Re: Geats

Now, where did you really dig it from? A second-hand Internet source,
wasn't it? The Classical Dictionary (_Lempriere's_ BTW) was published
in 1788, and though I haven't got a copy at hand, the quotation looks
mighty suspect to me. Well, even supposing that it does come from
that exotic source... What historians have ever written about this
King Odinus character? What historical, linguistic or any other
evidence is there for placing Asgard in Scythia? It's all pure
fantasy. I've seen people confidently identifying Odin with Adonai,
blissfully unaware of any formal problems. Talking of which, ca. AD
70 it wouldn't have occurred to anybody to Latinise Odinn as Odinus
for the very good reason that the loss of *w- before *-o(:)- is a
much later North Germanic phenomenon (Odinn is a Norse version of
Woden/Wodan). Vodanus, perhaps?

Piotr

--- In cybalist@..., cas111jd@... wrote:
> Torsten:
>
> I got the following from Lampiere's Classical Dictionary. It did
not
> give a source for it. Do you have any other details?
>
> Odinus was a legendary hero of antiquity, supposedly living about
70
> BC in northern Germany or Denmark. He was a priest, a scholar,
> soldier, poet, monarch, conqueror. His superstitious countrymen
> believed he could raise the dead to life and also foretell the
> future.
>
> After extending his realm he resolved to die an uncommon death.
With
> his lance he made nine wounds on his body in the form of a circle.
As
> he died he declared he would go to Scythia to become one of the
> immortal gods. He also said he would prepare biss and ease for
those
> virtuous countrymen who had fought with valor and died a hero's
death
> on the battlefield. His countrymen thereafter invoked his
protection
> in battle and entreated him to receive the battlefield slain.
>
> Besides the direct parallels with the god Odinn, the identity of
> Scythia as the 'land of the gods' (=Asgard) seems more than
> intriguing.
>