Thistle mistletoe formula

Norse runic formula From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The thistle mistletoe formula is a pagan Norse Runic formula, involving several rhyming words ending in -istill (typically at least þistill and mistill; thistle and mistletoe).[1] The formula is attested in around 15 variants from the Viking Age.[2][3]

Attestations

Ledberg stone (Ög 181)

The Swedish Ledberg stone from Östergötland contains the formula. Following a standard memorial inscription, we read

ᚦᛘᚴ

þmk

᛬

:

ᛁᛁᛁ

iii

᛬

:

ᛋᛋᛋ

sss

᛬

:

ᛏᛏᛏ

ttt

᛬

:

ᛁᛁᛁ

iii

᛬

:

ᛚᛚᛚ

lll

᛬

:

ᚦᛘᚴ ᛬ ᛁᛁᛁ ᛬ ᛋᛋᛋ ᛬ ᛏᛏᛏ ᛬ ᛁᛁᛁ ᛬ ᛚᛚᛚ ᛬

þmk : iii : sss : ttt : iii : lll :

When resolved becomes, in normalized Old Icelandic spelling:[1]

þistill,

thistle,

mistill,

mistletoe,

kistill

casket

þistill, mistill, kistill

thistle, mistletoe, casket

Gørlev stone (DR 239)

Likewise, the Danish Gørlev stone contains the exact same formula, along with a younger futhark rune-row.

Saga of Bósi

The formula reaches its climax in a riddle in the legendary Icelandic Saga of Bósi and Herraud, where it reads (from manuscript AM. 586 4:0, transliterated into the Latin alphabet):

r.o.þ.k.m.u. iiiiii. ssssss. tttttt. iiiiii. llllll

Resolved and normalized, we get:

ristill,

plowshare,

eistill,

testicle,

þistill,

thistle,

kistill,

box/casket,

mistill,

mistletoe,

vistill

?

ristill, eistill, þistill, kistill, mistill, vistill

plowshare, testicle, thistle, box/casket, mistletoe, ?

The meaning of the final word, uistil (vistill), is unclear.[2][4]

References

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