[gothic-l] Beowolf--the Goth?

[Tore Gannholm]

Hi!

Weder is a ram. the one year old sheep male.
Professor Sune Lindqvist has analyzed this in "Beowulf Dissectus" 1958.
The ram is the national symbol of Gotland. Already in the 13th century it
was the official seal of the Gotlandic republic.
you can see it on http://gotland.luma.com

Regards Tore Gannholm


>Hey,
>
>Ah, a subject I know well.  First, who was Hygelac?
>
>In Beowulf, he's the Geatish king.  The Geatas in Beowulf seem quite clearly
>associated with Scandinavia.  Their wars with the Swedish Scylfing dynasty
>are mentioned regularly.
>
>Also, their name is mentioned in conjunction with "Weder," either as a
>compound or as another name, ie. "Weder-Geatas," or "Wederas."  Many
>translations (Crossley-Holland, Raffel,) gloss this as an epithet- the
>"Weather Geats," the "Storm-Loving Geats."  Chickering, however, leaves it
>as it is, and Chambers I think (a century ago!) suggested that this was the
>lake in South Sweden, the Wetter.
>
>The Scylfingas, the Geats' Swedish opponents, correspond roughly to the
>Ynglingas in the later "Ynglingasaga," "Hrolfssaga Kraka," and _Gesta
>Danorum_.  Eadgils corresponds to Adhisl, Onela to Ali, etc.  All of these
>kings are linked to Uppsala in these sources.
>
>Gregory of Tours calls Hygelac a Dane.  That has been explained as a generic
>term for all Scandinavians.  Now, that is true, in Anglo-Saxon sources
>nearly a half-millenium later, but I have been unable to find any uses
>contemporary to Gregory.  The Frankish sources of the same period as the AS
>use the term "Normanni," the Northmen.
>
>I'll post more later, if there's interest--to explain another possibility
>for Greg's usage...
>
>Cheers,
>Frank
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