Thorsberg Chape Translation 200 CE

For translation methodology see: How to Translate Alphabetic Akkadian Texts

A black and white picture of the Thorsberg Chape taken at the National Museum in Copenhagen in 1933. These metal pieces were placed on the bottom of a sword scabbard. Image online at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ThorsbergChape-NationalMuseamOfCopenhagen.jpg

An illustration of the Thorsberg chape from Wimmer's 1887 book Die Runenschrift showing text on both sides. The Thorsberg chape (a bronze end piece on a scabbard) is an archeological find from the Thorsberg Moor, Denmark. It may have been deposited as a votive offering. The inscription has been given the Rundata (Scandinavian Runic-text Data Base) inventory designation DR 7. Red letter assignments by Olmsted.

Map showing the location of Thorsburg Moor in Denmark where the chape was found.

Translation of Thorsberg Chape (200 CE)

(June 7, 2023) The text style is Germanic Elder Futhark. The letter ayin is written differently on each side indicating that a different person wrote the text on each side. One side talks about the emotion source of the magical motion powers while the other side talks about the astrological source.

Translation in Akkadian (Rune Text 10)

(read left to right in the Greek style. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs are italic bold)
  1. 'Ru  Gi.  Du  ADu.  Mu  Ru  Pu  Wu (Rune 10.1)
  2. Tu  IRu  Pa'u.  Ṣu  PaSu  IWu (Rune 10.2)

(Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words except for Yahu which is keeping its traditional Hebrew transliteration)

In English

  1. Control emotional-energy.  Manifest the Observer (Su). The fertility-fluid's eagle-vultures crimp their opening
  2. Astrology-magic astrologically-empowers the network-birds. Activity-levels are redirected by the lights (heavenly bodies).

Other References


  1. Tineke Looijenga, Texts & Contexts of the Oldest Runic Inscriptions, Leyden/Boston: Brill, 2003, ISBN 90-04-12396-2, p. 259
  2. Hans Frede Nielsen, "The Dialectal Provenance of the Gallehus Inscription," in Von Thorsberg nach Schleswig: Sprache und Schriftlichkeit eines Grenzgebietes im Wandel eines Jahrtausends: internationales Kolloquium im Wikinger Museum Haithabu vom 29. September–3. Oktober 1994, ed. Klaus Düwel, Edith Marold, and Christiane Zimmermann with Lars E. Worgull, Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde Ergänzungsband 25, Berlin: De Gruyter, 2000, ISBN 3-11-016978-9, pp. 25-36, p. 31