[gothic-l] Scandinavian-Gothic-Eruli Links

[Bertil Haggman]

The Goeta lion is traditionally the heraldic weapon
of the Goetar (the Gauti) and was later taken over
by the Folkunga family. The lion is uncrowned and
portrayed standing or at rest.

The lion can be found also in the provincial heraldic weapon
of Smaaland province (part of Gautland/Goetaland. On the
earliest attesting of the Gautic lion there would have to
be a consultation with an heraldic expert, but let us say
for the time being that it is tradition going back to the
time before the uniting of Goetaland and Svealand.

A few hundred years after Erulic service in the East Roman
army vaeringar carved runes into the stone lions in the
harbour of Pireus in Greece (which were brought to Venice
by the Venetians. Ancient monuments at Hunnestad portray
lion figures the later appear in Swedish heraldic tradition.

On the "rune lions" in Venice several attempts to decode the
text have been made. Some of the runes are hard to make out but
attempts of interpretation of the text have been made.

Bertil Haggman


> When and where is this Gautic heralic lion first attested? Also, what
> are the East Roman lions? Some kind of emblem on seals or so? Lions
> are, together with leopards and eagles among the most common heraldic
> animals. In fact the Ostrogoths used Eagles and lions and of course
> the Roman wolf on their coins.



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