[gothic-l] Tracing the Eruli

[Егоров Владимир]

Merry Christmas!

George Knysh wrote:

"Apparently (pace Mahomedov) the East European
Eruli cannot be clearly identified except as being a
part of the "Germanic" component of the Chernyakhiv
culture..."

This statement is correct by itself but one has also
to bear in mind that no evidences exist that Heruli
really were a component of the Chernyakhiv culture (Cc).
Hence, any references to archaeological cultures seem
irrelevant concerning Heruls' history.

As far as know, archaeologists do not extent the Cc
to NE shores of Maeotis Swamp (now the Sea of Azov)
where initial Eruli were located by the narrative
sources though some latest excavations at the Don
mouth exposed evident connections of separate settlements
with the Cc. Here I can reference not only to same
Magomedov (Mahomedov) but also to Tretyakov and
Shchukin (Shukin, Sciukin). However, a common observation
is remarkable uniformity of the Cc upon all its territory
that might be explained only by some State formation.
Shchukin defines this hypothetic formation as a "proto-state".
I'd reinforce this definition. Since most of researchers,
including Tretyakov, Magomedov and Shchukin, admit
poly-ethnicity of the Cc (e.g. three subcultures by Magomedov),
the mentioned striking uniformity assumes a strong enough
State rather than the amorphous "proto-state".
All this confirms Jordanes' attestation on greatness
of the Hermanaricus' Power.
(I already had suggested identifying this power with the initial
Reidgotaland but I don't insist on this identification).

Now I invite you to tear yourselves away from quotations and
let your imagination run away from dusty books to the open
prairies, more exactly steppes. Let's imagine the spreading
of Germanic tribes in 1st-3rd centuries to the Black Sea.
My fantasy refuses to accept Jordanes' version of well-disposed
Gothic columns marching in step (even a bridge has been crushed
down!) to Oium as a Promised Land. I believe the spreading
of Goths southward resembled acquiring the Wild West by American
migrants one and half millennium later. Some most active and
sportsmanlike groups went ahead like American pioneers. These
"wild tribes" did not leave any archaeologically perceptible
tracks. (What could they leave save bison/zubr bones?)
The pioneering "wild tribes" were followed and urged by more
settled population, which left distinct archaeological Wielbark
tracks. But these tracks seem not to cross Dnepr. Finally,
the settled population established on the territory close
to the contemporaneous Ukraine and served as a basis for
the Hermanaricus' Power associated with the Cc. The pushed out
"wild tribes" remained at the periphery of the Cc's area.
One can suppose Heruli among those tribes at the SO edge
of the spreading Germanic tribes. Probably the "wild tribes"
did not submit to Hermanarucus. According to Jordanes,
Hermanarucus has been forced to conquer Heruli.
But his decisive success I'd leave on Jordanes' conscience.

Vladimir




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