Alessandro Palumbo

• Palumbo, Alessandro (2025). Latin i runinskrifter och en nytolkning av gravhällen från Skärvum (Vg 129). Futhark: International Journal of Runic Studies. 14, p. 131–158. doi: 10.33063/futhark.14.1005. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A grave slab found at Skärvum church in Västergötland, Sweden (Vg 129), bears a chal­leng­ing inscription consisting of two lines of runes. Due to ext­en­sive dam­age, almost all the runes are difficult to read, and in the latest edition only the be­gin­ning and the end have been interpreted. This article pro­poses a new read­ing for the sec­ond half of the inscription. This sequence is not in­scribed in the ver­nac­u­lar, as pre­vi­ously thought, but in Latin, and it reads in no­mi­ne patris et filii et spiritus sancti. Vg 129 is the sole example of a runic fu­ner­ary inscription con­tain­ing the tri­ni­tar­ian for­mu­la, with only two parallels in Roman alphabet fu­ner­ary in­scrip­tions from medi­eval Scandi­navia. On the basis of sev­er­al par­al­lels in runic amu­lets, however, a link between Vg 129 and amulet in­scrip­tions is suggested here. An ortho­graphic analysis of Vg 129 shows the inscriber’s familiarity with Latin writing conven­tions, dis­playing an al­most error-free Latin text. The use of a single þ rune to abbreviate Latin et is also notable, as its only parallel is a late medieval runic example from Got­land. The use of an ortho­phonic spelling (æþ or eþ) to produce a Latin ab­bre­vi­a­tion, to­geth­er with other characteristics of this Latin text and observations based on the wider runic corpus, challenge the per­cep­tion of orthophonic spel­lings as merely distorted rep­re­sen­tations of a Latin lit­er­ate norm caused by unschooled in­scribers learning Latin by ear. Instead, they can in some instances be seen as written conventions in their own right and a sign of literate awareness.

• Palumbo, Alessandro (2025). Professional identities and cosmopolitan personas: Latin as cultural capital in Scandinavian rune inscribers’ signatures. Sociolinguistica : Internationales Jahrbuch fuer Europaeische Soziolinguistik. ISSN 0933-1883. 39(2), p. 203–226. doi: 10.1515/soci-2025-0029. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Written culture in medieval Scandinavia featured the concurrent use of different languages–Latin and the local vernaculars–and two scripts–the Roman script and the runic script. Although Latin carried substantial cultural capital as the cosmopolitan language of religious and juridical authorities, diplomacy, and high literate culture, the vernacular runic written tradition had already been established for many centuries and continued to be used alongside Latin and the Roman script. This coexistence was particularly evident in the epigraphic landscape and resulted in several inscriptions that mixed both languages and scripts. This article explores the choices of language and script made by two medieval inscribers who, despite being primarily trained within a vernacular runic tradition, used Latin and/or the Roman script, particularly in their signatures. The study argues that these inscribers leveraged the symbolic value of Latin and the Roman script to project a distinctive professional identity in response to a changing linguistic market in which these linguistic resources were gaining value. The analysis also illustrates how these inscribers’ highly individual practices resulted from a negotiation of different linguistic norms and highlights a tension between their level of literacy and their efforts to display cultural capital. Finally, the article argues that the use of Latin and the Roman script was motivated more by their symbolic value than by purely communicative necessity, offering parallels to modern instances of language commodification.

• Palumbo, Alessandro (2025). From the Vernacular to Latin: Social Functions and Indexicalities in Bilingual and Biscriptal Epitaphs of Medieval Scandinavia. Speculum. ISSN 0038-7134. 100(4), p. 1045–1083. doi: 10.1086/737383. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study investigates the latinization of medieval Scandinavian epigraphy and argues that the traditional view of the relationships between Latin and the vernacular and the Roman and the runic alphabets as having separate functional domains need to be revised in view of the simultaneous use of different languages and alphabets in inscriptions. Previous research has often focused on the complementary distribution of the two languages and scripts, considering the Latin language and the Roman alphabet as high varieties and the vernacular and runes as low ones. This study proposes an alternative interpretation of their relationship based on a sociolinguistic analysis of bilingual and biscriptal epitaphs, which focuses on the shared, contested, and changing social meanings attributed to different languages and alphabets. The bilingual and biscriptal practices analyzed reveal overlap, independence, and complementarity between the languages and scripts, depending on the social and communicative purposes that the producers wanted to achieve. Hence, the types of content for which the vernacular and runes were used suggest that they indexed or signaled local identity, local bonds, and tradition in commemorative and religious practices. Latin, but not necessarily the Roman alphabet, was instead linked to religious authority, and textual resources in Latin and in Roman letters were employed to show affinity with both contemporaneous European and classical Latin epigraphy, which may have indexed internationalism and belonging to an elite literate culture. At times, both sets of social meanings were conveyed simultaneously, revealing the writers’ ambition to display a dual cultural identity.

