[gothic-l] Re: The Several Shapes of Gaut

[dirk at SMRA.CO.UK]

Very interesting coments. I have pointed out earlier that Russian
scholars attribute a certain series of imitative coins in the Black
Sea area to the Goths. These coins are based on Marcus Aurelius
denari
with the walking Mars reverse. Kazamanova, speculated that the Goths
have chosen the Mars design because it was easiest to copy. From your
comments, saying that Jordanes said that the Goths worshiped Mars, a
different explanation comes to mind. Are the Goths depicting their
god
on these coins? This would add to the list of evidence that these
coins really were made by at least parts of the Gothic tribal
confederation at the Black Sea. Togther with the crude figure of Mars
(a person with a spear) there are also different signs on the flan,
which may just be space filler or as Kazamanova said a system to
distinguish different issues. These signs are normally combinations
of
 X and O (i.e. XX, XO, OX, OO) and some others. However, around the
head of Mars there is always a braket typ sign on each side, thus
surrounding and engulfing the head of Mars,  which does not really
have a correspondence on the model coins. Can anybody think of an
explanation? You referred to the moon symbol and its
significance. Could these brakets be half-moons on each side of
the head? Also, the emperor's head on the obverse is totally degraded
into a small  object within a sunburst on the later coins. Kazamanova
said that there are parallels to  designs of the Wilbark culture
found
in East Prussia. Can anybody point to a book or anything were such an
object is depicted? To sea a picture of such a coin, the best and
only place outside Russian literature is Zograph, A.N. Ancient
coinage, Oxford, British Archaelogical Reports, 1977.

Dirk



--- In gothic-l at egroups.com, "sunburst" <sunburst at j...> wrote:
> Hails Bertil!
>
> >It is true that Gaut is associated with Odin as a warrior
> >god, but Gaut was also a High god, a creator god and
> >a heavenly god.
>
> Which might indicate a connection with Tiw.  Also, Jordanes
mentions
that
> "Mars" was held highest among the Goths, and was reputed to have
been born
> among them, so that they were actually bestowing worship upon their
> ancestor.  However, there is no proof Jordanes was talking about
Gaut.
>
> What I am trying to do is find Gaut's place in the pantheon(s) of
> Germanic/Norse mythology.  While Norse sources identify Gaut as
Odin, some
> scholars feel that when Odin usurped Tyr's position at the head of
the
> AEsir, "Gaut" was one of the bynames Odin absorbed.
>
> That the Goths, coming from Scandinavia as a Vanic cult had Gaut as
their
> patron god might suggest a connection between Gaut and the Vanir.
This
> would seem more likely if, as you say, Gaut is assocated with
fertility, and
> can be assocated with the Mannus myth.
>
> Or perhaps Gaut is a separate god altogether, as he seems to bear a
> combination of qualities held by no other god.  Suggestions and
comments are
> welcome.
>
> The Gothic warriors carried for instance
> >on their weapons signs of the moon, a typical fertility
> >sign. Gaut undoubtedly also took on the form of a
> >god who promoted harvest. If the Goths were worshiped
> >a god whose name meant 'man', 'fertilizer' and 'pourer out'
> >(as in poring out semen) it is not impossible to seem him
> >also as a fertility god, but not only that.
>
>
> Yes, that does indeed make sense.
>
> Albareiks


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