A hogback stone is a type of Viking sculpture made between the 10th and 12th centuries. Hogback stones are mostly found in the British Isles, where the Vikings had several well-established settlements, and there are numerous examples of such stones in situ and in museums throughout the British Isles. The fact that they are typically found in graveyards and around areas used for religious worship supports the theory that these monuments were designed as grave markers.
A typical hogback stone is shaped like a recumbent monument, with a long length of stone carved with a distinctive crest and steeply sloping sides covered in ornate decorations. The hogback stone was most likely placed over a grave to represent a house for the dead in miniature, emulating the design of the traditional Viking longhouse. This hypothesis is supported the fact that some hogback stones have designs that resemble shingles.
Given that the majority of hogback stones are found in England, these monuments are thought to have originated in English Viking settlements. They were made from various types of stone that varied in hardness, color, and shape and were readily available in the area. As a result, because some stones were made of soft stone, they may have eroded away, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact location and time when the hogback stone first appeared.
Hogback stones can be found in the graveyards or on the grounds of some churches in England. Some churches were built over hogback stones, which were later excavated and moved as a mark of respect for the dead; a few churches have even preserved hogback stones within their structures, such as the Church of Saint Bridget in West Kirby, which has one in one of its aisles.
Hogback stones were almost certainly reserved for prominent members of the community because they were likely costly to produce. Additional head and/or foot stones may have been placed at one time to identify the deceased and describe his or her exploits and life history, but no such stones have been discovered. When the Vikings were driven out of the British Isles, victorious forces evidently decided to use hogback stone sites as graveyards because they had already been designated for that purpose. As a result, hogback stone sites frequently contain an interesting mix of historical grave markers.