• Palumbo, Alessandro (2024). Between Written and Visual Cultures: the Funerary Monument from Botkyrka Church, Sweden. In Coden, Fabio (Eds.), Sepolture medievali (IV-XV secolo): Spazi, opere, scritture / Medieval Burials (4th-15th centuries): Spaces, Artworks, Writings. Silvana Editoriale. ISSN 9788836657537. p. 374–393. Full text in Research Archive
• Palumbo, Alessandro & Janne, Harjula (2024). Material and written culture in medieval Turku: Runic inscriptions from an urban environment. In Kendra, Willson (Eds.), Runes in Finland. Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland (SLS). ISSN 9789515836083. p. 71–101. Full text in Research Archive
• Palumbo, Alessandro (2023). Analysing bilingualism and biscriptality in medieval Scandinavian epigraphic sources: A sociolinguistic approach. Journal of Historical Sociolinguistics. 9(1), p. 69–96. doi: 10.1515/jhsl-2022-0006. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Written culture in high and late medieval Scandinavia is characterized by a long and complex relationship between the Latin written tradition and the older native runic one. One product of the intersection of these traditions are several epigraphs where Latin, vernacular, Latin alphabet, and runes are combined. The aim of this paper is to propose a framework for analysing such bilingual and biscriptal inscriptions which takes into account two fundamental aspects of language and script choice: (1) the literacy of those involved in the production and reception of the texts, and (2) the role of the indexicality of languages and scripts in the shaping and representation of identities. The paper draws on epigraphic analyses and modern sociolinguistic approaches to written multilingualism and shows that an interdisciplinary method can further our understanding of the relationship between the Latin and vernacular written cultures, their status relative to each other, and their social functions in medieval Scandinavia.

• Blennow, Anna; Palumbo, Alessandro & Pettersson, Jonatan (2022). Literate Mentality and Epigraphy. In Heiniger, Anna Katharina; Merkelbach, Rebecca & Wilson, Alexander (Ed.), Þáttasyrpa – Studien zu Literatur, Kultur und Sprache in Nordeuropa. Narr Francke Attempto Verlag. ISSN 9783772087691. doi: 10.24053/9783772057694-003. Full text in Research Archive
• Blennow, Anna & Palumbo, Alessandro (2022). Epigrafiska områden i medeltidens Västergötland: ett samspel mellan latinsk och runsk skriftkultur. Fornvännen. ISSN 0015-7813. 117(3), p. 181–197. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this article, runic and Latin monumental epigraphy from early medieval Västergötland is studied in order to answer three questions regarding the establishment and development of these two written traditions: 1. Which were the geographical domains of runic and Latin epigraphy, and to what extent did they overlap? 2. How did the two traditions’ geographical spread change during the period under scrutiny? 3. How do the two traditions compare with regard to sociocultural context, number and type of inscriptions, and the stonecutters’ literacy level? The study has yielded two main results. The first concerns the establishment, in the early 12th century, of a Latin epigraphic tradition in the area around Kinnekulle, which remained a hub of almost exclusively Latin epigraphy for the whole period, in contrast to – or as a continuation of – the late Viking-Age runic tradition attested there. The second result concerns the strong presence of both runic and Latin epigraphy in an area around today’s Falköping, close to the monasteries of Gudhem and Varnhem. Here, the two traditions seemto have flourished together, establishing a bilingual and biscriptal epigraphic culture. The considerable number of inscriptions and their high level of literacy, in particular on funerary monuments, indicate that this area was a sociocultural centre in early medieval Västergötland, where some individuals had the means, education and ambition necessary to take part in the literary and intellectual discourse of the time.

