Mars =? Gaut/Gapt (Tyr)[gothic-l]/GUSI

[keth at ONLINE.NO]

Hi Bertil and Francesc,
I am reading up on your reference to *Mars in Getica.
I found references in two parts:
First around §40, 41  and later around §183.
This is, btw, one of my main objections to Andreas Nordin's
"Atlantis" edition (1997), and that is that the index
(="register" se side 253) is so poor. In fact, when
I look up the name "Mars", I find no entries at all!
And that is a pity, for exactly under the name "Mars" do
we find some highly interesting entries!

But all right, now I have given you (see above) the
places where you can find that the Getica mentions
the god Mars. And I believe my reference list is
exhaustive, although I cannot be 100% unless I
thoroughly scanned the text of the whole book.)

So I was wrong then when I rhetorically remarked that
the Getica has "zil" on the religion of the Goths.
But no-one arrested me, it seems, though I may
easily have unwillingly skipped a post or two, since
I found it rather hectic for a while.

It says then, that to "this Mars" were given killed
prisoners of war (nam victimae eius mortes fuere captorum),
since they thought the Lord of war had to be gladdened
by the shedding of human blood (opinants bellorum praesulem
apte humani sanguinis effusione placandum).

This, indeed does sound quite a bit like the traditional
Scandinavian "blót" as described for instance in the
Ynglinga saga that allegedly tells about the ancient
Swedish kings called "Ynglings".

The Getica then continues (§41):
The first of all spoils was given to him, and the spoils
from the enemy was hung into a tree in his honor (hic praede
primordia vovebantur, huic truncis suspendebantur exubiae,
erateque illis religionis preter ceteros insinuatus
affectus, cum parenti devotio numinis videretur inpendi.)
For this worship of the God was thought to be devoted
to their ancestor (was that correctly translated?)

If I understand this correctly, the Latin text here says
that they regarded this God as their ancestor. (does it
actually say it as precisely as that?)

At any rate, the sacrifice of the conquered to their god,
as well as the suspension and sacrifice of spoils, does
remind quite a bit of the later Odin-cult, as has been
described in the Icelandic sources. Also the sacrifice
of spoils has been documented in overwhelming quantities
through the Danish bog finds. (cf. Illerup-Årdal, ca. 200 AD))
It therefore seems reasonable to assume that the God of the Goths
was, if not identical, then at least similar to Odinn.
But of course, theoretically "Tyr" may also have been worshipped
this way, or any God for that sake. But with the knowledge
we have, the best fit is with Odin.

Incidentally, in §43 it says that they were the first to use
"strings" for their bows (Sw. sträng < Lat. arcum intendere nervis).
At this point I must say Nordin's translation disappoints ne
a bit. And his notes do not even offer a word of comment,
although this obviously is an important passage for the
question of the Goth's origin. In fact, Jordanis says
the Goths now introduced a new technology of archery
in the region they had entered. Here the question must be asked:
what kind of bowstrings were used before the Goths came?
(hair perhaps?). But the Goths used something else:
"nervis". From this passage one may indeed also conclude
that the Goths were specialist of archery. Here
I cannot help myself but to go forward in time, some centuries,
and look at the Viking legends as they have been preserved
in Icelandic sources. In fact, with the vikings it is the
Saami that are always regarded as the truly great experts
at archery. The Viking archery heroes always have some connection
with the Northern regions, with the Saami, or "Finn" peoples
as the vikings used to call them. Both Ketill Hoeng and Orvar-
Odd, the two great archery heroes of the "fornaldr saga" (=sagas
of the old times) have learned their arts from the Saami
archery magicians. ( In the saga called "GUSI" )
That means that I shall have to investigate the traditional
Saami bow. Fortunately they recently had a TV program that
showed these bows, since they are still being built by
some experts who have followed the old technology, as it
has come down to us. Northern archeaology has also found
many many arrow points made of reindeer horns, going back
a long long time, all in the Saami regions - they were a people
of hunters. Also, very good at various crafts.

Latin "nervus" then, may here indicate sinews.
At any rate, Jordanis says the the Gotic bowstring was
a new invention in the region. Hence "nervus" must be read
as something that differed from what the Greeks and Romans had
used before. I know that Vitruvius describes the Roman "ballistae"
a spowered by woman's hair. And perhaps the same material
was also used by Roman archery. It needs to be looked into.

Best regards
Keth



>--- In gothic-l at y..., Bertil Häggman <mvk575b at t...> wrote:
>> Francisc,
>>
>> Jordanes clearly stressed the close connection between
>> the Goths and their god, Mars (=ON Tyr).
>>
>
>OK, I agree, but according to the Gothic phonetic laws, the name of
>Tyr should be in Gothic *tius or *teiws, as I showed in my previous
>mail.
>
>Francisc
>
>
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