U 26
Hilleshögs church

Runic inscription?

There are no runes!

Directly below the window in the eastern wall of the sacristy is this unusual carving. Similar crosses can be found that may have inspired the work, but there is no identical one.

The little round animal is actually too small to be really good and that is probably why it looks unfinished.

The motif on the little animal is intriguing.
I think it reminds me of some early medieval dragon, a dragon with wings and fighting a snake...

Exactly what the animal was intended to look like is hard to know, maybe the picture is just a sketch or training?
 


Links

Upplands runinskrifter > page 33

Runor >  Riksantikvarieämbetet
(National Antiquities Board, mostly Swedish)

Google map > Find the church

About Hilleshögs church >
(Only about the church and only in Swedish)
 


ALL RUNESTONES

Ekerö municipality


ADELSÖ >
has 5 known runestones


BIRKA >
has fragments from 9 known runestones


MUNSÖ >
has 3 or 4 known runestones


EKERÖ >
has 11 known runestones


FÄRINGSÖ >
has 27 known runestones


LOVÖ >
has 8 known runestones


U 26
Hilleshögs church
 

Uppdaterad 28 november, 2025 av Kalle Runristare