A *short* Gmc translation
From: A.
Message: 46053
Date: 2006-09-13
Continuing the Germanic theme... I am wondering if someone can help
me with a VERY brief translation?
It has long been debated among modern heathens, as to who was the
highest deity of the Germanic Semnones. Tacitus made note of this god
in the Germania (98 AD). Tacitus is believed to have gathered his
information from a) the lost histories of Posidonis, b)Caesar, Livy,
and Pliny the elder, c) accounts from Roman soldiers and merchants
who passed through the area; possibly German auxiliaries.
So, Tacitus makes the following statement regarding the deity within
a sacred grove: "ibi regnator omnium deus, cetera subiecta atque
parentia." -- The loose English translation (based on Peterson)
being "he is the lord of all things, everything else is subject to
him."
Now you can imagine why this might cause a stir among modern heathens
who want to discern the identity of this supreme Germanic deity (I'm
speaking of the Wodan vs Tiw argument).
So my big question is that *IF* Tacitus (or his source) were to have
gotten this information from a German speaking source, what did the
German individual actually say that it was translated to Tacitus
as "regnator omnium deus"?
To work the problem backwards, exactly what would "regnator omnium
deus" translate to in the language of the Semnones at that time????
The Semnones were believed to be Suebi or Alamanni; these were part
of the Irminones/Herminones/Hermiones proto-tribe and therefore would
have spoken a form of West Germanic (one step removed from Proto-
Germanic).
Therefore to restate the question, can anyone directly translate "ibi
regnator omnium deus, cetera subiecta atque parentia." --- into West
Germanic?
(or Proto-Germanic? should Tacitus have gotten his info from the
earlier written source of Posidonis)
As always, I'm deeply indebted to any who can help!
-Aydan