[gothic-l] Re: Cultic leagues

[ingemar.nordgren at EBOX.TNINET.SE]

--- In gothic-l at y..., "Maureen" <hessian_18452 at y...> wrote:
> --- In gothic-l at y..., Ingemar Nordgren <ingemar.nordgren at e...> 
wrote:
> 
> A cultic league for example must not, or rather should not, be 
> connected with overruling political power over the peoples being 
part 
> of the league.
> 
> Dear Ingemar:
> 
>     I do hope this is not terribly off-topic, but it certainly 
> reminds me of a cultic league controlled by Druids.  They spoke 
Greek 
> and Latin in order to conduct trade, kings usually deferred to them 
> in politicial decisions, and the common people were to obey them in 
> every respect.  Even their language and teachings were secret, 
passed 
> down orally, and not shared outside of the Druidic circle.  Did the 
> ancient cultic leagues you referred to have a similar hierarchy?  I 
> know that some Germanic groups were considered sub-groups of Celtic 
> tribes at one time; but I am interested in the possibility of this 
> Celtic tradition borrowing from Gaut or Odinn, or perhaps 
vice-versa? 
> Did any of the Gothic peoples have cultic leagues akin to those of a 
> Druidic nature?
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Maureen

Hello Maureen,

No, I do not mean a cultic league of that nature. I say instead that 
there were a number of quite independent peoples/tribes, each under 
their own king/chief. The kings/chiefs had the same religious 
motivation to  seize power and so they had a common interest of 
maintaining the cult. Originally it concerned fertility cult but later 
the opposing new chiefs instead   decided  to use a genetic heritage 
from Gaut, later Óðinn-gaut, to motivate their power and it also gave 
them occasion to take oaths from the initiated warriors and 
schamanistic demonhunters, hence controlling these. They regarded, as 
I wrote, also Gaut as creator of the people. Hence the Gauts/Goths 
were simply the outpoured, the humans. Remember that the cult of Gaut 
and Óðinn was just for chiefs while the commoners still revered the 
old fertility gods. We do accordingly not speak of secret men's 
leagues in general or druidic leagues.  The warrior cult was however 
secret like the demonhunters leagues. Thats why for example the 
Langobardic law contains the so called Valapaus allowing theft under 
certain circumstances. It was because the secret leagues should be 
able to provide themselves without being revealed. In Sweden we have 
the Öjabusar having had the same privilege.In Greece I know some 
cultic leagues called amphiktyons that more answer to your ideas.

Kind regards
Ingemar


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