[gothic-l] Re: The Eruli after Defeat by Lombards

[Troels Brandt]

Hi Bertil 

We agree in most of this and the rest we have discussed eagerly 
before under the title Eruli in Blekinge.

I still do not agree, that the Heruls of Procopius settled in 
Blekinge, but since then I have realised, that a group of Heruls 
probably followed the Oder from their kingdom in Moravia in the 5th 
century. This group settled in Scania and Blekinge (a.e. your 
Listerland and Soesdala), and maybe these were the Heruls, who were 
expelled by the Danes - not in the 3rd, but in the 5th century before 
Jordanes/Cassiodorus wrote their history - when they ravaged their 
surroundings. The archaeological changes at Oeland and Bornholm 
opposite the mouth of the Oder might be connected to these events.

Therefore the Herulian royal family knew exactly what they did, when 
they left Pannonia for Scandinavia and passed the Danes peacefully 
They probably promised to settle at the other side of the Gautoi as 
a "stabilizing" element against the Svear. In this case they were 
probably a Gothic tribe, and therefore Procopius stressed that they 
settled as neighbours to the Gautoi - which was the only new 
information Procopius had about Thule from Suartues or other Heruls. 
The rest he knew from earlier writers. Some signs might indicate that 
some of the Heruls still had a religion like the old Gothic described 
by Jordanes, and it was therefore natural for them to look for more 
familiar surroundings at the Gautois when they were defeated by the 
Christian Germanic tribes in Southern Europe.

In this way you can get your Eruli in Blekinge, and I can get my 
Heruls - or should I say Eriler - in Uppsala/Vendel.

Troels

    


--- In gothic-l at y..., "Bertil Haggman" <mvk575b at t...> wrote:
> Esteemed listmembers,
> 
> An interesting question is what happened to the 
> Eruli after they had been defeated by the Lombards.
> I hesitate somewhat to discuss this matter but as
> it has some connection to Theoderic I decided
> to take the risk.
> 
> Lombard sources claim that the Eruli had no kings
> after the defeat. This is doubtfull and the Eruli
> probably had kings until around 550 AD. A group
> of Eruli refugees were accepted by Theoderic
> in Italy. The rest first settled in the former territory
> of thé Rugi, then with the Gepidi until they found
> an area south of the Danube and were allowed
> to settle there by the Byzantian emperor Anastasius.
> One group, as has been discussed widely on this
> list returned to Scandinavia and as has been
> concluded they settled beside (nara) the Gauti/Goetar.
> 
> The Thule of Procopius according to Hoops second
> ed. was South Scandinavia, although there is no
> more detailed information if that includes the southern
> part of Norway. South Scandinavia could of course
> also include Denmark if the by Scandinavia is not meant
> the southern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Most
> likely the Eruli settled in Blekinge in southeastern
> present Sweden as Blekinge is beside Goetaland.
> Hoops mentions the possible connection between
> the Erulian nobleman Datius and *Danus.
> 
> The Eruli remaining in the south served in the Byzantian
> army often in their own Erulian units. Procopius' Suartuas/
> Svartvas is mentioned as commander in Byzantian
> service as late as 551 AD. The last Erulian commander
> mentioned by name is Sindval, who was elected 
> rex Brentorum in the Tridentian border area.
> 
> What was then the original home of the Eruli? This discussion
> can probably not be regarded as completed but the majority
> of scholars believe that the Eruli had a Scandinavian home.
> 
> Some arguments for the Scandinavian could be the affinity of the
> Erulian names. The closeness of the Goths and the Eruli in 
> South East Europe which could point to a similar original
> home and of course the mutual excellent navigational and 
> sailing skills demonstrated on the Black Sea. Also the seemingly
> detailed knowledge of Scandinavia of Jordanes and Procopius
> could be other indications. The population growth in the beginning
> of the 6th century AD in the southern home of the Eruli could
> indicate an emigration from the Scandinavian home.
> 
> Gothically and Erulically
> 
> Bertil


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