[gothic-l] Beowulf and the Geats

[keth at ONLINE.NO]

Bertil Häggman wrote:
>Le,
>
>This is highly unlikely. Also, we do not know if
>Geats are Goths. They could just as well be
>Jutes.
>
>Gothically
>
>Bertil


"Geats" corresponds to "Gautar" by laws of sound change.
Is the name "Jutes" derivable in the same way?
I know that in some cases an initial G has been dropped
in Old English. As example I am thinking about the month
"Giuli" as mentioned by Beda when discussing "the months
of the Englishmen":

De Temp. Rat. xv: DE MENSIBUS ANGLORUM..
Primusque eorum mensis, quem Latini Januarium vocant,
dicitur Giuli...December Giuli, eodem quo Januarius nomine,
vocatur...Mensis Giuli'a conversione solis in auctum
diei, quia unus eorum præcedit, alius subsequitur, nomina
accipiunt. (Bæda, A.D. 726)

This text suggest the following sound change:

 OE Giuli --> (modern English?) Yule

Following a similar pattern, one would then get:

  OE  Geats --> (medieval English?) Yats

?? With some goodwill, we should then have our "Jutes" ¿¿


On the basis of sound, the probability would seem a lot less than 50.
An argument that would make "Jutes" likely, would be to argue that it
would have been a shorter trip from West Jutland to England, than from
Öresund or the Göta river. The question that comes up, is whether Jutland
is mentioned in the poem. I also can't help thinking about the similarity
the Vendel style art motifs with the Sutton Hoo finds.

Best regards
Keth




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