[gothic-l] Lister Runestones, Ostrogothic Verse and Nordic Naming Tradition

[Bertil Haggman]

Tore,

The Tjurkoe brakteat is from around 450 AD. The texts
on Stentoften and other runestones from Lister in
Blekinge Province are as well in ancient Nordic.

The runestones are not as late as 600 - 650 AD. But they
are more probably from "urnordiska" rather than
"fornnordiska" and the dating should be moved back
to the beginning of the 6th century AD. The five
Blekinge inscriptions are likely from the first decades
after the arrival of the Eruli and the 600-750 AD dating
is the possible latest period they were inscribed. The
timeframe would be 500 to 650 AD, with 500 the oldest
and 650 the latest.

The close relation between the Stentoften verse and the
Gothic bible verses (the sense lines) point in my opinion
to a relation between both that runestone and the
Gummarp and Istaby runestones and the recently settled
Erulic immigrants ('newcomers'). It is most likely that
the Eruli arrived 512-513 AD. They could have continued
northward via Vaerend in Smaaland Province. The similarity
between the inscription on the Lister Peninsula and the
manuscripts from the height of the Ostrogothic period is striking.
It is a meeting between original Nordic and classical
writing.

HathuwolafR and HarifwolafR could well be co-regents, like
the Ostrogothic Kings Theodemer and Vidimer during the
era of Attila, or Oeystein and Sigurd Jorsalafare. On the Istaby
runestone Hathuwolf calls himself HaeruwulafiR, that is
the son of Heruwolf.

This in turn connects to the rules of giving names. There
were very decisive principles. In the s.c. variation
system during the Era of Great Migration certain name
elements continued through the families. Among the
Vandals we have Gundegisel and the sons Gunderich and
Genserich. The latter had the sons Hunerich, Theoderich
and Genso. In Denmark there were the two famous
brothers, known in Beowulf as Heorogar, Hrothgar and Halga
with the sons Heoroweard, Hrothmund and Hrothwulf. The
variation system is not completeas we can see in Halga.

The variation system started disappearing during the
Viking era.

In Beowulf there is the system of letter rhyme in the
royal families in Beowulf: the Danes, the Geats and the Svear.
The names of the sons always rhymes with that of the
father (Helge's son is Halvdan). This rule is absolute.
The eight names of the Skjoldungs all start with H.
The five names of the Hredlings also start with H.
The Hokings three also start with H. In old runic
inscriptions the same rule can be found: HlevegastiR
Holtingar (son of Holt) on the Danish golden horn.
ErilaR son of Asugisal on the Kragehul spear.

In southern Norway the Strand runestone with HadulaikaR
son of HagustaldaR. And then Istaby on the Lister
Peninsula in Blekinge province: Hariwulafa HathuwulafR
Haeruwulafir.

This letter rhyme principle can be found in the pre-Viking era
but during the Viking era the naming principle changed. The Skjoldung
Hjargeir with the son Hjarvard, his brother
Hrodgeir (Hroar) with the sons Hrodmund and
Hrodrik and so on.

Erulically-Gothically

Bertil






The stones in Blekinge are dated to the 8th century.
Accordingly they can have anything to do with the immigrating Heruls in the
beginning of the 6th century.



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