SYMHC Classics: Jelling Stones

Summary

In-Depth Summary of "SYMHC Classics: Jelling Stones" from "Stuff You Missed in History Class"

Released on February 1, 2025, the episode "SYMHC Classics: Jelling Stones" of the podcast "Stuff You Missed in History Class," hosted by Holly Fry and Tracy V. Wilson, provides a compelling exploration of Denmark's early monarchy through the lens of the enigmatic Jelling Stones. This detailed summary captures the key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions presented in the episode.

---

1. Introduction to the Jelling Stones and Historical Context

Timestamp: [02:43] – [04:41]

Holly and Tracy kick off the episode by inviting listeners to journey back approximately a millennium to Viking-era Denmark. They clarify that while the term "Viking" often encompasses a broad range of activities and cultures, their focus is specifically on the political and royal developments that laid the foundation for Denmark's monarchy.

Notable Quote:
Holly Fry at [02:56]: "Hey, Tracy, do you want to time travel quite a ways today?"

---

2. Gorm the Old and Queen Tira: Foundational Figures

Timestamp: [04:41] – [10:35]

The hosts delve into the lives of Gorm the Old (Gorm Gormsen), widely regarded as Denmark's first king, and his wife, Tira (also spelled Tire). They discuss the uncertainties surrounding Gorm's birthdate—ranging from the late 800s to early 900s—and his lineage, noting that his mother's identity remains a mystery.

Gorm inherited substantial land from his father, Hardiknud, and expanded his holdings during a fragmented period when Denmark was an assortment of provinces governed by local chiefs. His marriage to Tira is portrayed as a strategic alliance, potentially linking him to powerful or wealthy families, although the exact origins of Tira are debated among historians.

Notable Quotes:
Tracy V. Wilson at [05:24]: "Around the year 1200, two different historians wrote the first known written accounts of Denmark's early royalty."
Holly Fry at [06:11]: "Estimates for Gorm's birth date are all over the place from the late 800s through the early 900s..."

---

3. The Jelling Stones: King Gorm Stone and Harald Stone

Timestamp: [17:08] – [22:14]

Holly and Tracy focus on the two main runestones at Yelling, central to understanding Denmark's early monarchy:

• King Gorm Stone: This smaller stone was originally erected by Gorm in memory of his wife Tira, referring to her as "Denmark's adornment." Notably, it marks the first known reference to Denmark by that name.

• Harald Stone: Larger and more intricate, this stone was commissioned by Harald Bluetooth, Gorm's son. It commemorates both Gorm and Tira, lauding Harald's role in unifying Denmark and converting it to Christianity.

The hosts highlight the rarity of runestones dedicated to women in Viking-era Denmark, noting that only 12 out of 277 known runestones honor women, with two specifically mentioning Tira. This rarity underscores Tira's significance in the royal narrative.

Notable Quotes:
Tracy V. Wilson at [17:54]: "The larger stone reads, 'Harald the King bade do these sepulchral monuments after Gorm, his father, and after Tira his mother...'"
Holly Fry at [19:18]: "A larger herald stone has three sides, and on one of those, there's what's believed to be the first image of Christ in Scandinavia."

---

4. Scholarly Debates and Interpretations

Timestamp: [22:14] – [28:07]

The episode delves into the academic debates surrounding the Jelling Stones. Holly and Tracy discuss whether the runestones were genuinely commissioned by Gorm and Harald or if they represent a later attempt by Harald to legitimize his rule and consolidate power.

Key points of contention include:

• Multiple Mentions of Tira: The presence of multiple runestones mentioning Tira raises questions about whether these stones reference the same woman or if "Tira" was a common name in that era. Historian Brigitte Sawyer challenges the notion that Tira was a commonplace name, arguing that the limited data (seven or eight instances) is insufficient to confirm multiple individuals.

• Linguistic Features: The Gorm Stone exhibits dividing marks between words, a newer linguistic practice, suggesting it may have been inscribed after the Harald Stone, contrary to traditional attribution.

• Inheritance and Power Dynamics: Sawyer posits that Harald might have erected the Gorm Stone to assert his rightful inheritance and obscure other potential claims to the throne, especially if Tira remarried or if there were rival factions.

Notable Quotes:
Tracy V. Wilson at [21:54]: "Historian Brigitte Sawyer makes the case, though, that the assumption of the name's commonplace nature is based on only seven or eight possible instances of its having been used."
Holly Fry at [22:14]: "It's just weird in a variety of ways... one explanation is that the name was common, but Sawyer disputes that."

