Tjelvars grav

Many people visit Tjelvar's grave. According to the Gutasaga, Tjelvar was the first human being on Gotland. The legend says that he lived at Tjelders in Boge and that he is buried in a ship not far from there.

Tjelvar

"Gotland first found a man called Tjelvar. At that time Gotland was so enchanted that it sank by day and rose by night. But this man first brought fire to the land and then it never sank." So begins the old Gutasaga, which was written down sometime in the 13th century.

It is not known when the first people arrived on Gotland. The oldest skeleton found so far is that of a man who lived here about 8 000 years ago.

When Tjelvar came to the island, he brought fire to the land, according to the legend. Certainly, people in all times have performed ceremonies at landings. We know from the Icelandic sagas that in Viking times fire was used to limit the area of land. No one was allowed to take more land than he and his men could burn in one day.

Tjelvar's grave

Tjelvar's tomb is a ship's settlement. During the latter part of the Bronze Age, around 1100 - 500 BC, people began to build graves in the form of ships with railings of upright stones. There are around 350 such graves on Gotland. In most cases, only one grave is found in each ship settlement.

Often, several ship sets are located next to each other. Sometimes they are even built together with common stones in the bow or stern. The length of the ships can vary. Tjelvar's tomb is 18 meters long and 5 meters wide, with railing stones that decrease in height towards the middle of the ship. Inside, the ship is filled with stone like the deck of a boat. An investigation in the 1930s found a looted coffin made of stone slabs with burnt bones and some pottery shards.

Good to know for you as a visitor

• The gravel road down to the grave is rough.
• There is an information sign next to the parking lot.
• The relic is located on private land, remember to show consideration when you are on the site.