[gothic-l] Re: Danparstadir - Reidgotaland

[keth at ONLINE.NO]

Hi Dirk,
You wrote:
>> similar to using Sir Walter Scott's writing to
>> reconstruct English medieval history. Hence, terms
>> like Reidgota etc. are of no historical value as long
>> as they cannot be confirmed by historical sources,
>> because for all we know they may only have existed
>> in the imagination of 8th/9th century story-tellers.

9 generations is not *very* short. I read somwhere that
there is a natural 180 year limit. That is, when a person gets
to be 85 years old, he can still remember what his 90
year old great grandfather told him when he was 10.
What his great grandfather tells, is about his father's
life around the time he was born and grew up. If we then
add up the numbers we get 170 years. Well, when I saw this
described by someone else, I think the number was 180 years.

180 years is approx. 6 generations.
9 generations (Rök stone) is somewhat longer.
But since they are more general events than mere family
history, that are being described, more people can then
confirm the events as well as the names of people and
places. And that should extend the "horizon of visibility"
in folk memory somewhat.

Besides, we do have confirmation from a presumably old poem
like Vafþrudnismál, which is geographically quite separated
from Rök. Also, what I think we have not sufficiently
discussed, are the Old English sources, where the "Hrædgothas"
are *ALSO* mentioned. (date: before the Rök stone)

Thus we have several independent confirmations from a wide
geographical area. I therefore think this is a real name.

(as example, take Snorri writing in Heimskringla around 1230 about
the battle in Hafrsfjord ca. 872. How many years is that? A: 360.
How many generations is that? A: 12.)


Best regards
Keth




PS Sir Walter Scott was one of the very few British
subscribers to the "Nordiske Fortidssagaer" as they were
published by Carl Christian Rafn in the 1820ies. I do not
hold a low opinion of Walter Scott.



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