[gothic-l] The Eruli

[Beril Haggman]

Esteemed listmembers,

Although not clearly a Gothic matter a few words on the Eruli.
In practically all the standard handbooks covering
the history of the Germanic peoples, the Eruli (or sometimes
Heruli) are represented as originating somewhere in
Scandinavia.

Most early references give the form as the Eruli, which
is also the form that can be given a plausible meaning
in Germanic. The stem erul- can be connected with
the Old English eorl "warrior, knight", and with
Old Norse jarl "duke". As has been discussed the
form Heruli occurs mainly in Jordanes, as the h-sound
was not pronounced in Late Latin or Greek., it was
of little consequence.  Note, however, that the stress
is on the first syllable in Latin.

The theory of Professor Ellegaard that the Eruli were
a loose group of Germanic warriors has no support anywhere
in Prokopius. But Ellegaard may be right in presuming
that Prokopius meant them to be Gothic even if he does
not mention them in the enumeration of Gothic peoples

The Rodoulphos mentioned by Procopius, the king of the
Eruli, is probably not the Rodulfus mentioned by Jordanes.
R. in Procopius was killed in a battle against the Langobardi,
which does not seem to be mentioned in _Getica_.

In Hoops 2nd ed. there is a comparison between the Vikings
and the Eruli:

"Die jahrhundertlange Bewahrung der Stammesidentotaet in
fremden Heeresdiensten und ueber grosse geogr.
Entfernungen hinweg, das hartnaeckige Heidentum und
ausgrepraegte Kriegtum des Stammes so wie die étym. Verbindung
zur Wortsippe jarl (under frueher die fehlerhafte Anknuepfung
an *heru- 'Schwert') haben Anlass zu Vergleichen mit den spaeteren
 Wikingerverbaenden u.a. Kriegerbuenden gegeben."

(Vol. 14, p. 473)

Erulically

Bertil



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