[gothic-l] Gothic rel. & mag. 1a

[M. Carver]

Hails!

Though we had a discussion on (h)aljoruna a long while ago, I thought the
topic of religion and magic might connect easily with mythology, and so I
quote Grimm's *interesting theories*:  - Mat?aius:

        2. [VELEDA. GANNA.] ALARÛN.
  If, as I suppose, the generic term idis was already current in the time of Tacitus, he gives us other more
specific appellations as mere proper names, though still a certain general meaning seems to belong to them too. His
statements about Veleda, Ganna, and Aurinia I have already quoted in ch. V, where the connexion between prophetesses
and the priestly office was pointed out....
...Aurinia is said (p. 95) to have been famous in Germany before Veleda; copyists may easily have corrupted ali into
'au,' and runa into 'rinia': we should then have Aliruna, though it would be still more handy if Tacitus had written
Alioruna. But anyhow we cannot fail to recognise the agreement (which many have noted) with Jornandes cap. 24, who,
in accounting for the origin of the Huns, relates of the Gothic king Filimer: Repperit in populo suo quasdam magas
mulieres, quas patrio sermone aliorumnas (al. alyrumnas, aliorunas, aliuruncas) is ipse cognominat, easque habens
suspectas de medio sui proturbat, longeque ab exercitu suo fugatas in solitudine coegit errare. Quas silvestres
homines, quos faunos ficarios vocant, per eremum vagantes dum vidissent, et earum se complexibus in coitu
miscuissent, genus hoc ferocissimum edidere.' Many names of women are formed with -rûn, -rûna (Gramm. 2, 517), and
OHG. documents even offer, though sparingly, Alarûn Alerûna, MB. 3, 416 (an. 1140); 'Gosprecht der Alraunyn sun,'
MB. 27, 80 (an. 1309). I have never seen Elirûn, the form we should expect from ali-. (6) But it is significant,
that the ON. name Ölrûn, Sæm. 133-4, belongs precisely to a wise-woman; and alrûna (Graff 2, 523), now alraun, from
its old sense of a prophetic and diabolic spirit, has at length passed into that of the root (mandragora, mandrake)
out of which he is cut. We not turn to some other names, about which the fountain of tradition flows more freely
(see Suppl.).

[and later...]


WOOD-WIVES.
  We have seen that the wish-wives appear on pools and lakes in the depth of the forest: it is because they are
likewise wood-wives, and under this character they suggest further reflections. The old sacred forest seems their
favourite abode: as the gods sat throned in the groves, on the trees, the wise-women of their train and escort would
seek the same haunts. Did not the Gothic aliorunas dwell in the woodland among the wood-sprites? Was not Veleda's
tower placed on a rock, that is, in the woods? The Völundarqvi?a opens with the words:
 meyjar flugo sunnan Myrkvi? igögnom,
 maids flew from south through murky wood to the seashore, there they tarried seven years, till they grew homesick:




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