	Bookmarks on this page: Hågelby Farm, Skrefsta Farm and the Runestone in Uttran
	Kyrkkulla Mounds	To front page at holmers.com

	Ancient Monument Nr 104, Botkyrka Parish, Stockholm County, Sweden


Kyrkkulla Gravemounds from the younger iron age, 500-1050 AD. Situated beside the road between Skrävsta (skrefsta) and Hågelby (Hogslaby). It was the main road towards Botkyrka Church, and is probably from the 10th century since the rune stone that are placed further down the road is from that period.	The graveyard consists of 20 graves, six of them are mounds and 14 are cairns, many so flattened out that they may be hard to see. During excavations in the 1940:s of a few graves in the area nearby some artifacts saw daylight again. For instance, a gold button, probably to embellish a sword hilt. A cloth clip shaped like an animals head, and six fragments of a Torshammarring (Thor's Hammer Ring). Dedicated to the god Thor. Two fragments of an iron knife.	The buildings seen beyond the field are the "outhouses" to the 20th century manor Hågelby, built by Lars Magnus Ericsson, The Telephone inventor, I'm sure you have heard about him, it's just that they spell his name with an international touch today, just simply, Ericsson! The construction continued from 1906 and almost through the first world war. All buildings were built in concrete, which was unique in Sweden at that time. Hågelby became an exemplary farm with classical buildings for a long time.
A literal translation of the runes: Sibbe and Jorun and Torgunn and Ingegärd those sibblings had this stone erected after Tjarve their father and Gudmod after her husband. God help his soul.		A Thor's Hammer Ring
Now in November 2008 things are beginning to move around the mounds. The National Heritage Board has begun digging test pits all around the Kyrkkulla Mounds. The reason is probably in preparation to an eventual OK to begin extending the present Folk park to an amusement and adventure park, which over the years eventually will grow to the largest park in the country. About 3,000 inhabitants in the municipality of Botkyrka has protested, and delayed the project with a couple of years, but since the rest of us, about 77,000 inhabitants therefore are for an extended park that will give the entire community a kick in the right direction, we only have to be patient. We cannot live of ancient graves and runestones only!


The mounds are a little more visible during the...	...winter when much of the vegetation is gone.	The test pits or ditches recently made. Hågelby Farm in the background.

The tractor digs a shallow long pit...	...of just a foot or two deep.	Samples of soil are collected for macro analysis.

	A few close ups of the flattened mounds.
Towards Northeast.	East.	Towards Southeast.
	This however, could as well be piles of boulders that modern farmers with modern tools has been digging up from the fields around Kyrkkulla.	The view towards north in the grove.


The ancient Skrefsta Farm was until the 1940:s situated on the slope in the left part of the forest 250 metres west of Kyrkkulla Mounds. In the right part of the forest seen here, they buried their dead during the period 800-1050 AD. At least 30 graves are known.		Henrik is marking one of the grave cairns or mounds. In the left background is Kyrkkulla and to the right a part of Hågelby Farm.



	Hågelby Farm Today Hågelby is one of Sweden's 800 Folk Parks and a center for all kinds of events. Apart from the Walpurgis Night, National Day and Midsummers Eve celebrations, and the twice a week dances on the huge open air dance floor (with a tent roof), and many more open air events year round, there are more down to earth activities too, like visiting the restaurant or the café, or just take a walk in the park with the "Spa Park" , watching the birds in the ponds and the domestic animals. There is always something for everyone to do.

	Watch a movie with Uncle Porksausage Music Workshop. Tremendously popular among the community’s kids.	Four hundred kids gathered from almost every day care center in the neighborhood only needs half the dance floor. Every child has a phone number drawn on their back, just in case... :-)

Walpurgis Night	Wednesday dance evening	Midsummers Eve. View a short movie!

Blue Eyed Brown Goose (Anser anser).	Park & Pond	This is the place to get rid of the pacifier, for good!
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Skrävsta Farm
Skrefsta Ridskola. A riding school for around 1000 pupils, or 700 ridings a week. The farm consists of a very large riding house, with space for an audience and a cafeteria. Two or three stables, maybe four, for the horses and a numerous amount of paddocks, more than a dozen, and plenty of miles of forest and meadow trails around the neighborhood.		Probably one of the oldest (and for sure the most beautiful) building on the farm. The gruel bell that should have been placed in the ladder on the house gable is gone, hope it's just down for polishing or renovation?


Sophia, three and a half years old, and this is not her first lesson.		Princess on a white runner.
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Ancient Monument Nr 58, Botkyrka Parish.

Three and a half kilometers south, as the crows flies, there is another rune stone, Since 1927 it stands in a crossroad beside the former Uttran commuter train station, and the entrance to the former sanatorium.		The literal translation of the runes would be something like: Sibbe and Tjarve had this (stone) erected after Torkel their father. I wonder if Sibbe and Tjarve are the same guys mentioned as father and son at the Hågelby stone? If this is the case, Torkel was grandfather to Sibbe. There are about 400 stones known in the province of Södermanland and 16 of them are placed in Botkyrka municipality. There are more stones documented but they have disappeared through the centuries, probably used as doorsteps and in house foundations. It's something for our descendents to figure out in due time!

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