Runestone

The Wendish tribes originally had no independent written language. There are therefore no written Slavic and Wendish sources from that period. It was different in Denmark, where the runes formed a fully developed and centuries-old written language.

Seven runestones are known on Lolland and Falster. They tell something about local power relations and the central location of the islands in the Baltic Sea, as well as about the international connections and travels of the inhabitants.

In the village of Tillitse, whose name has Wendish origins, there is a runestone. It does not mention any persons of Wendish origin. It is a man with the Danish name Eskild Sunesøn, who very unconventionally put a runestone over himself. The stone in Tillitse is a very late runestone. It mentions Christ and Saint Michael. It is therefore set at a time when Christianity had become widespread in Denmark, and perhaps before a Wendish population gave a new name to an old village.