Scientists from Stockholm University in Sweden have re-examined the runes on the Forsa Ring (in Swedish, Forsaringen), considered one of the oldest legal records of the Vikings — and found a new translation for the writings that accompanied the object.
The writings reveal how Vikings tried to administer fines in an adaptable and efficient manner, providing new perspectives on the financial system of the Viking Age in Nordic countries. The results appear in a scientific article published in the Scandinavian Economic History Review.
The iron ring, discovered in 1840, dates back to the 9th or 10th centuries. It is believed that the ring was used as a door handle for those who had to pay the fine. Previous translations indicate that the runic inscription on the ring details fines for a specific offense, with mandatory payment in the form of oxen and silver. However, new research challenges this conception.
“The Forsaringen inscription “uksa … auk aura tua” was previously interpreted to mean that fines had to be paid with both an ox and two ore of silver. This would imply that the guilty party had to pay with two different types of goods, which would have been both impractical and time-consuming,” says Rodney Edvinsson, professor of Economic History at Stockholm University and lead researcher of the study, in a statement.
However, the researchers adopted a new approach, proposing that the fine could be paid with either an ox or two “öre” of silver (equivalent to 25 grams), not requiring payment of both. By changing just one word in the translation, they demonstrated, through analysis of socioeconomic, legal, and etymological contexts, that the system was much more flexible than previously thought, opening up various possibilities for debt payment.
In English, translated from Portuguese, the inscription on the Forsa Ring would be something like: “One ox and [also/or] two öre of silver for the restoration of a sanctuary, the first time; two oxen and [also/or] four öre of silver for the second time; if for the third time, four oxen and eight öre of silver.” This number of “times” mentioned in the text probably refers to the recurrence of the fine, which increased as the offense was repeated.
During the Viking Era, an ox was worth 2 öre of silver, which was equivalent to about 50 g of silver. This represents approximately 100,000 Swedish crowns, the currency currently used in Sweden.
This indicates that the fine associated with the Forsa Ring, although flexible, was quite high. “As an economic historian, I particularly look for historical data to be economically logical, that is, to fit into other contemporary or historical economic systems,” adds Edvinsson. “The valuation of an ox at two öre, or 50 grams of silver, in 10th century Sweden, resembles contemporary valuations in other parts of Europe, indicating a high degree of integration and exchange between different economies.”
Viking society was known for its stratification: at the top was the king, followed by the jarls, who formed the elite. Below them were the karls, free individuals, and at the lowest level, the thralls, who were slaves. The latter were usually prisoners of war, but could also be enslaved for debts or crimes.
The value of a thrall or the fine associated with one was 12 öre of silver, equivalent to about 600,000 Swedish crowns today. In contrast, the wergild for a free man — the compensation paid to a victim’s family to avoid blood revenge — was much higher, about 5 kilos of silver, or approximately 10 million Swedish crowns today. This stark difference highlights the great inequality and the slave-owning nature of the Viking economic system.
