This grave slab is carved with a stylised design of a lion fighting a
serpent. There is an inscription at one end written in the runic alphabet.
It reads: 'Ginna and Toki had this stone laid.' The slab was found in 1852
during building works near St Paul's Cathedral.
Scandinavian influence
The style of the decoration is known as Ringerike. It developed in late
Saxon England, influenced by settlers from Scandinavia. These settlers
joined forces with Danish invaders around ad 1000. There followed a period
of unrest which ended in the crowning of a Dane, Cnut, as king of England.
The grave slab probably came from an important tomb for a member of the
court of King Cnut.
Decorative style
The grave slab is made from oolithic limestone from the West Country.
Traces of paint indicate that it was once richly coloured. The stone is
considered one of the finest monuments in the Scandinavian Ringerike
style.
