Folia archeologica 45.
Beszédes József: Dioscuros ábrázolású sarokkő Alsóhetényből
THE LOVAS CASKE T 173 All group bears the name of its first letter (we know only the Icelandic names of these groups from the 17th century: Freys-, Hagals- and Tys-aett). 6 9 The letter will be coded by the help of the rune for 'i'. In the first part of the code the number of 'i' runes is identical with the number of the group, to which the coded sign belongs. In case of the letter 'k', one 'i' rune stands for the first group, since 'k' belongs to the first group. In the second part of the code, the number of V runes correspond to the numeral of the coded sign inside the group of eight letters. Consequently, our seven vertical dashes mean: the sixth sign in the first group of eight letters, i.e. rune 'k '. This rune may be paralleled with the 'ek' or 4k' formulae, meaning T (personal pronoun). The hidden rune may have been applied to give special emphasis to the personal pronoun, since in magic, the person engaged with such activity, is more important than the text itself. The closest analogous pronoun can be read on the lancehead of Rozwaclów. The earliest monuments with such hidden runes were known until now only from the 8th century A.D. 70 Runes 17-21 gives the name of the rune-master Iulia. The last three signs can be deciphered as the abbreviation of the well known formula, runofaihido, meaning 'I have painted these runes', regardless whether they were carved or not. Signs 1624 form the sentence 7, Iulia nave painted these runes', and this could be best compared with a similar sentence 'I, Godgest have painted these runes' carved in the Stone of Einang, Norway, dated to the second half of the 4th century A.D. 7 1 We may assume, that in order to strengthen the efficiency of magic, the whole inscription consisted (or intended to consist) of twenty-four signs altogether, being this number a sacred one (see the upper line of Fig. 15). 7 2 There are certain differences between the inscription on the Csákvár bowl and other runic inscriptions known so far. These differences are partly due to the material, in which the signs were carved; it is easier to scratch the letters into the half-dried clay, than into metal or wood. The inscription oil the Csákvár bowl was made in Pannónia, by a woman whose name and skilled handwriting allows us to conclude, that she had reached a certain degree of romanization. Even the form of some of her runes resembles us to the letters (e.g. 6:a; 19:/; 22:r) of Latin cursive writing, while others (10-1 1, 24:/ and 17-18:n) were converted into 'cursive runes' easy to write down. Strikingly, the beginning words of this inscription are almost identical with those of a prayer or hymn preserved in the Poetic Edda. In the third stanza of the Sigrdrífumál, the Valkyrie awakened by Sigurd from her sleep exlaims: 'Hail Day! Hail sons of Day! Hail Night and her Daughter! Look upon us with calm eyes And send victory to those sitting here!' 7 3 ß 9See note 67 above. 7 0 Krause 1970, 31-32. 7 1 Krause 1966, 142-144. Similar formula: 136-139, middle of the 4th century A.D.To the abbreviated form of ru(no) in the same formula, cf. p. 145-146: on the Stone of Barmen, Norway, dated to the first half of the 5th century A.D. 7 2 Because of the bound runes at the beginning of the line, we cannot establish the correct number of signs with certainty; moreover it is not clear, whether rune 5 and the symbol of the Sun were counted originally as one or two separate signs. Kor the endeavour of the rune-masters to form lines, consisting of twenty-four signs cf. Höfler 1952, 264, note 32; and 288, note 76. 7 3 Cited after the translation published by Ward 1968, 39. Cf. De Fries 1957, 155-156, paragraph 136.
