Jelling stones

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Jelling Mounds, Runic Stones and Church

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Jelling stones, in their glass casing (2012)
Location	Jelling, Denmark
Criteria	Cultural: iii
Reference	697
Inscription	1994 (18th Session)
Area	4.96 ha
Coordinates	55°45′24″N 9°25′10″E / 55.75667°N 9.41944°E / 55.75667; 9.41944
Location of Jelling stones in Denmark

The Jelling stones (Danish: Jellingstenene) are massive carved runestones from the 10th century, found at the town of Jelling in Denmark. The older of the two Jelling stones was raised by King Gorm the Old in memory of his wife Thyra. The larger of the two stones was raised by King Gorm's son, Harald Bluetooth, in memory of his parents, celebrating his conquest of Denmark and Norway, and his conversion of the Danes to Christianity.

The runic inscriptions on these stones are considered the best known in Denmark.^[1] In 1994, the stones, in addition to the burial mounds and small church nearby, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as an unparalleled example of both pagan and Christian Nordic culture.^[2]