The Jelling Runestones are large runestones with inscriptions in rune script in the graveyard of a church in Jelling, Denmark. They date from the tenth century and were founded by the first kings of Denmark. The runestones, together with the burial mounds and the church of Jelling, have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994.
The smaller of the two rune stones is the oldest and, together with the burial mounds, is an excellent example of the pagan, Scandinavian culture. The other runestone and the church illustrate the Christianization of the Danish people around the mid-tenth century. The large runestone is also sometimes referred to as the “Baptismal Certificate of Denmark”.
