[gothic-l] Re:Heruls

[hakan36 at SPRAY.SE]

Hi Troels!

Here is a even better link, but if Eketorp was rebuilt in the 500c, 
then I suggest that Eketorps roman-style period, was inspired by warr-
iorbands returning from the roman empire. This fortress looks similar 
to the reconstruction in Saalburg, germany, at an old limes wall.

http://www.oland.fhsk.se/oka/forhistoria/jarnalder5.htm
  
> Maybe the finds in Soesdala represent a new kind of warriorbands 
> threatening the balance and the peace in Southern Sweden in the 5th 
> century. Charlotte Fabech has suggested Heruls. They may be bands of

Right east(5km)of Sösdala, you can find the village of Rickarum. It 
means "the warriors place"(*Rinkarum). As far as I remember it´s of 
west-germanic origin. Outside Kristianstad is Rinkaby situated and 
the next related name is south of Kalmar, Rinkestaholm. And then 
there is a big jump, almost 500 km up to the next Rink-village. In 
the Mälarvalley you find several like Rinkesta, Rickeby and Rinkeby 
etc. Denmark has one namely Rynkeby. I think that these names 
represent a large garrison of warriors and maybe also a local earl or 
warlord. Maybe such names spread when the idea of a king with earls
(erilaR)and professional warriors spread. Close by to Sösdala is also 
the huge gravefield Vätteryd, which starts around 550 AD.   
 
> Heruls or Goths roaming after the army of Attila was disbanded.    
> 
> Reports from those bands may have given the Heruls the idea to go 
to 
> Thule around 512.
> 
> This might also explain some of the early ErilaR inscriptions - if 
> they were not caused by Western Heruls operating in Scandinavia.

Some early inscriptions from the 300-400 c in Norway, maybe can be ex-
plained with some heruls going north after being evicted from the 
danish islands. But the most probably went south. There is also a 
find from Roasjö, Västergötland, with with similar objects and 
context as in Sösdala.

Håkan Liljeberg



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