FALL 2021 PHOTO-TOUR OF RUNESTONE PARK...Featuring Nordic, Hand-Chiseled Stoneholes!

To begin, here's some strange signage on Highway 27 leading west out of Alexandria, showing where to turn south for those heading to Runestone Park.  Don't let the "Viking Trail" sign fool you, as this only references Hjalmar Holand's mistaken belief that the Sir Paul Knutson search party came down across Minnesota with boats, making stoneholes in rocks along the way.  Every medieval Norse stonehole found, and every fresh discovery of  a medieval Scandinavian iron weapon found was additional proof of Knutson's heroic expedition to the Kensington area.  So, Holand fostered the notion that many stoneholes were made here in Minnesota to serve as mooring stones...something that did not happen because small boats and canoes could easily be pulled onto shores and river banks.  Only in the last several years did the old wooden brown "Holand stonehole sign" come down from Runestone Park's Skraeling Hill, as folks began to understand that the "mooring stone" concept was just so much foolishness.  In other words, the authentic Norse stoneholes carved here in Minnesota were were made for other plausible reasons.  This includes the five stonehole rocks shown below.  In my view, it does appear that the stoneholes made at Runestone Park are linked in some way to the Kensington Runestone.  How, exactly, I don't know...but in this situation, I suspect it may have something to do with concealing something.

As an unseen sign indicates, this rather scrubby spot is where visitors turn east towards Runestone Park.  (This view is west-facing after making the turn.)

This view is from the nice new roadway leading into the park.  The old entranceway used to come in over towards the barn.  The new visitors building can be seen on the right.

Another view of the new structure, which offers a lot of information and great restrooms.

This is the old Ohman house, somewhat obscure in its setting away from Runestone Hill.

A pleasant rock-garden near the new visitors shelter.

A fairly long and flat stretch leading eastward towards Runestone Hill.

Curves and a gentle incline draws you closer....

This is near pathways leading up to Skraeling Hill, to the right.  But keep following the roadway....

This appears to be a spring-fed pond close to the "discovery site" sign.  The area around Runestone Hill was apparently much more watery back in 1362, before an eroding ravine gradually lowered the water level...according to Minnesota's past geologist, Newton Winchell.  Surrounded by water, Runestone Hill used to be an island--or a peninsula-island (as the KRS states), with a ridgeway leading in from the west...from the Chippewa River.

Progressing in elevation eastwardly towards Runestone Hill....

A great picnic spot on the left, just below the little knoll known as Runestone Hill.

Almost there...within view of Runestone Hill, straight ahead.  Facing northeast.  The flags now at the entranceway to the park used to fly here on the top of the little knoll, if I remember correctly. 

There's not much here to commemorate such a grand discovery as the Kensington Runestone!  It's practically a blank slate.  Hard to see from here, but there are two stonehole rocks directly ahead.  Apparently, neither rock was in its present position, having been moved to the knoll many years ago to show visitors what "mooring stones" look like.  Not a good idea, all the way around.  

This is pretty much the top of the gently rounded Runestone Hill, looking mostly northward, showing the two stonehole rocks and a concrete bench and an old "donors plaque stand."  From what I recall reading about, a grand monument of sorts was once planned well over a half-century ago, but the funding never materialized.  What a shame.

Random view of topography from Runestone Hill, looking north.

View of Runestone Hill and both large stonehole rocks, looking south.

Here is a peek through the woods from Runestone Hill, looking eastward at the Nils Flatten farm.  The same barn is seen in an old black & white photo of Olof Ohman and a couple of other gentlemen standing on the spot where the KRS was found.  It is a well-known photo, and I found out through experimentation that one can find out precisely where the men were standing by taking a copy of this old photo and positioning oneself so that the same angles of the barn are revealed.  A distant ridgeline to the east can also be matched up when the forests are leafless.  Using this technique, I have discovered exactly where the men were standing--far and away from where the old bronze plaque at the park is still on display, erroneously marking the finding spot for over a half-century, and on a continuing daily basis.  The same plaque also mistakenly reports that thirty men were attacked on the shore of a lake, and another bothersome mischief is claiming that the KRS party was none other than the Paul Knutson expedition..."experts have determined," although there is no absolute proof that the well-intentioned party ever set sail, let alone returned.

