A Visit to Alfdis and Alarr's Stone

After a cold’s night sleep, we (my mother, Snotra, and I) decided to make a visit to grandmother Alfdis’s runestone to make sure the plot was still in order and to give a small sacrifice to Thor. The runestone is placed in front of a small but beautiful creek that my father, LjúfR, and our dear friend, Hvalr Huskarlsson, came upon one day during a journey to the Godi's farm. My father freed Hvalr’s father after he saved my mother’s life during a market brawl and after my grandfather passed away. However, Hvlar has remained living and working at the farm and since, has become like a brother. Anyway, back to my grandmother. The year before I was born, grandma Alfdis died of pneumonia after a long winter and my mother and father decided to commission a runestone in her and her son’s (my uncle) names. My uncle, Álarr, was killed during one of his campaigns in the south 5 years after my grandma died. He was a very well known warrior in our region and his death was mourned deeply. We never did get his body back to Viksfjord. (I really hope Leif is alright. I worry so much for his safety. Last night I had a nightmare that he died after being killed in Jotungaro. I was sitting at the foot of his runestone, weeping while holding onto the brooch he gave me as a gift after his last campaign to the west. Thankfully, the sharp winds woke me up early.)

Our walk was somewhat of a long one. Last night I made sure to spend extra time at the spindle making my father and brother’s new winter tunics, knowing that we would be away from the farm for the majority of the day. Once we passed the Goði’s farm, we knew we were close. Although my family regularly attends community rituals and gives small sacrifices to Thor, we are not especially ritualistic like our neighbors. In fact, there has been somewhat of a change in our region’s religious affiliations and religious membership. Many of our region’s families have begun going to a new building with a giant cross in its center rather than the Godi’s farm during community rituals and celebrations. I can’t see my family attending that ritual. Our loyalty remains with our Godi.

After another 10 minutes passed the Godi’s farm, there it was, the stone. As my mother began to quietly weep as we approached, I once again, read the stone to myself. It was so beautifully transcripted and carved into a stone about waist high. Grandma Alfdis and Uncle Alarr would be pleased. After we had a moment of silence, Snotra placed our sacrifice of a new wool scarf on the stone and we all together read the stone aloud. It reads;

He offered battle in the south. She offered what no wife or mother in Viksfjord will again. To the Son and Wife of Hassmyra, a bridge exists in their names.

I wonder what Grandma Alfdis was like. Apparently she was the best “maiden in Viksfjord.” And apparently, I have her nose. May she and Uncle Alarr rest in peace.