• Palumbo, Alessandro (2022). Medeltida runor i Sverige. In Nordin, Jonas (Eds.), Kodex: Boken i medeltidens Sverige. Mediehistoriskt arkiv. ISSN 9789198580068. doi: 10.54292/b1vc20oock. Full text in Research Archive
• Palumbo, Alessandro (2022). How Latin is runic Latin? Thoughts on the influence of Latin writing on medieval runic orthography. In Marold, Edith & Zimmermann, Christiane (Ed.), Studien zur runischen Graphematik: Methodische Ansätze und digitale Umsetzung. Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för nordiska språk. ISSN 9789198695021. p. 177–218. doi: 10.33063/diva-462705. Full text in Research Archive
• Palumbo, Alessandro (2022). Medeltida runristade lösföremål från Uppsala län. In Zachrisson, Torun & Källström, Magnus (Ed.), Tyde den som kan: en upptäcktsfärd bland Upplands runstenar. Upplandsmuseet. ISSN 9789186145415. p. 179–198. Full text in Research Archive
• Blennow, Anna & Palumbo, Alessandro (2021). At the Crossroads between Script Cultures: The Runic and Latin Epigraphic Areas of Västergötland. In Johansson, Karl G. & Horn, Anna Catharina (Ed.), The Meaning of Media: Texts and Materiality in Medieval Scandinavia. De Gruyter Brill. ISSN 9783110694970. p. 39–70. doi: 10.1515/9783110695366-003. Full text in Research Archive
• Palumbo, Alessandro (2020). Same script, different rules? On the alleged different spelling of names compared to other words in runic inscriptions. In Löfdahl, Maria; Waldispuhl, Michelle & Wenner, Lena (Ed.), Namn i skrift. Names in Writing. Handlingar från NORNAs 48:e symposium i Göteborg den 29–30 november 2018. Norna. ISSN 9789172760981. p. 263–287. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The article deals with the question of whether words with different communicative weight are spelled differently in Viking-Age Swedish runic inscriptions and more specifically with the supposedly more careful spelling of personal names compared to formulaic words. The hypothesis that names appear less frequently in a deviant form than formulaic words is tested empirically in three investigations: 1) A quantitative study of the amount of spelling mistakes in a selection of words from the two aforementioned categories; 2) An analysis of a selection of deviant spellings in the context of the inscriptions where they occur; 3) A study of the inscriptions signed by the rune carver Øpir. The results of the quantitative study reveal a small but statistically significant difference in the proportion of deviant spellings of personal names and appellatives. On average, names are in fact spelled correctly 3% more often than formulaic words. The contextualised analysis of deviant spellings show that misspelled names and misspelled formulaic words often occur together, which indicates that in such cases misspellings depend more on the carver’s skill, than on whether words belong to different categories. The investigation of Øpir’s inscriptions reveals that miscarvings and his typical practice of abbreviating words can be found both in very frequent words and in names, suggesting that the treatment of these two categories is similar as far as their spelling is concerned. A general result regards the overall low occurrence of deviant forms, which calls for a scrutiny of interpretations which presuppose carving mistakes.

• Palumbo, Alessandro (2016). Among Demons and Ave Marias: Runes and the Supernatural on Swedish Amulets. Annali - Istituto Universitario Orientale. Sezione Gemanica. ISSN 1124-3724. 26(1-2), p. 85–102. Full text in Research Archive
• Palumbo, Alessandro (2014). Ett fragment av Barlaams saga ok Josaphats: Diplomatarisk utgåva av AM 231 VII fol. med en paleografisk och ortografisk undersökning. Annali - Istituto Universitario Orientale. Sezione Gemanica. ISSN 1124-3724. 24(1-2), p. 271–294. Full text in Research Archive

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• Palumbo, Alessandro (2020). Skriftsystem i förändring: En grafematisk studie av de svenska medeltida runinskrifterna. Uppsala universitet. ISBN 9789151930251. 295 p. Full text in Research Archive

