Ptolemy describes the fjords? [gothic-l]

[Tore Gannholm]

Keth,
I didn't know that Norway was an island.
As far as I know a Juniper looks just like the island of Gotland.
I use Mierows translation. Jordanes
The Origin and Deeds of the Goths
in English version
Part of a Thesis
Presented to the Faculty of Princeton University
for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
By Charles C. Mierow
Princeton
1908


Jordanes further says that this island is in front of the mouth of the Vistula.
As a matter of fact in certain wether conditions one can see Gotland from
the "Danziger bucht".
Tore


>
>This remark about a "juniper leaf" made me pause a bit.
>For, as you know, the Juniper has no leaves, but needles.
>It is therefore difficult to visualize the shape.
>Looking at the Getica text, I do however find that
>it says (§ 16): "~De hac etenim in secundo sui operis libro
>Claudio Ptolomeus, orbis terrae discriptor egregius,
>meminit dicens: est in Oceani arctoi salo posita insula
>magna, nomine Scandza, in modum folii cetri, lateribus pandis,
>per longum ducta concludens se."
>I think the plant name would here be contained in the
>phrase "in modum folii cetri".
>Here the spelling is odd, but it could be the "citrus"
>that is referred to here. The dictionary then says
>that this is  1) the lemon tree 2) Thuia orientalis =
>an african thuja tree. Could that be the same tree
>that is in many gardens?  In that case the mentioning of
>this tree, an evergreen with a very scented wood,
>could refere to its deeply cut leaves, and is hence a
>reference to the deep fjords of West Norway. That is
>then the most likely explanation of this passage.
>In particular because he says the "island" is very
>large and long stretched. (insula magna & lateribus pandis).
>It simply could not refer to a minor island like Gotland.
>
>Best regards
>Keth
>
>Msanuscript variants: cetri, citri, caedri, cedri, coedri.
>
>
>
>>I don't think he mentions anything about 1000 years or so before our era.
>>It is rather 300 -200 BC
>
>
>
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