October 8, 2021
In Lund, the sun is shining. As we approach Torna Hällestad we come into fog. The idea was to have lunch out in the country store. Too cold and inside it is crowded. We take the opportunity to study the three rune stones that are externally walled in in the eastern part of the church. Have done it before, see the excursion from 2011 below. So I do not repeat the description of and the text on the rune stones. We drive into Dalby where the sun is shining and it is hot. Want to have lunch out at the newly opened Dalby guest house. But they have stopped the outdoor seating for the season. Rather full inside. So we drive to Skrylle. Sunny and warm and space outside. Today's lunch is meatballs. But out comes Danish pork loin (Dansk fleskestej). A misunderstanding, it was today's lunch but ended, so it is replaced with meatballs. We get the last portions of the danish pork, we would rather have them than meatballs. Very good.

22 Jan 2011: The car need fresh air after having been in the garage for a while in what has been for southern Sweden a cold winter. The temperature has risen and the snow is gone. It drives me to Torna Hällestad east of Dalby. It stop at the parking lot to the church. The church's oldest parts date from the 1100s. Inside there are ceiling paintings from the 1400s, but the church is locked, I will not see them today. I continue to the east side of the church, across the road is a building on which it is written the junior school. Seems to be a school today as well. On the east side of the church are three rune stones walled. Two stones on the south wing, one stone on the north. They were used once as a part of the churchyard wall, then walled in the church wall.

At the southeast corner is a square stone, Hällestad stone 1. It has runes on three sides:
Eskil sat stone after Toke, Gorm's son, his loving master. He fled not at Uppsala. Did after his brother put the stone on the mountain. Stands (with) runes. They were closest to Gorm's Toke.

Uppsala refers to a  battle believed to have taken place at Fyrisvall at Uppsala int the 980s. Toke was probably the son of the Danish king Gorm the Old.

Hällestad Stone 2 is located on the north-east wing, also this mention Toke:
Asgot raised this stone after Arre, his brother. He was courtier to Toke. Now stand the stone on the mountain.

Wonder what the Indian cobra decorations mean? My book gives no answer. Maybe they are just decorations?

Hällestad Stone 3 stone sits beneath a window next to stone 1 on the southeast wing. It was erected by one of Toke's courtiers:
Asbjorn, courtier (at) Toke, sat stone after Toke, his brother.

There are more than rune stones at the church. At the church's south side is a stone coffin, at the church wall stands gracefully written grave slabs. The sun approaches the horizon, time for the car to take me home.

Map