---

5. Harald Bluetooth’s Legacy and Modern Connections

Timestamp: [30:08] – [32:08]

One of the most fascinating segments connects historical figures to modern technology. The hosts explain how Harald Bluetooth's legacy extends into the 20th century through the Bluetooth wireless technology. Named after Harald for his role in unifying Denmark, the Bluetooth logo incorporates the runes for Harald's initials, symbolizing the unification of different devices.

Key points include:

• Naming Origins: The project initially considered names like "Pan" and "Radio Wire" but settled on "Bluetooth" due to legal trademark issues.

• Cultural Impact: This naming choice serves as a bridge between Viking history and contemporary technology, embedding a piece of Denmark's heritage into everyday life.

Notable Quotes:
Holly Fry at [31:13]: "When your mobile device has Bluetooth activated, you can see a small rune on your screen. And you can thank Harald Bluetooth for that, too."
Tracy V. Wilson at [31:39]: "Now that you mention it, that does look like a rune."

---

6. Archaeological Discoveries and Ongoing Research

Timestamp: [28:07] – [33:19]

Holly and Tracy discuss the archaeological excavations at Yelling, highlighting significant discoveries such as Gorm’s remains found in a wooden church built by Harald. The hosts mention ongoing research and excavations that continue to shed light on the early Danish monarchy, including the uncovering of a stone ship and potential fortress structures.

They also note that the Jelling site is a UNESCO World Heritage site, emphasizing its importance and the meticulous efforts to preserve it amid surrounding developments.

Notable Quotes:
Holly Fry at [29:44]: "Denmark's National Museum has kind of an ongoing site that updates with the archaeological stuff... the stones are now encased in glass to protect them."
Tracy V. Wilson at [30:08]: "New excavations at Yelling will reveal additional information about Gorm and his family."

---

7. Conclusion: The Enduring Significance of the Jelling Stones

Timestamp: [33:19] – [33:41]

In conclusion, Holly and Tracy reflect on the enduring significance of the Jelling Stones in Danish history. They acknowledge the complexities and ongoing debates among historians but affirm that these stones remain pivotal in understanding the formation of Denmark’s monarchy and its early adoption of Christianity.

The hosts encourage listeners to stay updated with ongoing archaeological research and to explore additional resources provided in their show notes.

Notable Quote:
Holly Fry at [32:08]: "We will link in our show notes to Denmark's National Museum which has an ongoing site that updates with the archaeological stuff."

---

Final Thoughts

This episode of "Stuff You Missed in History Class" offers a nuanced and engaging examination of Denmark's early monarchy through the Jelling Stones. Holly Fry and Tracy V. Wilson adeptly balance historical facts with scholarly interpretations, making complex debates accessible to listeners. By connecting ancient history to modern technology, they highlight the lasting legacy of these Viking-era monuments, underscoring their relevance in today's world.

For those eager to delve deeper, the episode's show notes provide valuable links to Denmark's National Museum and ongoing archaeological projects, inviting continued exploration of this fascinating historical narrative.

Transcript

[Host of Tech Stuff]

Do you want to see into the future? Do you want to understand an invisible force that's shaping your life? Do you want to experience the frontiers of what makes us human? On tech stuff we travel from the mines of Congo to the surface of Mars, from conversations with Nobel Prize winners to the depths of TikTok to ask burning questions about technology, from high tech to low culture, and everywhere in between. Join us Listen to tech stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Arturo Castro]

Hi, I'm Arturo Castro and I've been lucky enough to do stuff like Broad City and Narcos and Roadhouse. And now I'm starting a podcast because honestly, guys, I don't feel the space is crowded enough. Get ready for Greatest Escapes, a new comedy podcast about the wildest true escape stories in history. Each week I'll be sitting down with some of the most hilarious actors and writers and comedians. People like Ed Helms, Diane Guerrero, and Joseph Gordon Levitt.

[Co-host of Greatest Escapes]

I love storytelling and I love you, so I can't wait.

[Arturo Castro]

Listen and subscribe to Greatest escapes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your PODC podcasts.

[Ashlin Harris]

We all have a moment that splits us wide open. On my new podcast, Wide Open with Ashlin Harris, I'll sit down with trailblazers from sports, music, fashion, entertainment and politics to explore their toughest moments and the incredible comebacks that followed. Listen to wide openen with Ashlin Harris, an iHeart women's sports production on the iHeartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Holly Fry]

Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. I'm so sick of hearing men talk about women's basketball.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This is Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose, and we've got a new podcast, Full Circle.

