The recent climate calamity still seared in the Vikings’ collective memory, the runes were a callback to this dark era and a warning of environmental and spiritual threats yet to come.

But in addition to emphasizing the power Thyra wielded in 10th-century Denmark, the new research also suggests that Ravnunge-Tue incised the runes in both sets of stones. The study is published ...

Hundreds of Viking monuments dot Denmark’s coastal countryside. These carved stones, known as runes, are inscribed with the names of powerful Vikings who ruled the region over 1,000 years ago.

Why Archaeologists Are Excited About a Viking Comb. It's a 1,000-year-old comb simply inscribed with the word "comb," but it may hold clues to the origins of the Viking Age.

Viking warriors harnessed the arcane powers of the runes even in war. Runic inscriptions on swords entreated the gods either to protect the sword's owner or bring pain and misery to his enemy.

New analysis of the carvings suggests that the runes on both sets of stones were inscribed by the same artisan and refer to the same woman: a Viking queen of considerable power.

Two groups of runestones erected in Denmark mention a woman named Thyra, which suggests she was a powerful Viking sovereign who likely played a pivotal role in the birth of the Danish realm.

Two groups of runestones erected in Denmark mention a woman named Thyra, which suggests she was a powerful Viking sovereign who likely played a pivotal role in the birth of the Danish realm.