Gerlög and Inga

Who is Gerlög and Inga?

Gerlög or Geirlaug and her daughter Inga were two powerful and rich women in 11th century Uppland, Sweden. Gerlög and Inga had their dramatic and tragic family saga documented for posterity on several runestones. They lived in a turbulent time of religious wars between Pagans and Christians concerning the sacrifices at the Temple at Uppsala, and like many people of their social standing they had chosen the new faith. Their saga has been the centre of an exposition at the Stockholm County Museum dramatizing their story.

The Hillersjö stone is the main inscription. It recounts that Gerlög married with Germund in her maidenhood, and they had a son who is not named, but Germund drowned and the son died. Then Gerlög remarried with Gudrik and they had several children, but only one survived, who was named Inga. Inga married Ragnfast of Snottsta and they had a son who is not named. Both Ragnfast and the son died, so Inga inherited the estate Snottsta.

The four Snottsta and Vreta stones at Snottsta and Vreta say that Ragnfast, Inga's husband has died. Ragnfast was the sole inheritor of the estate Snottsta after his father Sigfast.