[gothic-l] Snake as a positive omen

[alarik36]

Hails!

In the gotlandic or "gutnisk" gutasaga from the 13th c there are a 
legend about the founders of the gutonian tribe. Hvitastierna
(Whitestar)after coming to the island(maybe in a logboat), with her 
husband Tjelvar(seen as a nickname for Thor), lights a fire. The fire 
breaks the spell and the island who "natum war uppj oc dagum war 
nidur." -At nights was up and at day was down(sank into the sea). 
After some time she has a dream that she has three snakes in her 
womb. The dream is interpreted that she shall have three sons. It´s a 
lucky omen and they are to be called Guti, Graipr and Gunnfiaun. And 
those men are all ancestors of the Guta tribe. 

I know that a roman writer describes in the 5th or 600 c a gothic 
woman that has a dream about snakes in her womb and this is seen as a 
good omen among the goths. This could go back to an old believ that 
the snake was a fertile omen connected to the old sun-cult. Do 
anybody know which chronicler that wrote this?


http://www.expage.com/gothicpage/
http://www.expage.com/uppakra/








------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
What would our lives be like without music, dance, and theater?
Donate or volunteer in the arts today at Network for Good!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/pkgkPB/SOnJAA/Zx0JAA/wWMplB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

You are a member of the Gothic-L list.  To unsubscribe, send a blank email to <gothic-l-unsubscribe at egroups.com>. 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gothic-l/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    gothic-l-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/