[gothic-l] Crescent , star and swan

[Tore Gannholm]

Ingemar,
This is very interesting information.
Is there anything written about this or is this from your own research.
I am very familiar with the Gotlandic part of your comments.
The Gotlandic moon cult can be dated back 5000 years in the 
astronomical calendars unique for Gotland.

The picuture stones, of which I have published some on my web site, 
are still open for more research and interpretation.

Tore


>Hi everybody,
>
>This new theme about a moon symbol is quite intriguing and connects till
>my own earlier hypothesis already published in my book.
>
>It is quite evident from Wulfila that the Goths earlier adorned the moon
>and that is also seen on their spear tips being insigned with moon and
>swastika (sun). The  bracteates also show horned horses who, like the
>Ibero-Roman stelae - both pre-christian and christian - also showing
>horns/crescents that quite evidently depict the moon. These are also
>connected just with the eight armed star or a eight sponged wheel cross
>combining moon and sun (sun god and earthgodess). Originally the star
>was used within the Mithras cult and is of Iranian origin. The three
>mags  following the star till the cave/stable where Mithras was born. It
>is later changed to the hebreic star with sich points and the birth is
>moved till Betlehem. These stelae I have closely examined during a
>research trip on the Iberian peninsula in cooperation with the
>university of Léon. We have votivestones, not exactly similar but still
>with the same motifs, on the  island of Gotland from approximately the
>5th to 6th cc.They are comparable with the pre-Christian stelae. The
>horns or ships all have the crescent shape and remind of the
>Therafrescoes and of the Ibero-Roman stones. There are also clear
>indications that makes it possible to see similarities to the
>Vadeniensian stelae and the arrival of this style to Gotland  could
>possibly depend on contacts with celts in La Tène. An interesting fact
>is  also that just within the former Visigothic realm, after the Order
>of the Templars was dissolved, an earlier unknown  variant of Virgin
>Mary, the Madonna on the  Crescent, pops up and is now established. It
>is well known that the Arians connected Mary with the Moon and she
>continued the earlier cults of Alma Mater, Isis and Harpokrates in the
>Serapion cult et c. She was the heiress of the fertility godess and her
>sign in Byzantion  was the Tree of Life, often in a gateway. I will
>return to this further down.
>
>About the Swan I am more insecure. The Goths had however a special
>heritage from the Sassanids and the East Roman empire - the imperial
>peacocks. In their Gothic shape they are not very similar to the Roman
>ones but can in Visigothic sculptures not be mistaken for  swans. In the
>Gotlandic stones however they seem more like ducks or geese. The Broa
>stone might possibly be a peacock hen. Still we have the story of the
>Völsungs where three Swan maidens were married to the brethren. This
>definitely belongs to the saga stuff known by the Goths.
>
>A runic stone in Sparlösa in Västergötland, Sweden is interesting in
>this connection. It depicts a cathedral with twin towers, a ship in
>shape of a clear moon crescent, a sail with a Christian cross. Above the
>sail there are sitting two birds  that most evidently are peacocks.
>Beneath the ship is  a kind of spotted leopard and another animal. Below
>there is a rider with a frygian cap and tight trousers pointing a sword
>upwards and accompanied by a dog. Since this is just the Ostrogothic
>mode in the time of Theoderic as shown on Ravenna mosaics I think there
>is a clear connection. The ship with cross is the Virgin Mary and this
>stone indicates Arian Christianity in Sweden between 7th-to 9th century.
>There is a discussion of the runes, who are incomprehensible sorry to
>say, since they give no direct information exept a secondary text from
>probably the 11th c. There are both 24 type futhark and 16-type (most).
>Possibly the introduction of the younger runes could be moved back till
>the 7th century. That is at least what I suppose. The person  who carved
>the stone must either have visited the Ostrogothic realm or been told of
>it by somebody  who had. This person - the teller or carver - should
>have been living at least in the latter half of the 6th century.
>
>Accordingly I do not find it specially peculiar   hearing about this
>heraldry and I agree it ought to be of Visigothic origin.
>
>This is reinforced with regard to the paper signs introduced by early so
>called heretics. The Albingenses, Cathares et c. have a direct
>connection with the old Visigothic realm in Provence and Languedoc.
>After Reccared joined the pope, starting persecutions of disbelievers,
>specially Jews,many Visigoths ought to have continued as Arians and
>after 711 there probably remained Arian Visigoths in Northern Spain and
>also in Carcasson, Narbonne and the surrounding area. They might have
>influenced the later upcoming "heresies". The Cathars were known to be
>extremyly tolerant, cultural and peaceful and the tolerance might be of
>Visigothic Arian origin. The closeness to the sun- and moon cult within
>Christianity is another similarity between Arians and Cathars.
>
>I know there will be opposition to this but this is my decided opinion.
>
>Best regards
>Ingemar

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