[gothic-l] Crescent , star and swan

[Ingemar Nordgren]

Hi everybody,

This new theme about a moon symbol is quite intriguing and connects till
my own earlier hypothesis already published in my book.

It is quite evident from Wulfila that the Goths earlier adorned the moon
and that is also seen on their spear tips being insigned with moon and
swastika (sun). The  bracteates also show horned horses who, like the
Ibero-Roman stelae - both pre-christian and christian - also showing
horns/crescents that quite evidently depict the moon. These are also
connected just with the eight armed star or a eight sponged wheel cross
combining moon and sun (sun god and earthgodess). Originally the star
was used within the Mithras cult and is of Iranian origin. The three
mags  following the star till the cave/stable where Mithras was born. It
is later changed to the hebreic star with sich points and the birth is
moved till Betlehem. These stelae I have closely examined during a
research trip on the Iberian peninsula in cooperation with the
university of Léon. We have votivestones, not exactly similar but still
with the same motifs, on the  island of Gotland from approximately the
5th to 6th cc.They are comparable with the pre-Christian stelae. The
horns or ships all have the crescent shape and remind of the
Therafrescoes and of the Ibero-Roman stones. There are also clear
indications that makes it possible to see similarities to the
Vadeniensian stelae and the arrival of this style to Gotland  could
possibly depend on contacts with celts in La Tène. An interesting fact
is  also that just within the former Visigothic realm, after the Order
of the Templars was dissolved, an earlier unknown  variant of Virgin
Mary, the Madonna on the  Crescent, pops up and is now established. It
is well known that the Arians connected Mary with the Moon and she
continued the earlier cults of Alma Mater, Isis and Harpokrates in the
Serapion cult et c. She was the heiress of the fertility godess and her
sign in Byzantion  was the Tree of Life, often in a gateway. I will
return to this further down.

About the Swan I am more insecure. The Goths had however a special
heritage from the Sassanids and the East Roman empire - the imperial
peacocks. In their Gothic shape they are not very similar to the Roman
ones but can in Visigothic sculptures not be mistaken for  swans. In the
Gotlandic stones however they seem more like ducks or geese. The Broa
stone might possibly be a peacock hen. Still we have the story of the
Völsungs where three Swan maidens were married to the brethren. This
definitely belongs to the saga stuff known by the Goths.

A runic stone in Sparlösa in Västergötland, Sweden is interesting in
this connection. It depicts a cathedral with twin towers, a ship in
shape of a clear moon crescent, a sail with a Christian cross. Above the
sail there are sitting two birds  that most evidently are peacocks.
Beneath the ship is  a kind of spotted leopard and another animal. Below
there is a rider with a frygian cap and tight trousers pointing a sword
upwards and accompanied by a dog. Since this is just the Ostrogothic
mode in the time of Theoderic as shown on Ravenna mosaics I think there
is a clear connection. The ship with cross is the Virgin Mary and this
stone indicates Arian Christianity in Sweden between 7th-to 9th century.
There is a discussion of the runes, who are incomprehensible sorry to
say, since they give no direct information exept a secondary text from
probably the 11th c. There are both 24 type futhark and 16-type (most).
Possibly the introduction of the younger runes could be moved back till
the 7th century. That is at least what I suppose. The person  who carved
the stone must either have visited the Ostrogothic realm or been told of
it by somebody  who had. This person - the teller or carver - should
have been living at least in the latter half of the 6th century.

Accordingly I do not find it specially peculiar   hearing about this
heraldry and I agree it ought to be of Visigothic origin.

This is reinforced with regard to the paper signs introduced by early so
called heretics. The Albingenses, Cathares et c. have a direct
connection with the old Visigothic realm in Provence and Languedoc.
After Reccared joined the pope, starting persecutions of disbelievers,
specially Jews,many Visigoths ought to have continued as Arians and
after 711 there probably remained Arian Visigoths in Northern Spain and
also in Carcasson, Narbonne and the surrounding area. They might have
influenced the later upcoming "heresies". The Cathars were known to be
extremyly tolerant, cultural and peaceful and the tolerance might be of
Visigothic Arian origin. The closeness to the sun- and moon cult within
Christianity is another similarity between Arians and Cathars.

I know there will be opposition to this but this is my decided opinion.

Best regards
Ingemar



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