[gothic-l] Three Gothic Migrations from south Scandinavia?

[Bertil Häggman]

Tore,

Think one has to turn around the argument
concerning Oestergoetland and Vaester-
goetland. The fact that there is a lack of
archaelogical finds for the time of the second
migration, this indicates that large groups or
a large part left for the southern shore of
the Baltic Sea. The finds in the Vistula area does
not contradict such an argument.

We have no argument that Ancient Gotlandic
(forngutniska) is the language that is closest
to the Wulfila bible Gothic. What remains and is
important is to have a preliminary translation
of some chapters in Wulfila from Swedish to
Gotlandic. Ideal would be a translation into
Ancient Gotlandic, but that would of course
put quite a demand on on the translator. Then
the Wulfila chapters could be compared to the
same chapters in Gotlandic.

The Goths migrated when proto-Scandinavian
or proto-Nordic was still spoken or maybe
Gothonordic as a transitional language.

I will return at some later time with a contribution to
some facts on the types of graves in
Vaestergoetland that support the theory
that migration took place from there. The
Oestergoetland archaelogy might not be
as conclusive.

Gothically

Bertil

> I don't know if the archaeological investigations show these migrations as
> you mention.
> 
> 
> I fully agree with you that a first Gothic migration
> took place from Gotland around 300 BC. The reason might have been to
> establish forward trading posts to control the amber trade.
> 
> There are no visible signs in the archaeological material that a second
> migration took place from Östergötland. I was recently on a seminar at
> Medelhavsmuseet in Stockholm where the speaker tried to show your point of
> view and  spoke about contacts between the Goths and Östergötland. The only
> thing he could show was a female grave that contained Gothic artefacts. The
> most obvious solution is that there was a Gothic woman that had married
> somebody in Östergötland.
> 
> On the other hand it is most possible that individuals from the
> Scandinavian peninsula have during the centuries that the Goths lived in
> the Vistula area settled there. The Goths incorporated many tribes. However
> the ruling class seems to have been the original Goths.
> >From the archaeological findings in Gotland we can establish that the
> traffic between Gotland and the Goths has been lively all time from the
> first migration until the disapearance of the Goths.



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