[gothic-l] Gothic, Old Gutnish and Gutland Contacts With the Goths

[Bertil Häggman]

Esteemed listmembers,

An interesting question in the relation Gothic-Gutnish
is that of the -garn placenames on Gutland (for instance Gammelgarn
and Oestergarn). These villages seem to have functioned as
trading places and in that case the Gothic ga-runs,
meaning market, fits well.

Professor Elias Wessén concluded in his article
in "Fornvaennen" (1969):

"Om gutarna paa Gotland och goterna i Weichselområdet
ursprungligen var samma folk, torde de aennu under de
foersta aarhundradena e. Kr. ha talat vaesentligen samma
spraak, ett spraak som in sin senare utveckling i Sydeuropa
framtraeder som gotiska. Sannolikt har detta moderspraaket
foer gotiskan och forngutniskan icke skilt sig alltfoer
mycket fraan den samtida urnordiskan. I varje fall aer lik-
heterna med gotiskan ingenstaedes i Norden saa stora
som i forngutniskan".

The similarities are so great that they cannot just be ignored.
The name gutar is exactly the same as "gutans". Naturally
the fact that the original name of the island was Gutland cannot
be ignored either.

Naturally there is no absolute proof that the ancient Gutar
were exactly identical with the Goths. Most likely the
Goths were a heterogenous East Germanic people which
assimilated peoples from the Baltic countries, Goetaland and
the Baltic Sea islands. The Gutar had through history close 
contacts with the Goths and the Krymean Goths and
the Gutar migrated from Gutland probably around
300 BC. The contacts continued not only with the Krymean
Goths but with the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths.

Further research is indeed needed. No support in Sweden can be expected
from the central power in Stockholm, who controls the taxpayers money,
wasted on many useless projects, but financing has to come
from private sources. Dr. Thor Heyerdahl is a good example
of what enterprising scholars can do without government 
funding. The Norwegians are to be congratulated and Norway
can be proud of its famous son. 

Gothically

Bertil


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