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[Ingemar Nordgren]

Hi Michal,

>   So, You mean  - if I understud it correct - that there is no
lineal connection between
>   "gothic homeland" - at least I heard so but im not a specialist on
this topic - in southern scandinavia and Vistula Goths? And  if there
is a connection, than of what kind? 

There is a connection as far as I see. The wandering Vistula Goths
might be a mixture of indigenous Wielbark people with roots from the
Oxhöfde and other local cultures with  adding of people from all over
Scandinavia and Gotland. Whether the religious origin is from
Scandinavia or if it is common is unclear but regarding the remaining
geographical names and my analysis of the developement in Scandinavia
from the last part of the bronze age and during the pre-Roman Iron Age
this origin is probably Scandinavian. The Scandinavian immigrants are
however seemingly a minority having imposed their belief by means of
Gefolgschaft groups according to the model of Pritsak and his 
carismatic clans. This have taken place during a longer period from
about 350 BC to around beginning of CE and the last addment is with
the forming of the Gepids around 200 CE. Heather regards Wielbark as a
not homogenous group archaeologically but giving the impression of a
cultic league. The contacts between these peoples probably were upheld
also during the Gothic wars and finds in Scandinavia suggest that
Scandinavians took part in the wars and the finds increase after the
defeat of the Huns when seemingly som groups returned up here. There
is local tales of the 'Hunahär'-the Hunnic army or Hunnerheere. Anders
Kaliff in his Gothic Connections also has shown intensive contacts
between chieftains in Scandinavia and the Vistula area alredy during
late Bronze Age. Hence the Geats are related to the Gautar or Jutar
and so indirectly to the Goths, but they never took part of the Gothic
wars or cooperated with the Continental Goths.

>   
>   What exactly do You mean by term "teophoric" - Gaut is some kind
of mythical ancestor?

Gaut is evidently an original creator god from whom both the peoples
and also the royal families descend. All Gothic tribes/peoples have
taken their name after the god-hence teophoric. Later he was combined
with Óðinn to Óðinn-Gaut. It means those royal families of both the
Goths, The Jutes and other AS royal families begin with a semi-god - a
son of a human and a god. The Gothic kings were just regarded as
heroes- i.e. semi-gods. Note that all people that claim ancestry from
Gaut and all royal families who do that are either provenly come from
Scandinavia or claim to do so. Hence Gaut was a Scandinavian
predecessor to the later continental cult of Óðinn which took power in
Scandinavia finally around 500 CE.

I do not know where you live, but I can inform that there will be a
symposion in Sweden in august this year where I am moderator. There
the leading Scandinavian and North German researchers will lecture for
three days about the topic 'Cult, Gold and Power' and these topics
above will be treated among else. We have 21 lecturers and it will all
be published later with English summaries in a book that I will edit.
But till then I suggest you read my book, because the arguments I can
give in this discussion are not sufficiently convincing without the
hard background-stuff of details.

Best
Ingemar









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