[gothic-l] Re: Goths, Gepids, Gaut

[cstrohmier at YAHOO.COM]

--- In gothic-l at y..., Bertil Häggman <mvk575b at t...> wrote:
> Dear listmembers,
> 
> In addition to my latest contribution I would
> like to point out that maybe "shed" is a
> better translation of gjuta (giessen in German)
> than pour in this connection.
> 
> On Gaut some scholars have claimed Scythian
> influence (the Scythian Goitosyros) and that
> Gaut would be a Swedenization of the
> name of this Scythian god. According to 
> Herodotos Goitosyros would be comparable to
> Apollo.
> 
> Gaut's Gate is a kenning for shield. This is 
> probably an example of Gaut being used
> as byname for Odin.
> 
> Gautically
> 
> Bertil

Dear Bertil,
	I'm not sure if this was discussed before here on Gothic-
List, but there are a few interesting quotes in the book "The 
Norsemen" by H. A. Guerber (ISBN 0-517-60439-6) which may have
some relation to the Gaut discussion.
	On pages 56 and 57 it says:  "In other parts of Germany, 
Frigga, Holda, or Ostara is known by the name Brechta, Bertha, or the 
White Lady.   ...In Mecklenburg, this same goddess is known as Frau 
Gode, or Wode, the female form of Woutan or Odin, and her appearance 
is always considered the harbinger of great prosperity.  She is also 
supposed to be a great huntress, and to lead the Wild Hunt, mounted 
upon a white horse, her attendants  being changed into hounds and all 
manner of wild beasts."  (I wonder if this, together with the 
practice of inhumation among the Goths, might suggest a matriarchal 
religion.)
	On page 86 under the discussion on Tyr, it says:  "A 
distinctive feature of the worship of this god among the Franks and 
some other Northern nations was that priests called Druids or Godi 
offered up human sacrifices upon his altars...."  (I wonder if
this might suggest that originally there was some connection among 
the word Godi, the Gothic words "Gut" (Goth) and
"gudja" (priest), and Frau Gode.)
	On page 348, it says:  "Odin ... was like Mercury in that he 
taught the use of runes, while the Greek god introduced the 
alphabet."  (Didn't Jordanes "Getica" say something
about the Goths worshipping Mercury?)
Sincerely,
Cory



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