Re: [tied] Celt Jutland

Tor

I recently realized a rational for the distribution patterns and
north to south shifting of early western Nordic-German tribes, such
as the Swebians. Each appears to start on the west or southwest
Baltic coast afterwards move immediately south towards Bohemia. It
did make sense until I realized this was the route used by the
Cimbric horse vanguard.

Why would the Cimbri and early western Nordic-Germans use the
same narrow route and why move from the Baltic coast to Bohemia?
Thats the question I asked myself. Then I remembered the basis of
Cimbric power was control of the Amber road south from Scandinavia
and west from the Baltic into Denmark, and from here into Germany and
all points west. However, I also remembered a major route emerged
from the southwest Baltic coast and ran directly south into Bohemia
and from there south across the Alps and into northern Italy. Thus,
the Cimbri cavalry was looting down the main Amber road through
central Germany while the slower main body of the migration moved
into northern Germany and later northeast
France.

Now, to apply this logic. The later movements of the western Nordic-
Germans seem to suggest they were attempting to gain control of the
tribes that occupied the route of the Amber Road between the
southwestern Baltic and northern Italy.

From what you've told me about the dangerous Codanus-Skaw passage,
the migrations by sea to northwest Germany and the Netherlands are
much more significant. These include the Friesian, Saxon,
Askipurgones (migration far up the Rhine valley by sea mentioned by
Tacitus), as well as the failed attempts of the Swebians/Vandals.
Interestingly, there is a common pattern in the method used to
establish themselves in a new district. They tend to occupy an island
as a base of operation near the coast they intend to take control of.

The island is very small and difficult to approach. Sometimes the
island was just large enough to contain a settlement of longhouses
surrounded by a timber palisade or stockade wall. This would be
similar to the plan of the Cimbric Borremor settlement in Himmerland,
except it was built on a small island in a marshy bog. They used
these island bases to slowly reduce the local militia, until the area
is abandoned or the locals acquiescence to the demands of the new
comers. This is the hallmark of early Friesian settlements. This is
the type of settlement mentioned in Beowulf's Finn Fight.

JS Crary