A mysterious set of 255 symbols discovered on a bedrock slab in northern Ontario has been identified as a full 1611 Swedish version of the Lord’s Prayer—carved in ancient runes—raising stunning questions about forgotten Nordic-Christian history in Canada.
At a Glance
- A tree fall near Wawa, Ontario revealed runic symbols later translated as a 1611 Swedish Lord’s Prayer
- Archaeologist Ryan Primrose and Uppsala University’s Henrik Williams led the translation and analysis
- No tools or artifacts were found nearby, but soil covering suggests the site was deliberately buried
- Scholars believe the prayer was likely inscribed by Swedish fur trade laborers in the early 1800s
- The find may represent the longest intact runic Christian prayer discovered in North America
A Prayer Hidden Beneath the Forest Floor
When a tree fell near Wawa in 2018, it exposed a stone carved with 255 Nordic runes arranged in a square—forming a precise translation of the Lord’s Prayer from the 1611 Swedish Bible. The slab also features an etching of a boat with 16 people, but no other artifacts were found.
Watch a report: Biblical Carving in Canada Tied to Jesus-Era Prayer
Primrose noted the rock was buried under roughly six inches of soil, suggesting it may have once served as an outdoor chapel. “This is certainly among the least expected finds I have encountered in my career,” he told local media.
Who Carved the Prayer?
Though the language dates to 1611, there’s no documented Swedish presence in the region until the 1800s. Experts theorize the prayer was carved by Swedish workers hired by fur trading companies, possibly Hudson’s Bay Company employees who sought to preserve their cultural and spiritual identity in a permanent way.
Professor Henrik Williams, who helped decipher the runes, said the carving is both rare and deeply intentional. “Any runic inscription is rare… someone put all this effort into this particular text and you wonder why.”
Cultural and Religious Significance
This find stands out from other purported Viking-era runes found across North America due to its:
- Clear textual match to a known biblical prayer
- Unbroken inscription layout
- Potential early-1800s Scandinavian labor link
While further analysis is ongoing, the slab could mark a new chapter in understanding how Christian faith and Nordic heritage reached into Canada’s rugged north—long before modern mapping or colonial settlement expanded into the area.
