Myths of the Rune Stone
In 1898, a Swedish immigrant farmer claimed to have discovered a large rock with writing carved into its surface in a field near Kensington, Minnesota. The writing told a North American origin story, predating Christopher Columbus's exploration, in which Viking missionaries reached what is now Minne...
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| Formaat: | Online |
| Taal: | Engels |
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University of Minnesota Press
2025
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| Online toegang: | ONIX_20250808T103036_9781452974729_101 |
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| _version_ | 1869531559940325376 |
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| author | Krueger, David M. |
| author_browse | Krueger, David M. |
| author_facet | Krueger, David M. |
| author_sort | Krueger, David M. |
| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | In 1898, a Swedish immigrant farmer claimed to have discovered a large rock with writing carved into its surface in a field near Kensington, Minnesota. The writing told a North American origin story, predating Christopher Columbus's exploration, in which Viking missionaries reached what is now Minnesota in 1362 only to be massacred by Indians. The tale's credibility was quickly challenged and ultimately undermined by experts, but the myth took hold. Faith in the authenticity of the Kensington Rune Stone was a crucial part of the local Nordic identity. Accepted and proclaimed as truth, the story of the Rune Stone recast Native Americans as villains. The community used the account as the basis for civic celebrations for years, and advocates for the stone continue to promote its validity despite the overwhelming evidence that it was a hoax. Krueger puts this stubborn conviction in context and shows how confidence in the legitimacy of the stone has deep implications for a wide variety of Minnesotans who embraced it, including Scandinavian immigrants, Catholics, small-town boosters, and those who desired to commemorate the white settlers who died in the Dakota War of 1862. Krueger demonstrates how the resilient belief in the Rune Stone is a form of civil religion, with aspects that defy logic but illustrate how communities characterize themselves. He reveals something unique about America's preoccupation with divine right and its troubled way of coming to terms with the history of the continent's first residents. By considering who is included, who is left out, and how heroes and villains are created in the stories we tell about the past, Myths of the Rune Stone offers an enlightening perspective on not just Minnesota but the United States as well. |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-164855 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | University of Minnesota Press |
| publisherStr | University of Minnesota Press |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-1648552025-08-09T05:08:01Z Myths of the Rune Stone Krueger, David M. Indigenous North Americans thema EDItEUR::5 Interest qualifiers::5P Relating to specific groups and cultures or social and cultural interests::5PB Relating to peoples: ethnic groups, indigenous peoples, cultures and other groupings of people::5PBA Relating to Indigenous peoples In 1898, a Swedish immigrant farmer claimed to have discovered a large rock with writing carved into its surface in a field near Kensington, Minnesota. The writing told a North American origin story, predating Christopher Columbus's exploration, in which Viking missionaries reached what is now Minnesota in 1362 only to be massacred by Indians. The tale's credibility was quickly challenged and ultimately undermined by experts, but the myth took hold. Faith in the authenticity of the Kensington Rune Stone was a crucial part of the local Nordic identity. Accepted and proclaimed as truth, the story of the Rune Stone recast Native Americans as villains. The community used the account as the basis for civic celebrations for years, and advocates for the stone continue to promote its validity despite the overwhelming evidence that it was a hoax. Krueger puts this stubborn conviction in context and shows how confidence in the legitimacy of the stone has deep implications for a wide variety of Minnesotans who embraced it, including Scandinavian immigrants, Catholics, small-town boosters, and those who desired to commemorate the white settlers who died in the Dakota War of 1862. Krueger demonstrates how the resilient belief in the Rune Stone is a form of civil religion, with aspects that defy logic but illustrate how communities characterize themselves. He reveals something unique about America's preoccupation with divine right and its troubled way of coming to terms with the history of the continent's first residents. By considering who is included, who is left out, and how heroes and villains are created in the stories we tell about the past, Myths of the Rune Stone offers an enlightening perspective on not just Minnesota but the United States as well. 2025-08-09T05:08:01Z 2025-08-09T05:08:01Z 2025-08-08T08:36:45Z 2015 book ONIX_20250808T103036_9781452974729_101 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/105258 9781452974729 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/164855 eng open access image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/105258/1/9781452974729.pdf University of Minnesota Press 10.5749/9781452974729 10.5749/9781452974729 7f3d7612-a4bc-4744-a06e-7dbc54d8a1af 712d15aa-43d2-450a-8c7d-c17cc8b223da b5941080-3f20-4864-95c6-753acff7c9f4 9781452974729 Big Ten Open Books Minneapolis [...] Big Collection Initiative Big Ten Academic Alliance Committee on Institutional Cooperation 10.13039/100026234 open access |
| spellingShingle | Indigenous North Americans thema EDItEUR::5 Interest qualifiers::5P Relating to specific groups and cultures or social and cultural interests::5PB Relating to peoples: ethnic groups, indigenous peoples, cultures and other groupings of people::5PBA Relating to Indigenous peoples Krueger, David M. Myths of the Rune Stone |
| title | Myths of the Rune Stone |
| title_full | Myths of the Rune Stone |
| title_fullStr | Myths of the Rune Stone |
| title_full_unstemmed | Myths of the Rune Stone |
| title_short | Myths of the Rune Stone |
| title_sort | myths of the rune stone |
| topic | Indigenous North Americans thema EDItEUR::5 Interest qualifiers::5P Relating to specific groups and cultures or social and cultural interests::5PB Relating to peoples: ethnic groups, indigenous peoples, cultures and other groupings of people::5PBA Relating to Indigenous peoples |
| topic_facet | Indigenous North Americans thema EDItEUR::5 Interest qualifiers::5P Relating to specific groups and cultures or social and cultural interests::5PB Relating to peoples: ethnic groups, indigenous peoples, cultures and other groupings of people::5PBA Relating to Indigenous peoples |
| url | ONIX_20250808T103036_9781452974729_101 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kruegerdavidm mythsoftherunestone |