--- Alexander Stolbov <
astolbov@...> wrote:
>
I'm
> afraid that 7th cent. is
> too late, as kurgans and other cultural innovations
> appeared in Scandinavia
> as early as in 5th century.
*****GK: This is sheer speculation on my part, but
might it be possible that Snorri's tales represent the
final product of centuries of transmissions, with
various components being altered as new information
flowed in (like Yngvi-Frey's title of "Turkjakonungr",
the "Vanir" et sim.)? After all, it seems to me that,
pace Pritsak, the Scandinavians knew the "Volga route"
long before the late 8th century. The list of
"northern peoples" which is offered in Jordanes (if
memory serves, I don't have the work at hand:
"Golthescytha Thiudos") sounds like a 5th or 6th c.
commercial traveller's contact sequences. [BTW I think
Old Rus' "Chud'" probably goes back to this "Thiudos"
(and later derivatives: a traditional North German/
Norse designation for the "people" of this area].==
But if Snorri's location for the Aesir and Vanir is
correct (Dumezil and his school don't seem to care too
much for the geographical components of the story),
then we could be dealing with a tale somewhat older
than Pritsak's identification of VANIR with Onogurs.
It might go back to the times when the Alan-Ases were
truly dominant here [east of Tanakvisl], viz., prior
to the advent of the Huns (1rst-4th c. AD), when for a
couple of centuries they were the immediate political
neighbours of Goths and Herulians. And the question
would arise: who were the defeated X people later
transformed into Onogurs-Vanir? ******
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Find the one for you at Yahoo! Personals
http://personals.yahoo.com