It's a fascinating alternative to a Swedish
or (directly) Gotlandic origin of the Rus. I'll keep in mind and would be
grateful for any references or further evidence. The Rugians were indeed the
Goths' neighbours and foes:
"As soon as they disembarked from their
ships and set foot on the land, they straightway gave their name to the place.
And even to-day it is said to be called Gothiscandza. Soon they moved from here
to the abodes of the Ulmerugi, who then dwelt on the shores of Ocean, where they
pitched camp, joined battle with them and drove them from their homes. Then they
subdued their neighbors, the Vandals, and thus added to their victories"
(Jordanes 4.25-26).
Jordanes probably exaggerates the exploits
of the Goths, but that isn't the point. He also mentions the Rugi as a Germanic
tribe living somewhere in the neighbourhood of "the island of Skandza"). The
name of Rügen (Rugia) is supposed to be connected with Jordanes' Holm-Rugians
(Ulme- = *hulma- 'island'), and their immediate military engagement with the
Goths as soon as the latter had settled near the Bay of Gdansk suggests
that the Rugians occupied much of northwestern Poland as well.
Piotr
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, February 10, 2001 2:29 PM
Subject: Odp: [tied] Re: Language - Area - Routes
--- In cybalist@......, "Piotr Gasiorowski" <gpiotr@......> wrote:
> Do you mean the RusI
could be a surviving group of Gothic or
Gepidic origin? What exactly points
to the South Baltic (rather than
Sweden or thereabouts) as their
homeland?
>
> Piotr
> ----- Original Message
-----
Exactly. Some Western medieval chronicles designate RusI as 'Rugi'
(eg, 'Elga regina Rugorum', I quote from memory, where Elga is that
famous OlIga of 'Pove^stI' vre^menInyxU le^tU'). If I'm not mistaken,
Rugi originally were close to Goths or Gepids (at least
geographically).
I've read that out of two different (but issued in
Russia) books on
the Russian ethnogenesis. I was too lazy at the time to
check the
index of sources, but my impression is that it wasn't mere
speculation. I can't produce stronger testimony to my statement, but
please be aware of this theory at least as an
alternative.
Sergei