An Explanation of the Runic Characters of Helsingland, by Mr. Andrew Celsius, R. S. Suec. Secr. F. R. S. and Professor of Astronomy at Upsal

desired farther Advice; upon which Dr. Monro was sent for, who ordered him to be let Blood, a Repetition of the above-mentioned Medicine in a Bolus every four Hours, and a Clyster: He was blooded, and the Clyster was injected; but he was prevailed upon to take but one of the Bolusses. This Night was spent with great Inquietude, and without any Sleep: Thursday Morning he was generally convulsed, and had frequent Reachings and Yawnings alternately; about Noon his Mind (which till then continued sound) left him, and he raved and foamed at the Mouth till five o’Clock in the Afternoon; at which Time Nature seemed quite spent, and he lay very quiet till Seven, when he died. The Poison in this Boy, you find, was latent near nineteen Months; which I know the Books mention, but it never fell within my Observation before. I do not know whether it be necessary to tell you, that I cut this Boy for the Stone last Summer, about a Year after he had been bit; I never saw a Wound more disposed to heal, and he was well and abroad in five Weeks. III. An Explanation of the Runic Characters of Helsingland, by Mr. Andrew Celsius, R.S. Suec. Secr. F. R. S. and Professor of Astronomy at Upsal. ’TIS well known, that there are Stones found in the several Parts of Sweden, which were formerly set up as Obelisks in Memory of the Dead. These These Monuments are mark'd with the ancient Northern Letters, called Runor (or Runic Characters). But there is one Province of North Sweden, namely Helsingland, where five of those Stones occur, which have Characters cut into them, that seem to differ from the common Runic. Upon the Introduction of our modern Letters, these Runic Characters became so little regarded, that their Interpretation was lost even to the Antiquarians of our Country till the Year 1674; when my Grandfather Magnus Celsius, then Professor of Astronomy in the University of Upsal, revived their Reading, and drew up the following Alphabet of them, ranged after the manner of the Ancients. There are but sixteen Letters, and the Words are frequently distinguish'd either by three Points set perpendicularly over one another, or by two at some Distance asunder. Among the several Alphabets hitherto known, it would be a hard Matter to find one like the foregoing; if we may not perhaps except the Characters of the Persepolis Inscriptions, which have not as yet been decypher'd. For the Letters generally made use of signify different Sounds, according to their various Shapes: Whereas in this Alphabet the same Character often denotes a different Sound, according to the Diversity of its Place and Attitude between the two Parallels. Thus a strait Stroke, Stroke, standing perpendicular to the parallel Lines, signifies I, F, D and S. For when it joins these Parallels, it signifies I; when it rests on the lower Parallel, it signifies F; on the upper, S; and D, when it touches neither of them. The small Wedge leaning to the Right, and placed near the upper Parallel, denotes L; in the middle, N; and O, near the lower. A Line descending from the upper Parallel, and making a Curve downward to the left, stands for K; the same placed contrarywise, from the lower Parallel upward, expresses R: and so of the rest. The Intention of the first Inventor of these Letters seems to have been, to form all the Characters of small Wedges, strait and crooked Lines, and two Points, variously placed between the two Parallels. For the Wedges may be placed fifteen different ways: Ex. gr. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 The strait Line may also have fifteen different Situations, viz. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 The crooked Lines can likewise be varied fourteen different ways: *viz.* In fine, the two Points admit twelve Variations: But as the ancient Sueo-Gothi had but sixteen Letters in their Alphabet, they did not want all these Variations of the Wedges, Lines, and Points: Wherefore they employed six Variations of the Wedges; of the strait Lines, five; of the crooked, three; and but two of the Points. If we now suppose these *Helsingic Characters* to be older than the common *Runics*, the greatest Part of the common *Runics* can easily be derived from the *Helsingics*, by adding a perpendicular Line to the small Wedges and Curves; as appears by the following Examples: But if we suppose the common *Runics* to be older, and to be derived, as it is very probable, from the ancient ancient Greek and Roman Letters; we must, in the contrary way, deduce the Helsingic Characters from the common Runics, by subtracting the perpendicular Line. As a Specimen, I beg Leave to lay before this Society a Stone found at Malfad, a View of which is represented in Tab. I. I took an exact Copy of it in the Year 1725, in Company with my Uncle, the Rev. Doctor Olave Celsius, of whom we expect a complete Account of all these Helsingic Inscriptions. On the outward Limb or Border. FRUMUNT FST STAINA DINA FTIR FISIULFA, BRISA SUN; IN BRISIVAS LINA SUN; IN LINI VAS UNAR SUN; IN UNVAS FAH SUN; IN FAHA DURI SUN. In the first Curvature. IN DA BARLAF; IN DA SUDRUNAR; In the second Snake. IN DA LANASR; IN DA FIDRASI V In the inner Limb. FRUMUNTFISI ULFA SUN FADI RUNARDISAR; VIR SUTUM ST IN DINA NURI, BALASTIN. In the second Curvature. AR VAVAS MUDIR FISI ULFI In the first Snake. SIULFIR VARD UM LANTIDISURI VISR. In the Heads of the Snakes. SIN VANU IN RIMBIUM. That That is: Frumunt erected this Stone to Fisiulfi the Son of Bris: But Bris was the Son of Lini. But Lini was the Son of Un. But Un was Son of Fah. But Fah the Son of Duri. But he (the Son) of Barlaf. But he the Son of Drun: but he (the Son) of Lanas: but he (the Son) of Fidrasiv. Frumunt the Son of Fisiulfi made these Runic [Letters.] We have placed this Stone to the North of Bala Stone. Arva was the Mother of Fisiulfi. Siulfir (or Fisiulfir) was the Governor of this Province. His Place of Abode was in Rimbium. That this Monument was erected since Christianity began to flourish in Sweden, sufficiently appears by the Figure of the Cross. Moreover, 'tis probable that Fisiulfi, as the Governor of the Province, was descended of a very noble Family; seeing his Genealogy is traced ten Generations backward. Now if we suppose Frumunt to have been thirty Years of Age when he erected this Monument for his Father, and, with Sir Isaac Newton, allow thirty Years for each Generation; we shall find three hundred and thirty Years from the Death of Fisiulfi to the Birth of Fidrasiv, who is the Stock of these Generations. This Stone is publish'd in Monsieur de la Motraye's Travels; but with considerable Errors in the Windings of the Snakes, and in the Letters, as well as in the Explanation given to them.