B. L. Freeborn © November 2022
This an excerpt from: Deciphering the Spirit Pond, Nomans Land and Narragansett Runic Inscriptions – Full article PDF version.
Amulet ⇓⇓ and Short SP-2 ⇓⇓
Introduction
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 Spirit Pond stones to include there. The previous post discussed the Map Stone, SP-1, and the long Inscription Stone, SP-3 is discussed in the next post. The amulet and short SP-2 are discussed below. The Leif Erikson (PDF and Post) inscription from Nomans Land and the Narragansett (PDF and Post) were discussed previously. 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. There are four stones from Spirit Pond, Maine. The Amulet and Short Inscription Stone are studied here.
Spirit Pond Amulet. Image Lenik, 2009.
Amulet
The amulet stone which is designed to be worn is part of the Spirit Pond Stone collection. On the front side is the number 1010 which is presumably the year. The question remains whether it is a commemorative year or the year it was originally devised. Either way the 10’s are composed of a line and a circle which repeats the idea of the Ankh. Above the date are three runic letters, VIN, assumed to represent Vinland. There are then 5 runic figures on this side. The 6th is a hatched symbol for 5 so 56.5 repeats.✓
The runes in the center stand for V I N with numbers 2, 9 and 8. Their sum as 19 is of no interest. But if one sees it as a 2 ̸ 8 then 28 is found.✓ (See Rune chart at end for number equivalents.)
The sum of the 5, 19 and 20 is 44 which interestingly is the latitude of Spirit Pond.
Then by summing 5 and 2, a 7 can be found which provides 7 9 and 20 or 7920.✓
Easy enough, but this leaves no apparent use for the 8 except that 89 x 89 is 7921?!✓ And a square of sides 5.65 has a diagonal of 8.✓
Lastly, here there are 3 letter runes and 2 numbers or 32.✓
The Cross below the circle (string hole) may repeat the idea of the Ankh again. The cross suggests this person had converted to Christianity or wanted to appear Christian despite the Pagan message on the other side.
Photo Scott Wolter ©2009. Used with permission.
The Short SP-2
This is the short inscription stone from Spirit Pond known as SP-2. Its inscription is brief having 8 runes on the top line and 4 on the second line with 3 on the left and 1 on the right. One rune on each line is a bindrune (two or more runes joined together) positioned directly over each other.
There are 3 words on 2 lines for 32.✓ The sum of the top line is 74. The sum of the second line is 51.✓ The total sum is 125. The first number is 8 and the second bindrune is 9. Recall 89 x 89 = 7921.✓ The sum from 15 to the last 6 is 40.✓ The first number is 8 and the last number on either line is 6 suggesting 86.✓ The sum on the left bottom is 45. The sum between the 6’s is 45. Add a 6 from either side and obtain 51 again.✓ The R and K adjoining each other provide 56.✓
The : is directly under 15 and it is followed by 4 and 15. Year 1002 is on line 15 of the Easter table.** It has GN 15 and DL 4. This date follows the discovery of Vinland by Leif Erickson by a year, so it is possible. The commemoration date on the others was 1010.
Assuming the day of dedication is suggested by the nearby 6’s both the 6th of October and 11th of June must be checked. The first is 79 days before the end of the Norse year. But 79 suggests 792.✓ The 11th of June is 196 days before the year end but only 125 days before October 14th, the first day of the Norse winter. The sum of the first line was 125! This can then be dated to either day. It is the reader’s choice. Once the date is plainly stated then one can see it in the text 10 : or 10 0 2!
As far as what it says…it reads like it is straight Baalist – strange but true. The second line is an anagram for KILSA which was seen on the other Spirit Pond stones. Taking it bit by bit find:
N over S. North went south.
(ÆRIL) ⇒RÆL I ⇒ roll eye.
KS over A. ⇒ SAK ⇒ sack or sagged.
The L over two dots. ⇒ two dots suggests a missing letter U so this becomes LU or low.
Then it is ÆL over K ⇒ cull. The last two in reverse KL ⇒ kill.
North went south as the eye rolled and sagged. It is low. It culled and killed.
This sounds like he is describing the apocalypse or perhaps some element of Ragnarök. His devotion to Baal seems complete but what of his name?
It might be helpful to see the Æ as O. Now notice there are two anagrams for ‘look’ spelled LÆK or LOK. So we should do as directed and look. Mongé points out this implies a shift cipher. A shift cipher implies instead of ‘a’ use ‘b,’ instead of ‘b’ use ‘c,’ etc. or in reverse. If a shift cipher is applied (shift each letter to the preceding) find:
N (Æ+R)KS L Æ L K ⇒ H (Th Æ) R A B Th B R
S (I+L) A : K ⇒ A ( N B) I : R
which is not productive. But if you make a mistake and substitute M for B (the following rune instead of preceding) then…
H (Th Æ) R A M Th M R
A ( N M) I : R
then one can read: hath name thar (there) I am thr (there)? This suggests it is a forward/reverse cipher. After some struggle one finds that only the bindrunes are used.
Lother inscribed this stone 11th of June 1002.
This series continues with the long Inscription Stone. The entire article on all the Spirit Pond stones is here.
**(Easter Table dating and explanations can be found in any of Landsverk’s books referenced below.)
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.
Lenik, Edward J., Making Pictures in Stone: American Indian Rock Art of the Northeast, 2009.
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.
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.
noahsage 