GP 268 Martebo kyrka I

Context and Discovery
Fredrik Nordin (1903, 146) writes that he found this stone in 1870 in the choir of Martebo Church as part of the floor, visible with the decorated side. In 1902, it was removed from there and brought to SHM.
HS

Measurements, Material and Condition
Only the middle part of this limestone slab is preserved. Top and bottom are cut off straight so that the stone is now almost square. A small part on the lower edge is broken off, minor damages on the left edge and the surface at the upper left corner is damaged. The limestone seems harder than others and has more of a grey color rather than light or yellow. The surface is very smooth, which is most likely a consequence of it being walked on when it was part of the church floor. But the surface seems very evenly worked, regardless. The sides have a very narrow and shallow chamfer. The reprocessed fragment very likely belonged to the lower part known as GP 428 Stenkyrka kyrka 46 once (Strehlau et al. forthcoming). The matching width and decoration suggest that. The original height of the entire monument is reconstructed to 2.95 m, based on comparisons to other large stone monuments.
HS
GP 428 Stenkyrka kyrka 46

Description of Ornament and Images
The reprocessed fragment GP 268 Martebo kyrka I, preserves the upper half of a former picture stone of type A. Most prevalent is the large circular whirl motif with twelve (respectively 6) clockwise turning arms. Unlike the whirl motifs on other early picture stones, this design does not feature a continuous corona. Instead, the outside rim is decorated with short, triangle-shaped spikes in groups of three. The same characteristic is known from the central whirl motif on GP 556 Väskinde Björkome I.

Directly underneath this central disc motif, there are two opposing horsemen, each of which is holding a shield or ring and raising a spear. The head and s-shaped neck of a snake-like creature takes up the space in between, facing the equestrian on the right-hand side. Its beak-like mouth is wide open, with a long tongue sticking out as known from similar depictions of early picture stones (e.g. GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV). Likewise known from comparable monuments are the hairs or scales on the oblong body of this mythical creature, which are indicated by numerous little lines. It is apparent that the creature is curled around two paired spiral motifs even though the stone is cut off straight in this area. The spiral motif on the left-hand side is additionally damaged through a part that broke off from the edge. Nevertheless, it is likely that this circular motif once had a design with four spiral heads, possibly similar to the ones on GP 556 Väskinde Björkome I. The other design, on the other hand, is clearly a spiral-whirl with probably seven or eight spiral heads that seem to move counterclockwise (see Strehlau 2023, app. 10.4, List 1 on the different motif types). Comparable decorations are known for example from GP 43 Bro kyrka I or GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV.

Each of the preserved sides of GP 268 Martebo kyrka I is decorated with a meandering ornament of angular spirals that are also known from GP 428 Stenkykra kyrka 46, GP 556 Väskinde Björkome I, GP 579 Bro kyrka 7, and from GP 314 Unknown Find Spot. A unique decoration for picture stones of type A, however, is a band with rune-like characters that is running parallel to each ornament on the sides (see below). The stone is cut off straight above the whirl motif, which is why no ornament or other decoration at the head of the monument is preserved.
HS
GP 556 Väskinde Björkome I
GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV
GP 43 Bro kyrka I
GP 428 Stenkyrka kyrka 46
GP0579
GP 314 Unknown Find Spot

Interpretation of the Imagery
The interpretation of the decoration on GP 268 Martebo kyrka I, is largely congruent with the one offered for GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV due to the similar pictorial program. This is especially the case when considering GP 428 Stenkyrka kyrka 46 as a match to the monument discussed here (Strehlau et al. forthcoming).

As a difference to the imagery on GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV, however, there are two equestrians that are possibly involved in a fighting scene with the large serpent. In addition, this scene takes place in between the large whirl motif and the paired spiral motifs, and unlike GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV, there is no horizontal separation that would more clearly indicate a distinction of the world of the living and the world of the dead.

