[gothic-l] Snorri, Heruls, and Goths

[george knysh]

The story of "Odin from Asgard" as written down in the
early 13th century, makes no sense whatsoever, either
historically or archaeologically, if any attempt is
made to interpret it as a coherent whole. It has
smatterings of the Troy legend, of course, but I am
ready to bet my bottom dollar that no one will ever be
able to connect it to any real historical events (as a
total package), whether of the 1rst c. BC (that
attempt was made on Cybalist) or of the 1rst c. AD, or
of the 5th or 6th c. AD or any century BC or AD. The
euhemerian hypothesis still seems viable, as does
Troels' suggestion that Snorri may have put together a
number of distinct events from various times and
places (the devil is in the details however). Some of
the more original interpretations I have encountered
see "Odin" as the original carrier of Indo-European
"values" to Scandinavia (sometime in the late 4th
millennium BC) from the Ponto-Caspian "homeland". And
there is also Pritsak's interesting view that he
represents the "reformer(s)" of the older futhark
(allegedly on the basis of the Turkic script of
Khazaria). I don't see any Gothic connection
however.==== As for the Heruli: I think there is no
problem in accepting the basic veracity of Procopius'
account concerning the migration to Scandinavia in the
early 6th c. It is confirmed by Jordanes' obiter
dictum about the conflict between Danes and Heruli.
But the subsequent fate of this group is wrapped in
mist, even though interesting notions have been
advanced concerning its transmogrification into
various ruling clans in Scandinavia.==== Gothic
Christianity cannot be doubted. It is already attested
in the early 4th c. (we're not sure if this pertains
to the Crimea or the Danubian area though), and while
most Goths remained pagan while in the East (there is
no evidence of massive Christianity in the burial
rites of the Chernyakhiv culture) they certainly
converted in the course of the middle and later 5th
century. The Crimean Goths BTW adopted Orthodox
Christianity of the Byzantine variety.

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