The 14 Stones
The plaza consists of 14 basalt stones with runic-like art by Jay Haavik, who was inspired by runestones in Scandinavia carved between the 10th and 12th centuries. Each stone in the plaza depicts a Viking-inspired motif, beginning clockwise with the bow stone:
- The idea for the design came from the picture stones from Gotland Island, Sweden.
- Dragon motifs similar to those found outside the Urnes Stave Church, Urnes, Norway.
- A Bronze Age boat motif, also found on the picture stones from Gotland, Sweden.
- A biting snake motif often found on picture stones from Gotland, Sweden.
- A spiral whorl, possibly depicting the sun, with fighting horses is a familiar theme from the Gotland, Sweden stones.
- A dragonlike image often seen on weather vanes from the Viking era.
- The Urnes Stave church, Urnes, Norway, has interior abatements with similar motifs.
- Harness mounts found in Sweden have similar animal- or birdlike images.
- Above, a dragonlike image similar to one on the west gable of the famous Urnes stave church. Below, a lion image from the stave church’s portal.
- A dragonlike motif from the Viking era, inspired by a paper-cut design by contemporary artist Rick James.
- Above are creatures from the Oseberg Viking Ship, now in the Viking Ship Museum, Oslo, Norway. The prow of the ship is below.
- A quatrefoil loop from a picture stone, Gotland, Sweden. This image is also the tourist information symbol in Norway.
- A dragonlike image with wings often seen on Norwegian stave church portals.
- An image of the famous Oseberg Viking ship and a motif from the interior of the Urnes stave church.