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• Gheldof, Tom; SALVATERRA, CARLA; Bencivenni, Alice; Fogagnolo, Marta; Magnani, Massimo & REGGIANI, NICOLA [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2023). ENCODE open online course - Digital Tools for the Research and Study of Ancient Writing Cultures. doi: 10.5281/ZENODO.15111757. Full text in Research Archive
• Gheldof, Tom; SALVATERRA, CARLA; Bencivenni, Alice; Fogagnolo, Marta; Magnani, Massimo & REGGIANI, NICOLA [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2023). ENCODE open online course - Digital Tools for the Research and Study of Ancient Writing Cultures. doi: 10.5281/ZENODO.15111756. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The ENCODE open online course ‘Digital tools for the research and study of ancient writing cultures’ is designed to introduce teaching staff, GLAM professionals, and graduates to ancient writing cultures and digital studies. It consists of four units: Digital Greek-Latin Epigraphy, Digital Papyrology, Multilingual-Multicultural Digital Infrastructures, and How to Create LOD (linked open data). In this course, you will explore the digital transformations in the fields of Greek and Latin epigraphy, papyrology, and other aspects of ancient writing cultures. It offers several excercises to test your competences and knowledge, for instance on producing and sharing digital editions, managing FAIR data, and structuring and contextualizing information. You will also learn how to disseminate open knowledge related to ancient written cultural heritage. By the end of the course, you should be able (with the support of experts) to design a syllabus that effectively delivers digital competencies to trainees in the study of ancient writing cultures. Learning outcomes After completing this course, learners will be able to: understand the digital transformations in the field of ancient writing cultures practise some essential activities to participate in digital infrastructures and the sharing of research data identify and choose the teaching and learning resources that can help to upskill digital competences related to ancient written objects manage tools to integrate digital competences in the teaching and learning of ancient writing cultures

• Aurora, Federico; Gasparini, Andrea Alessandro & Palumbo, Alessandro (2022). ENCODE - Bridging the <gap> in ancient writing cultures, enhance competences in the digital era. Full text in Research Archive
• Aurora, Federico & Palumbo, Alessandro (2020). ENCODE: Bridging the <gap> in Ancient Writing Cultures: ENhance COmpetences in the Digital Era. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper presents a newly started Erasmus+ project, whose overarching aim is to promote the use of digital methods in the preservation and study ofpre-modern written texts. Traditional disciplines in the humanities like philology, palaeography and epigraphy are increasingly embracing digital change, developing and using new tools and methods to approach their objects of study. However, these innovations require new competences and training both for students and researchers in the rapidly evolving field of Digital Humanities and AI. The ambition of the ENCODE project is to establish a collaborative and shared platform for the teaching and learning of these digital competences. To reach this goal, a partnership has been established between six universities (Bologna, Parma, Würzburg, Leuven, Hamburg, Oslo), that will organize a series of events, conferences and training sessions during the period 2020-2023, which will also be open to participants from institutions outside of the six project partners. The project and the events planned will lead to three main outcomes:1) The surveying of existing competences and practices in the teaching of digital methods applied to the study of pre-modern texts.2) The formulation of a shared definition of digital competencies needed by academic staff and students involved in programmes focusing on written cultural heritage.3) The design and testing of teaching modules,both basic and advanced, paired with guidelines and examples of best practices for their employment at other universities, making the modules customizable and transferable.

• Palumbo, Alessandro (2020). Review of Lisbeth M. Imer. Peasants and Prayers: The Inscriptions of Norse Greenland. Copenhagen: University Press of Southern Denmark, 2017. Futhark: International Journal of Runic Studies. 9-10, p. 287–294. doi: 10.33063/diva-402191. Full text in Research Archive
• Palumbo, Alessandro (2015). Recension av Carla Cucina 2013 “Libri runici del computo: Il calendario di Bologna e i suoi analoghi europei”. Futhark: International Journal of Runic Studies. 5, p. 199–206. Full text in Research Archive
• Palumbo, Alessandro (2012). Gutarunor: studie i runformernas bruk och utveckling på Gotland under medeltiden och reformationstiden. Institutionen för nordiska språk, Uppsala universitet. Full text in Research Archive

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