[Holly Fry]

Every Wednesday, we're catching you up on what's going on in women's basketball.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

We've got you with analysis, inside stories, and a little bit of tea.

[Holly Fry]

Full circle is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Listen to Full circle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Happy Saturday. The nation of Denmark was a big part of our recent episode on Icelandic bishop Jon Erisson, but Denmark's role was almost as a faceless antagonist. So we thought we'd bring out an episode on Denmark as today's Saturday classic. It's the Yelling Stones and the Origins of Denmark's early royal. This episode also talks a bit about the Christianization of Denmark, which is another connection to the episode on Jon Erisson.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This Originally came out March 14, 2016. Enjoy.

[Holly Fry]

Welcome to Stuff youf Missed in History Class, a production of iHeartRadio. Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly Fry.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

And I'm Tracy V. Wilson.

[Holly Fry]

Hey, Tracy, do you want to time travel quite a ways today? I do put on whatever outfit works for that that's comfy. So we're traveling back in time about a thousand years or so to Viking Denmark. And we've talked about before, it's come up kind of in passing that the word Viking gets used to kind of lump together a lot of different things. So we're not gonna talk about Viking things a whole lot. Just know that this falls under that category.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Well, and sometimes we will get emails from people that say, could you do a podcast on the history of the Vikings? And that answer is no, because, well.

[Holly Fry]

It would be an entirely new podcast brand.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

That would be great. A hundred part series called the History of the Vikings.

[Holly Fry]

It would be great. There's a lot of stuff. And part of it, as we'll discuss today, is that a lot of that history is still contentiously debated among historians. So, I mean, it's rich and fertile soil to do an entire podcast about. But you know, we cover all kinds of history. So today we're doing this one little narrow bit and we're talking about the yelling dynasty of Denmark, if that's something you want to go do a search for on your own. Yelling is spelled with a J at the beginning, so it's like jelling if you look at it. And you're normally a. An American English speaker. So the yelling dynasty is often referred to as the beginning of the Danish monarchy. And that point, just as many points that we'll talk about, is argued by historians, and rightly so, because there were certainly people there who had leadership of some sort before that, that. But this is when it first started being called Denmark. And this is a time and place in history where our knowledge is really pretty fuzzy. So keep all of that in mind as we go forward.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

So part of the problem with this particular piece of history stems from the fact that around the year 1200, two different historians wrote the first known written accounts of Denmark's early royalty. Both Sven Agassin and Saxo Grammaticus describe the people and events evolved in great detail. But those two accounts contradict each other in a whole lot of instances. We don't even know how much of the writing in each case is the recording of oral history that had been handed down, which would automatically include some shifts in its accuracy versus how much could been. Could have been author embellishment and the result of viewing the information through their own contemporary lenses. So there's a lot of fuzziness.

[Holly Fry]

There is. It's one of the reasons I'm sometimes reluctant to do things from this period. I feel like we have to caveat everything and go. We don't know this for sure. So that will happen. Just brace. And to start off in a nebulous place, we do not know when Gorm de Gamle, or Gorm the Old, who is often cited as the first king of Denmark, was born. As a personal side note, that is Gorm G O R M for my nerdy friends out there. If you think I didn't type this G O R N every single time initially, rest assured that I did. But there is absolutely no Star Trek reference in this. Estimates for Gorm's birth date are all over the place from the late 800s through the early 900s, and we do not know as well who Gorm's mother was.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Gorm's father, Hardiknud, had left his son an estate of land that he had claimed through force, and Gorm augmented the family's property holdings. This was a time when Denmark wasn't one united kingdom. It was just this assortment of provinces, and each was governed by a chief who served as its king. Eventually, Gorm had accumulated a really significant.

[Holly Fry]

Chunk of land, and Gorm married a woman named Tira or Tire. Sometimes you'll hear it pronounced in both the Sven Agassin and Saxo Grammaticus accounts, she came from England, although we do not know if that is accurate. The identity of her parents is unknown, although she may well have been part of a powerful or wealthy family, there's certainly some indication of that, and thus that she was strategically important in marriage. Her father has been guessed at as any number of historically significant figures, from Aethelred of Wessex to the King of Jutland at the time, who was Harold Clack.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

According to legend, Gorm promised to give Tira all of Denmark as a mourning gift. That is a gift given by a husband to his wife the morning after their marriage is consummated. But according to customs of other Scandinavian cultures at the time, the mourning gift was actually inherited by the wife only after the husband's death. So kind of keep this bit tucked away in your memory because toward the end of this episode, we're going to talk about this establishment of lineage and inheritance.

