Spirit Pond. The correct modern coordinates are 43.75 ̊ N, 69.81 ̊ W with respect to the Greenwich Meridian which they were apparently using. The location of Newfoundland is 48 ̊ N, 56.5 ̊ W.✓ Imagine that.
The translation of the runes on SP-1 reverse has certainly not satisfied anyone. It appears it can be broken up as follows: MIL TI (A) KI. This is in simple Old English…mill tie (56) key. From this Mongé derived the message: LIT A MIK or seen by me. Or perhaps it is actually stating who wrote and inscribed (let) this stone. Read in both directions: ⇒ Me let…I Aki…… I tell ⇐. Altogether it says:
Mill tie (56) key seen by me. I Aki designed and carved.
Spirit Pond Map Stone, SP-1, front, with runes and images traced in black.
SP-1, Map Stone, Front
SP-1 or the map stone, front is a sheer pleasure to study. It transliterates easily and the typical translation is shown below.
The Numbers and Dates:
The sum of HOOB(P) is 28.✓ The sum of TKA is 28.✓ The sum of TUA is 24.
Very similar to the Kensington and the Kingigtorssuaq Inscription, the first letter, H, has value 7 and there is a 2 and 9 on the following line or 792.✓ The next numbers (8,15,10, 8,2) sum to 43.✓ The last two are 8 and 2 or 28 in reverse.✓ On the left there are 3 word groups on 2 lines or 32.✓ On the right there are 4 word groups on 3 lines or 43.✓
(This is an excerpt so there is information on dating missing. Briefly, inscriptions can be dated using the Easter Tables which provides a Rati/Line #, Golden Number (GN) and Day Letter (DL) for each year. This is explained in any of Landsverk / Mongé’s books.)
Mongé dates this to 6 October 1123 using the phrase (I+L) A K . (He used L= 14.) He presumes it is an anagram for SIKLA (sailed). Anagrams of SIKLA are also used on SP-2 and SP-3. He dated all the inscriptions then to that date. The associated numbers are (23)10 6. Note the S or 11 is missing. There is a hint in the two lines above it which use 11 runes. If Mongé is correct and L= 14 then the sum is 39 but the 11 (S) is missing. Take the hint and subtract an 11 from 39 and find 28.✓ He uses the rune count of 3 and 7 on line one to prove the GN and DL. Furthermore, the riddle master no doubt assumed the solver would find the date 6 October in the remaining numbers of (I+L)AK. The DN table (See Easter Tables) indicates this is 79 days to the end of the year. 79 and 23 from the joined runes creates 7923 and this is a very clever 792✓ which makes it an unlikely date.
If L = 15 then the sum of (I+L)AK is 40.✓ By similar reasoning the year becomes 1124. The GN for year 1124 is 4. The DL is 6. Both 4 and 6 repeat in the text. This makes 1124 a plausible year as well. As a date, it is likely the year when Henricus sailed to ‘Kilsa’; left the settlement for other duties elsewhere; or, as implied by the Vinland map, he passed away.
The GN for the stated year 1011 is 5 and the DL is 7. The Rati is #15. Although there are two 7’s there are no 5’s making it unlikely this is the date of the inscription.
*All of the words in the right word group are either misspelled or anagrams which suggests there is something hidden here. This group is usually taken to mean two days travel by sea since there is an arrow. Two days to the north is Nova Scotia. Two days to the south is Narragansett Bay where lies another rune stone (once at the shoreline). It is as if there were other settlements along the coast.
A closer look at these runes is warranted. Note the riddle master gives a hint. They refer to time (day). It is likely then that this group is where the date is embedded.
The right side numbers:
Note the repeating 12’s and that 10,6 and 6,10 are in a group and sum to 16. The 10,6 repeats in the last word. The 2 and 10 sum to 12. The GN for 1212 is 16. Moreover, the DL is 7 which is to the right of the 10,6. There are 7 runes on the top line and 3 on the bottom. The Rati is 3. Compare this to year 1216 with GN 1 and DL 2 neither of which is found. Checking year 1006, the GN is 19, DL is 6 which is also unsatisfactory. The likely year then is 1212.
If one studies Mongé’s steps closely for determining the date, another implied dedication day becomes apparent. The sum of the digits in 1011 equals 3. There are seven runes on the line. Using the DN table the 37th day to the end of the year is 17 November. The first two runes of HOOP sum to 11 and the last two to 17 which seems to confirm the date as 17 November, 1212. In the Inscription stone 1117 was the implied date of Henricus’ arrival.
The stone implies the Hoop settlement began in 1011 and was still active in 1212. Archeological dating suggests it was active in the 1400’s. (Wolter, pg. 80) The area is still known as Hoop.
Younger Futhark Runic Alphabet
From Wikipedia
Similar Articles by the Same Author
** For numeric background see:
**Freeborn, B.L., Validating North American Runic Inscriptions, noahsage.com, November 2022.
Freeborn, B.L., Ancient Riddles to Test Our Wits: The Secret Chamber, noahsage.com, January 2016. (Post)
Freeborn, B.L., Deciphering the Spirit Pond, Nomans Land and Narragansett Runic Inscriptions, noahsage.com, November 2022.
Freeborn, B.L., Et in Arcadia Ego – OUOSVAVV DM – Deciphered, noahsage.com, December 2022.
Freeborn, B.L., Kensington Rune Stone: A New Translation, noahsage.com, February 2023.
Freeborn, B.L., Runic Riddles: Time Capsules, noahsage.com, December 2022.
Freeborn, B.L. The Long Debated Bourne Stone, noahsage.com, January 2023.
Freeborn, B.L., The Nomans Land – Leif Eriksson Inscription, noahsage.com, December 2022.
Freeborn, B.L., The Narragansett Inscription: A Translation with its Date of Dedication, Author and Inscriber, noahsage.com, October 2022.
Freeborn, B.L., The Newport Tower: Finding the Date of Dedication, its Designer and Builder, noahsage.com, October 2022.
Freeborn, B.L., The Runic Riddles: Younger Futhork, noahsage.com, December 2022.
References
Gordon, Cyrus, Riddles in History, Crown Publishers, Inc. New York, 1974.
Landsverk, O.G., Runic Records of the Norsemen in America, Erik J. Friis, Publisher, Rushford, MN, 1974.
Landsverk, O.G., Ancient Norse Messages, Norseman Press, Glendale, California, 1969.
Mongé, Alf & O.G. Landsverk, Norse Medieval Cryptography in Runic Carvings, Norseman Press, Glendale, California, 1967.
Syversen, Earl, Norse Runic Inscriptions: with their Long-forgotten Cryptography, The Vine Hill Press, Sebastopol, California, 1979.
Wolter, Scott F, The Hooked X: Key to the Secret History of North America, North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc., St. Cloud, Minnesota 2009.
Derogatory article by Aslak Liestol of Alf Mongé’s work: http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/41/v41i01p034-042.pdf and…. Landsverk responded to these comments in Ancient Norse Messages pg. 126-129; and often in Runic Records of the Norsemen in America.
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