[gothic-l] Terms For Scandinavians in the East

[Tore Gannholm]

>The names greutungi and tervingi of the Goths (Swedish
>grytingar and tyrvingar) and the Russian Varjazi and Kolbjazi
>(Swedish vaeringar, 'Varangians' and kylfingar) are most
>likely all Gothic and formed in a similar way, that is
>nominalizations with an -ing suffix. As I have discussed
>earlier the form greutingi in Latin and gryting in Swedish
>possibly has a Germanic stem *greuta- 'stone ground'
>(compare Swedish gryt).
>
>The name Varangians was so widespread that it became the
>overall term for Scandinavians. It is a term referring to settlers,
>which can be formed from Oöld Swedish vara 'high situated
>area'. The term seems to have been so common in Scandinavia
>in reference to Goths in Russia that Umlaut occured.
>
>Kolbjazi (Swedish kylfingar) is showing the same features as
>Varangians.
>
>Gothically
>
>Bertil


Bertil,

It looks as Varjag, Warang and Rus belongs to the Viking time. It is 
in the arabian (oriental) litterature we find these words.

Fritz Askeberg explains this in "Norden och kontinenten i gammal tid".

Askeberg discovered that Vikings went westwards and Varangians eastwards.

There are no sources telling about Vikings going east.
This border is very clear between Westnordic and Eastnordic language areas.

In Europe Elbe is the borderline. There are no Varangians west of 
Elbe and there are no Vikings east of Elbe.

The Arabian writers talk about "warang" and "rus" in the East and 
"madjus" in the West.

Varjager was from the beginning travelling merchants who gave a 
"var", holy undertaking to help each other.

Later the mercenaries from Scandinavia that went to Byzans also got that name.

Tore
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