[gothic-l] Eruli-Scandinavian Relations

[Bertil Haggman]

Another aspect brought up in the RLK-book published
in 1994 is the Eruli people and the remigration to
Scandinavia widely discussed on this list.

RLK point out that after the fall of the Huns the Eruli
were settled near the river Danube, between Eipel
and March. Thus they controlled one of the main roads
to the Baltic Sea area and the Amber Coast along the
rivers March and Vistula.

In the book is referred to the likelyhood that the immigrants
due to the cultural influence played an important role in their
new home and in much turned out to be forerunners. The
Harii, is pointed out, may linguistically be connected with
Eruli and also the Vendi (before ca 700AD).

One interesting aspect is that Procopius, who wrote about
the remigration, knew much about the Eruli. The reason:
he was himself secretary of the commander in chief of the
Byzantian forces. Procopius is thus a good contemporary
eyewitness to the strong Eruli mercenary force that fought
on the side of Byzantium against Gothic King Theoderic.

RLK discussed in 1994 the possibility that the positive
experience of the Byzantian emperors, when it came to
Eruli mercenaries, contributed to the custom of Constantinople
to hire Scandinavians as lifeguard at a later stage.

Erulically

Bertil


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