Editing Runestone (section)

====Expeditions in the West====
[[File:U 344, Orkesta.JPG|right|thumb|upright|The [[England Runestones#U 344|Yttergärde Runestone]], Sweden]]
[[File:Vallebergastenen lund 2006.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[England Runestones#DR 337|Valleberga Runestone]], Sweden, reports that two Vikings had died in London.]]
Other Vikings travelled westwards. The Anglo-Saxon rulers paid large sums, [[Danegeld]]s, to Vikings, who mostly came from Denmark and who arrived to the English shores during the 990s and the first decades of the 11th century. What may be part of a Danegeld has been found submerged in a creek in Södra Betby in Södermanland, Sweden. At the location, there is also [[Viking Runestones#Sö 260|a runestone]] with the text: "[...] raise the stone in memory of Jôrundr, his son, who was in the west with Ulfr, Hákon's son."<ref name="harrison198"/><ref name="rundatasö260">The entry Sö 260 in [[Rundata]].</ref> It is not unlikely that the voyage westwards is connected with the English silver treasure.<ref name="harrison198"/> Other runestones are more explicit with the Danegelds. [[Ulf of Borresta]] who lived in [[Vallentuna]] travelled westwards several times,<ref name="harrison198"/> as reported on the [[England Runestones#U 344|Yttergärde Runestone]]:
{{quote|And Ulfr has taken three payments in England. That was the last that [[Skagul Toste|Tosti]] paid. Then [[Thorkell the Tall|Þorketill]] paid. Then [[Canute the Great|Knútr]] paid.<ref name="harrison198"/><ref name="rundatasu344">The entry U 344 in [[Rundata]].</ref>}}

Tosti may have been the Swedish chieftain [[Skagul Toste|Skoglar Tosti]] who is otherwise only mentioned by [[Snorri Sturluson]] in ''[[Heimskringla]]'' and who Snorri reports to have been a "great warrior" who "was out for long periods of time on war expeditions". Þorketill was [[Thorkell the Tall]], one of the most famous Viking chieftains, and who often stayed in England. Knútr is no one else but [[Canute the Great]], who became king of England in 1016.<ref name="harrison198"/>

Canute sent home most of the Vikings who had helped him conquer England, but he kept a strong bodyguard, the [[Þingalið]]. It was considered to be a great honour to be part of this force, and, on the [[Viking Runestones#U 668|Häggeby Runestone]] in Uppland, it is reported that Geiri "sat in the Assembly's retinue in the west,"<ref name="harrison198"/><ref name="rundatau668">The entry U 668 in [[Rundata]].</ref> and the [[Viking Runestones#Ög 111|Landeryd Runestone]] mentions Þjalfi, "who was with Knútr".<ref name="harrison198"/><ref name="rundataög111">The entry Ög 111 in [[Rundata]].</ref> Some Swedish Vikings wanted nothing else but to travel with Danes such as Thorkell and Canute the Great, but they did not make it to their destinations. Sveinn, who came from Husby-Sjuhundra in Uppland, died when he was half-way to England, as explained on the [[England Runestones#U 539|runestone that was raised in his memory]]: "He died in [[Jutland|Jútland]]. He meant to travel to England".<ref name="harrison198ff">Harrison & Svensson 2007:198ff</ref><ref name="rundatau539">The entry U 539 in [[Rundata]].</ref> Other Vikings, such as Guðvér did not only attack England, but also [[Saxony]], as reported by the [[England Runestones#Sö 166|Grinda Runestone]] in Södermanland:<ref name="harrison199"/>
{{poemquote|
Grjótgarðr (and) Einriði, the sons
made (the stone) in memory of (their) able father.
Guðvér was in the west;
divided (up) payment in England;
manfully attacked
townships in Saxony.<ref name="harrison199">Harrison & Svensson 2007:199</ref><ref name="rundatasö166">The entry Sö 166 in [[Rundata]].</ref>}}
There are in total about 30 runestones that tell of people who went to England,<ref name="harrison199"/> see the [[England Runestones]]. Some of them are very laconic and only tell that the Viking was buried in [[London]], or in [[Bath, Somerset]].<ref name="harrison199"/>
[[File:Kalle Dahlberg modern runestone.jpg|thumb|upright|Modern runestone on [[Adelsö]] near Stockholm, Sweden]]