Earlier scholarship has placed the two horsemen in a context of a mythological fight between good and evil (Nylén/Lamm 2003, p. 26) or into the recurring scheme of a Nordic version of the Dioscuri (Hauck 1983a, p. 446). Moreover, Althaus (1993, p. 85) considers that the two horsemen might not be in a fight with the mythical creature at all. Her argument for this notion is that the snake-like creatures or wyrms (see VIERCK 1967, p. 114) are actually depicted more often without additional horsemen or other kind of opponents.

Most recently, Oehrl (2019c; 2023) as well as Pedersen and Oehrl (2021) have brought forward more detailed interpretations of the fighting scene on GP 268 Martebo kyrka I. According to those studies, the horsemen on this monument, as well as the fighting scene on GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV, are borrowed from Christian iconography – representing equestrian saints. A central part of this interpretation is the fact that the equestrians’ opponent on GP 268 Martebo kyrka I is a snake or wyrm. This makes the depiction easily comparable with those of the Christian saints George and Theodore who are known from the Eastern Mediterranean (dated to 600 the latest). As modes of contact with such imagery, they suggest a direct link to Mediterranean objects or Merovingian imitations as mediator (PEDERSEN/OEHRL 2021, p. 344).

A central part of the discussions on the interpretation of the horsemen are also the ring-shaped objects they are raising above their heads. Rather than small, defensive shields, the common understanding is that they would represent rings or possibly wreaths of victory (e.g., HOLMQVIST 1952a, p. 11; 1952b, p. 246; PEDERSEN/OEHRL 2021, p. 345). The latter would make sense in the context of the interpretation of equestrian saints because those occur in the hands of Egyptian-Coptic and Byzantine equestrian saints as well (see also Strehlau 2023, pp. 285 f.). Vierck (1981, p. 77), however, suggests that the circular objects would represent “knot rings” that are known from depictions on the imitated medallions IK 86 Inderøy-M/Vika and IK 124 Mauland-M. The adoption of an image cipher and a certain style of the depiction whilst a replacement of specific aspects through native attributes is certainly a possibility (Strehlau 2023, p. 286). Similarly, Hauck (1976a, pp. 590–593) suggested that the horsemen on GP 268 MARTEBO KYRKA I are in fact involved in a “fight against the beast”-scene that is representing an unknown heroic saga.

Depictions of horsemen fighting against a serpent or dragon-like creature are rare in early North Germanic art (Oehrl 2023, p. 224). Therefore, only few comparisons exist outside of the context of Gotlandic picture stones. Among the limited reference material, a decorated stone from Ramsjö in Uppland (U1055) on the Swedish mainland stands out in particular. It shows an incised horseman who is accompanied by other animals, wielding a barbed spear. Another example is the Migration Period gold bracteate IK 65 Gudbrandsdalen-C from Oppland (Norway) which features a horseman raising a spear and sword. Here, it is also the depiction of a stylized rowing boat, a serpent, and a reptile-like creature with tongue sticking out that draw thematic parallels to the imagery on the early picture stones.
HS
GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV
GP 428 Stenkyrka kyrka 46

Type and Dating
GP 268 Martebo kyrka I is an early type of picture stone, i.e. Type A according to Lindqvist’s typology, dating to between AD 400 and 600. The stone is name-giving for Lindqvist’s (1941, p. 22) Martebo type, in which the meandering border decoration makes the major distinction to his Bro type. Likewise, Hauck (1983b, p. 541) affiliates this monument largely with the same stones as Lindqvist and calls them type II. In Strehlau’s (2023, pp. 95 f.; List 4) new typology suggestion, GP 268 Martebo kyrka I is part of the Bro-Martebo Group and name-giving for the Martebo variation. Strehlau sees more similarities than differences between the Martebo-type stones and the Bro-type stones, which is why she regards all of them as one group and only distinguishes them as stones with minor variations (see also the article on GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV).
HS
GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV

References
Guber 2011, no. 53; Lindqvist 1941, pl. 3 fig. 6; 1942, 100 f. fig. 462; Nordin 1903, 146 f.; Oehrl 2019a, pl. 1b

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