Rune Stone Found In California

A New “Kensington” Rune Stone Found In San Francisco

By Olaf G. Greeley for CPW News Service

     A new Kensington-style rune stone, like that discovered in 1898 by Olof Ohman in Kensington, Minnesota, has been found in San Francisco, California according to the State’s Director of Rune Relics in Sacramento,  Bernice C. Berdine.  Berdine, a PhD in Runology and Myth from the Olaus Magnus Institute of Runology in Berlin, Germany said “this is a magnificent discovery."  The rune was found in the basement of George Hofstattler’s home on Arguello Street about a mile and half from the Golden Gate Bridge.  Berdine, who noted that rune stones were carried and planted by Nordic explorers, said the stones often chronicled the explorers' exploits and marked their positions and progress.

     Berdine also noted that the same characteristics found in the famous Kensington rune stone are found in the Arguello Street rune stone.  “There may also be some connections to the Arguello family in as much as some of their members once owned the lot where Mr. Hofstattler now lives,” said Berdine.

     “Whether or not Santiago Arguello or one  of his relatives buried the rune in the present location is in question,” said Berdine noting Santiago Arguello's 22 children.  “Two of Arguello’s daughters married Juan and Jose Bandini,” said Berdine who noted that…” Juan Bandini and Refugia Arguello Bandini's daughter, once called ‘the most beautiful woman in California,’ married Abel Stearns, another famous Californian.  Santiago Arguello, the first customs collector in the port city of San Diego, was also a leading Spanish land grant recipient in California and soldier at the Presidios in San Diego, Santa Barbara and San Francisco...Spanish forts overseeing the harbors.

     “We acted on a tip from Lars Erik Greeley IV,” said Berdine who said that Greeley’s great, great, great grandfather also owned the same lot on Arguello Street.  Greeley’s grandfather wrote the following poem just after the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge which put Greeley IV on a search for the famous rune stone.

I found a Kensington Rune

Down where I grow my mushrooms

Down in the cellar, down under the fridge

A mile and a half from the Golden Gate Bridge

Rune, Rune a Kinsington Rune

Not carried by Erik the Red

But by a Knight Templar

Whose blonde hair blew freely

A Knight by the name of Lars Erik Greeley

      Lars, Lars, Lars Erik Greeley

      He went way, way, way, way out West

      And carried the stone reminiscent of home

      The explorer who out did the rest.

Coronado, Cortez and the others

Like Columbus and Vasco Da Gama

Explored quite a bit, but from here where I sit

Must have paused to raise herds of Llama.

     In the 1920's Earl Syversen, an expert on the Kensington Rune, moved to San Francisco, California where he married, raised a family and pursued his trade as a gold and gem jeweller.  Retiring to Sonoma County, California, he was finally able to concentrate on his pursuit of his cultural heritage, but there is no apparent connection to the Arguello Rune.   Earl Syversen passed away on October 24, 1979.  Sources close to Syversen said that among his favorite sayings were....."Every culture has its own rune to bear and I hope I have carried mine with grace, courage and manifest destiny"...and "never ruin a good rune"....and perhaps the most famous.... "a rolling rune stone gathers a gloss."