[Holly Fry]

Gorm and Tira had children, and depending on what source you look at, the number and sexes of those children vary. You might see only Harald Blatten Gormson listed as a son, or Harald and his brother Knud Dana Ast. Sometimes there's another son, and on occasion there's also a sister mentioned. So somewhere between one and four children, according to one legend, if it mentions the brother Knud, Knud was killed in a skirmish with another power. And Tira had the entire hall of the royal house either painted black or hung with black cloth. And walking in and seeing that darkened hall was how Gorm found out the news of his son's demise.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

As a side note, the name Blatten in Harold's name translates to Bluetooth. We don't know why exactly he had that name, although the most common speculation is that he had a visible, a visibly damaged or rotten tooth. And yes, we're going to come back to that name in modern technology later on.

[Holly Fry]

And I should mention. I should have mentioned it at the top of the episode. This was suggested by a listener, I believe, on social, and I don't have the name attached to it, so whoever you are, thank you because this was lovely. And he specifically mentioned it because of the name Bluetooth. So going back in when his queen Tira died, Gorm had a runestone erected in her memory. This stone is significant in that it's the first known time a king of Denmark referenced his country by that name. It's also the oldest known example of a Danish king's words. And this stone refers to Tira as the pride of Denmark. Sometimes you'll also see it written out as the adornment of Denmark.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Some histories, though, indicate that Tira actually outlived her husband. There are also medieval texts that are really unclear as to this whole timeline. Tira's impact on the narrative of Denmark's early history as a monarch is also characterized in just a lot of different ways. Sometimes it's credit she's credited with saving the country from conquest. Sometimes she's credited with saving Denmark from a famine. She's also, in some writings, cast as the architect of a fortifying wall along Denmark's southern border. Although archaeologists have determined that the wall that the tale refers to was built long before her time as queen, in the early 1700s or maybe even earlier.

[Holly Fry]

And so we don't know the exact year of Tira's death. But because Gorm referred to himself as king on her runestone, and again, as we said, this is all nebulous and we're going to talk a lot about the stones in the timeline in a moment. But based on his runestone, it appears to have been after his reign began, which was 934, and in the winter of 958, 959, Gorm the Old died. And at the time he was possibly laid to rest in the same burial mound as Queen Tira, now known as the North Mound. But again, we do not know the exact location of Tira's burial. So this is another one of those hazy points. We are going to come back to Tira's resting place and this stone, as I said, in just a bit.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Harald Blatton Gormson became the king of Denmark when Corm. When Gorm died. And at the time, the Viking kingdom was polytheistic. But Harald perhaps knew that converting to Christianity would open the door to trade with other European powers. And so he decided that the Danes would be Christians.

[Holly Fry]

And as with all aspects of this story, this conversion to Christianity is characterized in multiple different ways in historical writings. By some accounts, he was more or less forced into transitioning the country's religion to Christianity after having been bested in battle by a Christian nation. But in other writings he's described as coming to this decision through his own interest and eventual spiritual conversion.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

His reign was one of relative peace within Denmark, although he did meet with a mix of success and failure in his efforts to expand Denmark's lands through conquest.

[Holly Fry]

King Harald died in the autumn of 980. His son, Sven Forkbeard may have been a rebellious upstart with eyes on the yelling throne. And one of his supporters, one of Sven's supporters may have been the one to have shot and killed the king dead with an arrow. Harald's body was interred at a church that he had begun construction on in 1820.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Excavators working in the burial mounds at Yelling discovered an empty tomb. The only things inside of it were a silver cup and some other small items. Dating the beams in the in the tomb indicated that they were cut right around the time that Gorm the Old had died. That if the tomb was meant to hold the king, where was his body?

[Holly Fry]

And that question actually wasn't answered until the early 1970s. In 1970, Gorm's remains were found in the remains of a wooden church that had been built by Harold after he was christened. And as part of this shift to Christianity, it's believed that Harold had his father reburied in the church. Rather than the mound.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

After Gorham's remains were discovered, they were studied at Copenhagen's University and National Museum for several decades. Based on the studies of the remains, it's estimated that he was approximately 50 years old when he died, and that would have put his birth around the year 908. He was 5 foot 7 or 172 centimeters tall, and he had rheumatism in his lower vertebrae.

[Holly Fry]

On August 30th of 2000, Gorm was reinterred at Yelling Church, and Denmark's royal family attended the ceremony.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

As we alluded to earlier, the exact location of Queen Tira's burial has been lost, and we'll talk more about the significance of that in just a few.