  

This is my favorite stonehole rock at Runestone Park.  I firmly believe that this particular rock--all by itself--can help prove the KRS is authentic.  I admit that I start out by thinking it's very likely that the stonehole rock is linked to medieval Norsemen, since the KRS is.  It also helps to keep in mind that medieval-era stoneholes exactly like these can be found in several "Motherland" Scandinavian countries.  Holand gave considerable attention to this rock and pointed it out way back in the 1940's, when it was located below the hill in a pile of rocks.  As mentioned previously, the rock was since then moved up onto the top of Runestone Hill to show visitors what a "mooring stone" looked like.  Holand pointed out the large, obvious "fresh" fracture on the rock, and he also mentioned that the stonehole was only an inch deep...because of a previous fracturing off of a chunk of rock containing most of the stonehole.  (My view is that this was purposely done to attract the attention of future Norsemen.)  The large "fresh appearing" fracture is hardly aged at all, despite likely being over a hundred years old, given Holand's association with it.  Now compare that with the overall aging of the rest of the rock--including the stonehole itself.  Close observation reveals that the stonehole is as aged as the rock's surface area all around the stonehole...the result of a chunk of the stonehole being cracked off many, many years ago.  How long ago?  More than just a few hundred years, which puts the stonehole as being much older than the late 1800's pioneer farming days.  Bottom line:  If the stonehole is exceedingly old, which it is, that makes it much more likely that the KRS is genuine, since both can be seen as being older than late 1800's immigrant farming in the area.  Also, readers, please know that visual observation is a science-based form of empirical evidence. 

Here is a close-up of the cracked-off and greatly aged stonehole on the fractured rock.  Notice that both the stonehole and the entire area around it appear to be greatly aged when compared to the fresh-looking fracture the rock suffered--which isn't actually that fresh.

This is the other large stonehole rock on Runestone Hill, having been moved there from an unknown location by Runestone Hill many years ago.  I would like to know where it was originally moved from, which could help in understanding any "coded design" possibly having to do with something being buried...concealed.  (Mere speculation.) 

Close-up of an aged stonehole on the previous stonehole rock.

Fun pathway leading up to "Skraeling Hill," where there are three more stonehole rocks in close proximity to one another.  

Actually, there are two fun pathways from the road leading up to Skraeling Hill.  This colorful view is looking east, towards Runestone Hill.

This is the stonehole rock first seen when ascending the pathway to the top of Skraeling Hill.

And here is its triangular-shaped stonehole, about the size of a quarter and very aged, as usual.  Round stoneholes cannot be made with an iron hand-chisel, and this is just one way to distinguish medieval era stoneholes from modern, machine drilled stoneholes.

This stonehole rock is deeply embedded and positioned to the left at the top of the hill, only a few paces from the just-shown stonehole rock, above.  Can't see the stonehole?  It's covered over with leaves....

Got some rain in there, otherwise, the same as the others.

This last of the five stonehole rocks featured in this photo-essay is off to the right at the top of the hill, only several paces northward from the other two rocks.

Here is a closer-up photo of the same rock, also deeply embedded....

And here is its stonehole...like the others shown here.  So, I've noticed that these three stonehole rocks on Skraeling Hill seem to have been spread across part of the ridgeway leading towards Runestone Hill from the west, from the Chippewa River about three miles away.  (A respectable distance away from the river highway.)  It could be that the three stonehole rocks were intended to draw attention to future Norsemen passing by, which also makes me wonder if Runestone Hill may have been a known Norse defensive camping site.  In other words, maybe the stonehole rocks near Runestone Hill were made by an earlier (or even later) party of Norsemen.  (Again, just innocent speculation.)  What do you think? 

  

Here's two bonus photos I took of some fully ripe wild grapes (vitis riparia).  The grape leaves and sumac leaves are all dried up, exposing the fruit to birds--and to persons like me.

So, this is $.26 cents worth of wild grapes I picked at the entrance to the Sauk Lake Altar Rock site near Sauk Centre on the way home yesterday, October 3rd.  (Actually, the coins are there to show how robust and plump the grape clusters are.)  A few years ago, I made some wild grape jelly and gave some away as gifts in small jars.  I suppose I could make some wine and call it "Prime Vinland Stock," or some such thing.  By the way, for reference, these particular grapes were wild-grown and harvested just a few dozen miles south of the 46th parallel.

                                                   Bob Voyles -  Fall, 2021