[gothic-l] New, plus a question on Procopius´ goths

[mlibran2000]

Hello, 
I´m new to the list, and fairly new to all things Germanic. I was
wondering if you could please help me with a question. While browsing
through Andy Orchard´s *Cassell´s Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend*
(London 1997) s.v. "boat burial" I found the following statement:
"More spectacular, but understandably unsubstantiated by the
archaeological record, are those funerals in which a burning ship
containing the dead is cast out to dea. Such a practice among tribes
living on the North Sea coast is attested by the Greek historian
Procopius from as early as the sixth century, and a similar kind of
funeral is described tat the beginning of the *Beowulf*". (p. 64). Has
anyone come across any such reference in Procopius? I´ve checked the
(63) pages of bibliography in A. Orchard´s manual, but I found no
single reference to any of Procopius´works. If what A. Orchard claims
is true, then the first literary attestation of a "viking" funeral
wouldn´t be Ibn Fadlan´s account in his *Risala*.
Thanks for your help.
Miryam Librán




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