[Holly Fry]

Moments, and that is going to involve a lot of Runestone talk. But before we move on to those stones and the various interpretations around them, let's pause for a word from one of our sponsors.

[Maria Tremarki]

Welcome to the Criminalia Podcast. I'm Maria Tremarke.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Holly Fry. Together we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime.

[Maria Tremarki]

Each season we explore a new theme, everything from poisoners and pirates to art thieves and snake oil products and those who made and sold them.

[Holly Fry]

We uncover the stories and secrets of some of history's most compelling criminal figures, including a man who built a submarine as a getaway vehicle. Yep, that's a fact.

[Maria Tremarki]

We also look at what kinds of societal forces were at play at the time of the crime, from legal injustices to the ethics of body snatching, to see what, if anything, might look different through today's perspective.

[Holly Fry]

And be sure to tune in at the end of each episode as we indulge in custom made cocktails and mocktails inspired by the stories. There's one for every story we tell.

[Maria Tremarki]

Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Arturo Castro]

Hi, I'm Arturo Castro, and I've been lucky enough to do stuff like Broad City and Narcos and Roadhouse and so many commercials about back pain. And now I'm starting a podcast because honestly guys, I don't feel the space is crowded enough. Get ready for Greatest Escapes, a new comedy podcast about the wildest true escape stories in history. Each week I'll be sitting down with some of the most hilarious actors and writers and comedians to tell them a buckwild tale from across history and time. People like Ed Helms, Diane Guerrero, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Zoe Chow.

[Holly Fry]

Titanic, Charles Manson, Alcatraz, Assata Shakur, the.

[Co-host of Greatest Escapes]

Sketchy guy named Steve.

[Arturo Castro]

It's giving funny true crime.

[Co-host of Greatest Escapes]

I love storytelling and I love you so I can't wait.

[Arturo Castro]

Listen and subscribe to Greatest escapes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Co-host of Greatest Escapes]

Ever wonder what it's like to be on the phone with an NFL general manager as you finalize the biggest contract in NFL history? I'm A.J. stephens, vice president of client strategy at Athletes first, where we've negotiated $1.4 billion in current NFL quarterback contracts. Introducing the Athletes first family podcast, the Quarterbacks Series, along with my co host Brian Murphy, Athlete's first CEO, we're pulling back the curtain on how these historic deals come together. You'll hear directly from the agents who shaped the NFL's financial landscape, the ones who negotiated Justin Herbert's extension and Deshaun Watson's fully guaranteed contract that sent shockwaves through the league. This isn't just about the numbers, though. It's about the untold stories behind these massive negotiations and the relationships the NFL superstars like Dak Prescott, Tua Tungavaliloa, and Jordan Love have with their agents at Athletes First. For the first time ever, the agents who orchestrate these deals are sharing the details of the negotiations and everything that led up to their clients signing on the dotted line. Listen to the Athletes First Family podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Reed]

Hey y'all. This is Reed from the God's country podcast. We had the one and only Bobby Bones in the studio this week, and we cover everything from his upbringing to his outdoor experiences with his stepdad, Arkansas Keith, to the state of country music. We may even end the episode with a little jam session led by Bobby himself. Y'all be sure and listen to this episode of God's country with Bobby bones on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Co-host of Greatest Escapes]

Don't go shopping at Target with cocky pants and a red shirt on. Don't go shopping at Target with khaki pants and a red polo shirt on. Switch up songwriter Move. An old lady came up to me. She said, how much for this cream of wheat?

[Holly Fry]

So there are two runestones usually mentioned at yelling, and that's in the central part of the Jutland Peninsula, and those two stones have been analyzed and interpreted by historians for years. There is not settled consensus about them. Part of their mystery comes from the fact that the practice of erecting commemorative runestones appears to have been a fairly brief trend in the big picture. So Unlike some other old cultural practices, we don't really have a particularly large sample set to inform interpretations. Plus, their age means that a lot of them, having been sitting outside this whole time, have had some degradation.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

So the first smaller stone reads, king Gorm made this monument in memory of Tira, his wife, Denmark's adornment.

[Holly Fry]

And the larger stone reads, harald the King bade do these sepulchral monuments after Gorm, his father, and after Tira his mother, the herald who won the whole of Denmark and all of Norway and made the Danes Christian.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

These stones are located adjacent to one another between two nearly identical mounds. Each of the mounds is 70 meters or 76 yards in diameter and 11 meters or 12 yards high. The north mound covers a burial chamber, but the south mound doesn't. The stones sit just south of a nearby masonry church that's still in use. It's not the original church, though. This is a church that was built around the year 1100 to replace a wooden church on the site that had burned down. It was rebuilt several times over, but before it was switched to a masonry church.

