[gothic-l] Snorri, Heruls, and Goths

[Tore Gannholm]

>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.
>

It might be interesting to read Professor Sune Lindqvists summary of 
his book about the Uppsala högar (the mounds in Uppsala)

http://www.stavgard.com/Gotland/beowulf_/upsal_/tumuli/default.htm

http://www.stavgard.com/Gotland/beowulf_/upsal_/annals/default.htm

Tore
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