THE KENSINGTON RUNESTONE: Commentary and Speculation by Bob Voyles

 Photos taken on May 15, 2022, by Bob Voyles. Arriving at this spot back during "medieval times" must have been a delight to Native Americans and Norsemen alike.  Pure, fresh, cold springwater was literally at hand, gurgling right up out of the edge of the prairie. It seems that part of the Norse Code-stone function was that of a compass...a compass on the prairie, if you will, specifically pointing out east and north.  (Of course, south and west is then also understood.)  If further interested, read my main article about the Code-stone.   Marsh Lake has the largest Pelican rookery in Minnesota.  I captured this shot from the pond area using a Canon EOS Rebel T2i, with a Zoom Lens.

Taking Leonardo da Vinci's advice, here is what I think is both "simplicity" and "the ultimate sophistication" in presenting Minnesota's Norse Code-stones, discovered in 2013 and 2022 near Appleton.  The message is unmistakeable when the site is examined by a ferrous-only metal detector.  Are there any playful "Norse" minds out there?  If so, you may wonder what is buried where "X marks the spot."  Hint:  the Pomme de Terre River discharges into the beginnings of the Minnesota River (Marsh Lake) just a bit north of the Code-stones site.  Unfortunately, there is no curiosity from the Minnesota Historical Society or from the State Archaeologist...there is only year-after-year neglect...and even worse, hinderance.  Why?  Make a guess....

...just speculating, of course.  Here are various angles of the rock over the years (all photos by myself), perhaps a piece of the puzzle.  Holand had his picture taken with this rock when it was located below the hill, eastwardly, before it was moved to the top of Runestone Hill with another stonehole rock to show visitors (foolishly) what a "mooring stone" looks like.  If this rock was used as a sort of support or holder for the KRS, it would seem like a grand coincidence for it to once again be in position very close to where the KRS was unearthed.  There is more information about this particular stonehole rock in other articles on this blog, if further interested.  

       I can imagine how difficult it must be for some people--especially those not from Minnesota or else living overseas--to understand where particular locations are in relationship to the Kensington Runestone...so I decided to create a sort of "KRS Locational Chart" to make the task a bit easier.  Of course, the importance of each location is according to my own personal speculation.  Many of the sites are well known to KRS researchers, with a few possible exceptions.  I have essays about most of the sites listed here that can be seen at my blog at americanrunestone.blogspot.com. Number one,the KRS, discovered about four miles east of the Chippewa River.  The Chippewa River begins in the Brandon area (think Brandon Axe) and empties into the Minnesota River by Granite Falls.  My view is that the Chippewa River figures heavily in the KRS storyline, since I believe it was by this river that the Norse explorers reached not only Runestone Hill, but also their ill-fated campsit

What I am proposing here are three examples of what I believe were purposefully "cracked-off" slabs of rock from authentic, handmade Norse stoneholes in this Minnesota region.  I am also proposing that these slabs of rock were purposely cracked-off at the same time of each stonehole's making.  But why would a Norseman do this?  I believe the answer is simply, "to grab a returning Norseman's attention."  In this case, they have grabbed my attention...and a pattern seems to have emerged. One might say that this new knowledge is based on empirical evidence called "sense experience," which in these three cases involves simple visual observation.  What I have seen is that in each of these three cases, the same approximate aging exists in the area around the stoneholes as in the stoneholes themselves. Below are photos I have taken of the three stonehole rocks in question.  I will present them to you in the same chronological order as I took notice of the

  For those who are already somewhat familiar with the story of the Norse Code-stone, I wanted to present the several encoded Norse stonehole rocks on a remote ridgeline near Appleton, Minnesota in an aerial view, especially now since another stonehole rock was discovered at the site only a month or so ago.  I've tried with this crude drawing to show the placement of the 6 proposed Norse stonehole rocks in relationship to one another. I believe the case for a "Compass on the Prairie" was helped out by finding the new stonehole rock, in that it appears to have been placed directly north, several feet from the main Code-stone (the one having 3 holes).  So, east and north were established at the site, using stonehole rocks.  Why?  We can only guess.  It seems that people were expecting to come back some day...but didn't...which intensifies the curiosity for what may be buried there, where a ferrous-only metal detector points to, in a "missing spot."  The first,