[Holly Fry]

And the smaller stone, which we'll call the King Gorm stone, the original position of that stone is not known. Its current placement is where it's been since approximately 1630. And just prior to that, we know that it was used as a seat outside the church for some period of time. And this stone features three vertical lines of runes on the front and one vertical line of runes on the back and two snakes that are also on the back.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

A larger herald stone has three sides, and on one of those, there's what's believed to be the first image of Christ in Scandinavia. For a while, the image was actually believed to have been a portrait of Harold himself. But early in the 19th century, it was established that it was indeed Christ. This stone, during a restoration project in the early 1980s, was determined to be in its original position.

[Holly Fry]

And there was actually a third stone found at yelling in 1964, but it appears to be unrelated to the Gorm Harald Tira stones.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

There are a couple of pretty interesting areas of discussion around these two stones. Did King Gorm raise a runestone to honor his queen, or did Haril do it as part of sort of a historical revision?

[Holly Fry]

So this is where things get to me really fascinating and where they are very hotly debated. So the stones honoring Tira are notable because it was not really customary for runestones to be raised for women. Denmark has 277 known Viking era runestones. Remember how we mentioned a little bit ago that they don't really have a huge data set to go on. 277 is really not that many. But of that number, only 12 of those stones commemorate women, and two of those reference Tira. So that's a significant situation. Although there has also been a case made that the reference to Denmark's adornment could actually be referencing Gorm. But that's not a particularly popular interpretation. The stones to Tira are even more unusual when you consider that these two are part of a group of only three known runestones that were created at the command of kings. Other runestones were raised by other people.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

It's possible that more than two of those 12 stones dedicated to women are actually in honor of Gorim's wife, Tira. At least two other runestones from the same time period also reference a woman named Tira. So is it very likely that there was another woman with the same name who was also inspiring the commissioning of multiple runestones who just happened to be in the same area of Denmark at the same time?

[Holly Fry]

Yeah, that seems a little bit coincidental, and it seems perhaps simply too coincidental for it to not all be the same woman. But on the flip side, even men weren't normally honored or commemorated in this way multiple times over either. There's actually only one man that we know of with multiple runestones. So it's just weird in a variety of ways. And one explanation for the multiple but allegedly unrelated mentions of a woman named Tira is that it was a common name in Jutland at the time.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Historian Brigitte Sawyer makes the case, though, that the assumption of the name's commonplace nature is based on only seven or eight possible instances of its having been used. Four or five of those are on runestones. So the logic of claiming the runestones are honoring multiple women of the same name, it's pretty circular.

[Holly Fry]

Yeah, they're using data to support that assertion. That is the direct thing that they're trying to prove out. So it gets really, really a little bit squirrely at that point. And the smaller of those two yelling stones thought to be erected by Gorm also has some linguistic characteristics which might give it away as being younger than we are intended to believe. The stone credited to Harold, the larger of the two, has words that run together, whereas the runestones that Gorm, or the runestone that Gorm is supposed to have erected, has dividing marks between the words. And that's a newer linguistic practice, indicating that the Gormstone may actually have come second.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

We'll talk about why that may have been the case in just a moment. But first we are going to pause for a brief word from a sponsor.

[Holly Fry]

Foreign.

[Maria Tremarki]

Welcome to the Criminalia Podcast. I'm Maria Tremarki.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Holly Fry. Together we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime.

[Maria Tremarki]

Each season we explore a new theme, everything from poisoners and pirates to art thieves and snake oil products and those who made and sold them.

[Holly Fry]

We uncover the stories and secrets of some of history's most compelling criminal figures, including a man who built a submarine as a getaway vehicle. Yep, that's a fact.

[Maria Tremarki]

We also look at what kinds of societal forces were at play at the time of the crime, from legal injustices to the ethics of body snatching, to see what, if anything, might look different through today's perspective.

[Holly Fry]

And be sure to tune in at the end of each episode as we indulge in custom made cocktails and mocktails inspired by the stories. There's one for every story we tell.

