Re: Geats

Sorry if you do not like my condensation from Lempriere's. Next time
I guess I should type the whole thing out verbatum with quotes, page
number, publisher and date published. :-)

--- In cybalist@..., "Piotr Gasiorowski" <gpiotr@...> wrote:
> 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.
> >