[gothic-l] Runic Influences

[Tore Gannholm]

We have a parallell that Prokopius has written about.
The Heruls were beaten by the Langobards in presentday Hungary about 45
years earlier. They left by land through all Europe and settled in
Scandinavia around the Lake Mälar, present day Stockholm area. They had no
problem together with their royal family to cross all of Europe. According
to Procopius
VI.xv.4
Coming thence to the ocean, they took to the sea, and putting in at Thule,
remained there on the island.

Regards Tore Gannholm



>Tore Gannholm wrote:
>
>> The Goths are defeated in Italy. What remains of the ruling class has
>> nowhere to go.
>> Why not try Britannia?
>
>> Tore
>
>The latter observation (that the ruling class had nowhere to go) seems
>rather unfounded in light of the fact that:
>1). There would have been trade routes to other places closer to Ravenna
>and better known than Britannia.
>2). The logistical impediments in either traveling on land then crossing
>the straits or a direct voyage to Britannia was no simple matter and
>therefore would have weighed heavily on deciding where to go. (Not only
>would people be crossing, but also movable goods and livestock etc...)
>Suitable craft (and funding for same) would have been needed for the
>crossing or voyage. When in fact the Goths had very few seafaring
>vessels, were not known as a seafaring power and additionally were not
>(at the time) in a favorable position to undertake such a task.
>BARRING CITATIONS ( JUST FROM A PRACTICAL POINT OF VIEW:)
>(Why travel farther and/or add a voyage when they could have in a
>simpler, easier manner resettled in Hispania by crossing through
>Septimania.
>3). Hispania would have been amenable to additional settlement by other
>Gothic groups.
>4). Hispania would have been closer.
>5). Going to Hispania would not have demanded the logistical hurdles,
>danger and added expense of a sea voyage, .
>6). The route would have been relatively free of impediments especially
>since Septimania was already populated with an abundance of Gothic
>people.
>7). There were better, more established connections between Ravenna and
>Hispania than Ravenna and Britannia.
>8). The ties between Visigoths and Ostrogoths were well established,
>ongoing and consistent.
>
>I would be willing to concede the "possibility" that some individuals
>might have managed relocating to Britannia but the notion of numbers of
>people going there (from a practical point of view) simply does not seem
>as well supported a possibility.
>
>Friþunanþs Ximeneiks

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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