[Maria Tremarki]

Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Arturo Castro]

Hi, I'm Arturo Castro and I've been lucky enough to do stuff like Broad City and Narcos and Roadhouse and so many commercials about back pain. And now I'm starting a podcast because honestly guys, I don't feel the space is crowded enough. Get ready for Greatest Escapes, a new comedy podcast about the wildest true escape stories in history. Each week I'll be sitting down with some of the most hilarious actors and writers and comedians to tell them a buckwild tale from across history and time. People like Ed Helms, Diane Guerrero, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zoe Chao. Titanic, Charles Manson, Alcatraz, Assata Shakur, a.

[Co-host of Greatest Escapes]

Sketchy guy named Steve.

[Arturo Castro]

It's giving funny true crime.

[Co-host of Greatest Escapes]

I love storytelling and I love you. So I can't wait.

[Arturo Castro]

Listen and subscribe to Greatest escapes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Co-host of Greatest Escapes]

Ever wonder what it's like to be on the phone with an NFL general manager as you finalize the biggest contract in NFL history? I'm A.J. stephens, vice president of client strategy at Athletes first, where we've negotiated $1.4 billion in current NFL quarterback contracts. Introducing the Athletes first family podcast, the Quarterback Series. Along with my co host Brian Murphy, athlete's first CEO, we're pulling back the curtain on how these historic deals come together. You'll hear directly from the agents who shaped the NFL's financial landscape, the ones who negotiated Justin Herbert's extension and Deshaun Watson's fully guaranteed contract that sent shockwaves through the league. This isn't just about the numbers, though. It's about the untold stories behind these massive negotiations and the relationships to NFL superstars like Dak Prescott, Tua Tungavaliloa and Jordan Love have with their agents at Athletes First. For the first time ever, the agents who orchestrate these deals are sharing the details of the negotiations and everything that led up to their clients signing on the dotted line. Listen to the Athletes First Family podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Reed]

Hey y'all, this is Reed from the God's country podcast. We had the one and only Bobby Bones in the studio this week, and we cover everything from his upbringing to his outdoor experiences with his stepdad, Arkansas Keith, to the state of country music. We may even end the episode with a little jam session led by Bobby himself. Y'all be sure and listen to this episode of God's country with Bobby Bones on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Co-host of Greatest Escapes]

Don't go shopping at Target with khaki pants and a red shirt on. Don't go shopping at Target with khaki pants and a red polo shirt on. Switch up. Songwriter move. Songwriter move. An old lady came up to me. She said how much for this Cream of Wheat?

[Holly Fry]

So why would Harold have possibly erected a stone that seemed to be the work of his father, and that it appeared he may be trying to pass off as that? And again, I'm referencing the work of Brigitte Sawyer, but according to her, it may have been a way in which people asserted claims of inheritance. So we mentioned early on in the episode that Denmark was new to unification. Lords under Gorm likely competed with Gorm for control of the lands that he eventually made his Tira would have been.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

A very appealing marriage partner because she may have held significant power or prominence even before becoming Gorm's queen, most likely as the daughter of someone who had additional land holdings that would then become part of her husband's kingdom. It's entirely possible that she outlived her husband and remarried, and then that would have created some question marks about who should inherit her holdings after her death. The additional runestones that reference a woman named Tira may have been placed by the family she married into after Goram died.

[Holly Fry]

Sawyer suggests that it's possible that Harald not only reconstructed the past by placing a rune stone from his father to Tira, but that the unknown resting Place of the queen is due to the fact that she may have been buried by another family in another place entirely. After having been remarried, Harald basically had to prove his place as son and heir and thus constructed the burial mounds at Yelling to establish himself as part of Tira's true or primary family and obscure the existence of another burial spot. Moreover, if the Gorm runestone was erected by Harald, it also serves as a precedent setter that Gorm was king, which literally carves in stone something that up to that point may have still been a matter of some dispute.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

And remember back to you at the top of the show, we talked about the mourning gift from Gorm to Tira if she did inherit Denmark upon his death as the culmination of this gift, it would very, very much be in Harald's interest not to let another family then inherit literally the entire country after his mother's death.

[Holly Fry]

But I, and I know I keep saying this. It is important to note that these interpretations of the history of Gorm, Harald and Tira and the runestones are just that, they're interpretations, although they're definitely based existing evidence. It's just viewed through different lenses. Historians continue to argue the various possibilities and details of this part of Denmark's history. But in any case, if the runestones and mounds were part of a carefully orchestrated edit of history on Harald's part, the plan worked because he is recognized as an early king of Denmark.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

It's entirely possible that new excavations at Yelling will reveal additional information about Gorm and his family. The Yelling mounds, runic stones and church are all a UNESCO World Heritage site. And since 2007, excavations have unearthed evidence of massive of a massive stone ship at the site, as well as a number of buildings that could indicate a fortress that was built by Harold.

