Tumbo is a locality in Eskilstuna Municipality in Södermanland County. With its medieval church this was once the center of the local parish. Today it is home to around 340 inhabitants, but also to several rune stones. The locality includes several smaller former settlements. These are Berga, Hagby, Husby, and Överlingeby. Just south of the locality is the prison of Hällby that has space for a bit more than 100 convicted criminals.
A Short History of Tumbo
Tumbo Parish had its origins in the Middle Ages and its church was built already in the 12th century. The parish have many signs of even earlier settlements. There are many ancient remains such as hill forts, burial mounds, and rune stones. The parish acted as the local government up until the Swedish Municipal Reform of 1862. This was when the parish’s responsibilities were split between the church congregation and the new civic government of Tumbo Municipality. 90 years later, in 1952, the municipality was incorporated into Hällby Municipality, which in turn became a part of Eskilstuna Municipality in 1971. The church congregation is since 2002 a part of the Hällby Congregation that includes Tumbo and Råby-Rekarne.
The settlement around the church was very limited until the 20th century. A few buildings existed nearby, but the locality as of today didn’t take form until it was recognized as a locality in 1990. Parts of what is today Tumbo was, however, part of the earlier locality of Rekarne.
Things to Do and See
There might be a medieval church standing here but what is even more impressive is the many Viking Age rune stones that can be found here. There are six of them just around the church. In addition, there are plenty of other ancient remains to explore in the area.
Tumbo Church
The white stone church was built sometime during the 12th century. Many alterations and additions has been made since with the current tower being built in the 1740’s. The church is today a part of the Hällby Congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.
Rune stone Sö 82
Rune stone Sö 82 dates back to the Viking Age and it is along one of the enclosure walls of the church. It has a height of 130 centimeters and with being 125 centimeter wide it is almost a square. Much of the inscription has been destroyed over the centuries, but the stone still tells of Visten, who raised the stone in memory of his brother who died in Greece.
Rune stone Sö 84
Another rune stone next to the church is the impressive Sö 84. It has a height of 1.8 meters and was raised in memory of Torbjörn.
Rune stone Sö 262
Rune stone Sö 262 has a height ot 1.85 meters and its inscription is still well-preserved. It tells of Kolben and Jule who raised the stone in memory if their brother Ingvar.
Rune stone Sö 263
It might look like rune stone Sö 263 is only around 150 centimeters high. In fact it is actually 204 centimeters high with a large part being underground. It tells of Östen who raised the stone in the memory of his father Torsten.
Rune stone Sö Sb1965;12
Rune stone Sö Sb1965;12 was once a part of the church but has been removed and raised outside once more. It tells of the siblings Orm, Fastger, and Tora who raised the stone in memory of their brother Vive.
Rune stone Sö Fv1958;242
In the church wall you can find rune stone Sö Fv1958;242. It was discovered first in 1958 at a time when more modern additions to the church had already resulted in drilled holes into the stones for attachments. It tells of Anund and Brune who raised the stone in memory of Kolben.
How to Get to Tumbo
- Flights: The nearest airport is Stockholm Västerås Airport (VST) 37 kilometers to the northeast. Sweden’s largest airport, Stockholm Arlanda (ARN), is 138 kilometers to the east.
- Car: Tumbo is along Road 56 just to the south of Kvicksund.
- Bus: Buses from Sörmlandstrafiken connect Tumbo with the surrounding area.
- Train: The closest train station is in Kvicksund.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 123 kilometers (1 h 20 min)
- Gothenburg – 360 kilometers (4 h 10 min)
- Malmö – 569 kilometers (6 h 10 min)
- Linköping – 156 kilometers (2 h 10 min)
- Kiruna – 1235 kilometers (13 h 40 min)
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