Meldorf fibula


The Meldorf fibula is a Germanic spring-case-type fibula found in Meldorf, Schleswig-Holstein in 1979. Though the exact circumstances of the recovery of the fibula are unknown, it is thought to have come from a cremation grave, probably that of a woman. On typological grounds it has been dated to the first half of the first century CE, and possibly bears the oldest runic inscription found to date.

Inscription

The inscription, found on the fibula's foot and carried out in the tremolo or assay puncture technique, remains the subject of lively debate. The controversy revolves primarily around whether the graphemes are to be understood as runic, proto-runic or Latin characters. Finds from Vimose – particularly a comb with the inscription harja dated to 160 CE – are generally considered to be the oldest runic artifacts yet found. If the inscription on the Meldorf fibula is runic, then it has far-reaching implications regarding the question as to the origin and development of the Elder Futhark.

Interpretations

Düwel and Gebühr suggest that the inscription contains four runes, reading, which they interpret as meaning or. Attested cognates and related words would include: Old Saxon and Old High German, ; Old Saxon and Old High German, ; Old Saxon and Old High German, ; Gothic in, or. This interpretation has been widely criticised as epigraphically and linguistically irregular, however.
Düwel's interpretation gained renewed attention with the discovery of Wijnaldum B, a small golden pendant of possibly Mediterranean origin dated to 600 CE, in Leeuwarden, Friesland in 1990. On the back is a runic inscription which Looijenga and Düwel took to read as,. Looijenga has since withdrawn her reading of the inscription, however, seeing it now as only featuring meaningless scratches.
Odenstedt interprets the inscription as being composed in the Latin alphabet, reading IDIN, which he translates as a personal name, the gender of which remains uncertain; if feminine, if masculine,. Seebold also agrees with this interpretation.
Mees, like Düwel, interprets the inscription as runic, but instead reads, which he translates as.
Other possible readings include Latin nidi, runic or Latin irih, hiri, or runic,,.
The fibula is kept in Gottorp, Schleswig-Holstein.