[Holly Fry]

And I believe that those excavations went on until late 2014. So a lot of those findings are still being analyzed and there could be big changes based on that analysis. We will just have to keep an eye on it. But we mentioned that we would talk about how Harold's name ended up connected to technology. And in 1996, when a wireless technology being worked on by Ericsson, Nokia, intel and eventually IBM needed a name, that project borrowed the name of Bluetooth. And that was because just as Harald had united Denmark in many histories, Bluetooth was intended to unite technologies with this wireless short range link. And while it was intended initially only as a codename for the technology, like a development name, Bluetooth of course stuck. And that was more due to legal issues than anything else.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

The Original name for this technology was Pan for Personal Area Networking. And it was too similar to many other trademark names. And the second choice, Radio Wire, was already trademarked by someone else. So the project's code name eventually became its official moniker.

[Holly Fry]

And now when your mobile device has Bluetooth activated, you can see a small rune on your screen. And you can thank Harald Bluetooth for that, too. That logo for Bluetooth technology is actually a combination of the runes for King Harald's initials. So in a fun way that history comes alive, you are carrying a reference to Denmark's Viking history in your pocket with you all the time. If you have a smartphone with Bluetooth, that's pretty cool.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Now that you mention it, that does look like a rune.

[Ashlin Harris]

Yeah.

[Holly Fry]

I almost felt foolish for never having had that thought. Once I read about it. I was like, well, of course that's what it is.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Well, I. I feel foolish because I've been [e-mail] for more than a decade talking about Bluetooth sometimes. And I knew, like, I knew at a very basic level who it was named for, but the whole part where the, the logo, little icon thing is basically a rune. Did not know that.

[Holly Fry]

Yeah, it's cool stuff. So that is our discussion of the yelling stones, which I really can't wait to see sort of what additional analysis comes out. We will link in our show. Notes to Denmark's National Museum has kind of an ongoing site that updates with the archaeological stuff. There hasn't been a lot of. There haven't been a lot of updates lately. I think, like I said, they're still doing analysis, but you can see all of the stages of. Of the digs that they've done and how they've been very carefully preserving the area because it is in a place where, I mean, there's also neighborhoods around it. It's not like just a place out in the middle of nowhere. There's been development in that area. So it's really pretty fascinating to look at all those pictures and see what they're doing and how they're handling it. The stones are actually now encased in like, these glass. I don't want to say cabinetry, but that's the only word coming to mind. But they're outside still, but they're encased to protect them so you can see them. They're basically on display because they're just sitting out there in between the mounds and in front of the church. It's quite cool.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Thanks so much for joining us on this Saturday. If you'd like to send us a note. Our email address is historypodcastheartradio.com and you can subscribe to the show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Host of Tech Stuff]

Do you want to see into the future? Do you want to understand an invisible force that's shaping your life? Do you want to experience the frontiers of what makes us human? On tech stuff we travel from the mines of Congo to the surface of Mars, from conversations with Nobel Prize winners to the depths of TikTok to our skill burning questions about technology, from high tech to low culture and everywhere in between. Join us Listen to tech stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Arturo Castro]

Hi, I'm Arturo Castro and I've been lucky enough to do stuff like Broad City and Narcos and Roadhouse. And now I'm starting a podcast because honestly guys, I don't feel the space is crowded enough. Get ready for Greatest Escapes, a new comedy podcast about the wildest true escape stories in history. Each week I'll be sitting down with some of the most hilarious actors and writers and come comedians, people like Ed Helms, Diane Guerrero and Joseph Gordon Levitt.

[Co-host of Greatest Escapes]

I love storytelling and I love you, so I can't wait.

[Arturo Castro]

Listen and subscribe to Greatest escapes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ashlin Harris]

We all have a moment that splits us Wide open. On my new podcast, Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, I'll sit down with trailblazers from sports, music, fashion, entertainment and politics to explore their toughest moments and the incredible comebacks that followed. Listen to Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, an iHeart women's sports production on the iHeartradio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Holly Fry]

Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.

[Arturo Castro]

Calling all Yellowstone fans, let's go to work. Join Bobby Bones on the official Yellowstone Podcast Podcast for exclusive cast interviews, behind the scenes insights and a deep dive into the themes that have made Yellowstone a cultural phenomenon.

[Co-host of Greatest Escapes]

Our family legacy is this ranch and.

[Reed]

Our protector of my life.

[Arturo Castro]

Listen to the official Yellowstone Podcast now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.