Gothic Origins

It's believed the are originally from Sweden (from the region still now called Gotland or G�taland), they migrated to the mainland (Poland), where they fought and subjugated the Slavs (proto-Slavs), at some late time during the German migrations. Later they moved to Ukraine and Romania, where they divided between Western and Eastern Goths (Visigoths and Ostrogoths).

See: Goths in Wikipedia. This map, showing the early Gothic migrations is also there:


Green: G�thaland, Magenta: Gotland island, Red: 3rd Century CE, Orange: 4th century CE.

I notice that the green area is the same area where the Geats of Beowulf fame dwelt. I was told that these people were not Goths, despite the similar name, and a differend people all together.

Originally posted by Emperor Barbarossa Beowulf, didn't that have something to do with Nordic Mythology? As for similar names, how bout the Gaels who later settled in Scotland and the Gauls. I know that they were both Celtic but were they similar?

Beowulf is a piece of Anglo-Saxon literature which uses history as a plot device.  Beowulf was supposedly a Geat.  The Geats were alledgedly from what is now Southern Sweden--the Svear were their enemies. 

Mord.

Originally posted by Emperor Barbarossa Beowulf, didn't that have something to do with Nordic Mythology? As for similar names, how bout the Gaels who later settled in Scotland and the Gauls. I know that they were both Celtic but were they similar?

Gaels, Gaelic, Gauls are names of what we commonly call Celts (from Greek Keltoi). Nothing to do with Goths at all. The same that Latins and Latvians, Austria and Australia have nothing in common either.

Then why they spoke Germanic? It's 100% clear that Goths spoke an Eastern Germanic dialect and no Iranian tongue.

I think that Guti-Goths connection is as solid as the Austria-Australia I joked about before. Gutians remain being a mistery but relating them to Goths is nonsense. Gutians probably just were absorbed by other peoples when Goths didn't even have a name for themselves.

On the so serious opinions (sic) on Britons being original from the Caspian this is another nonsense. Britons were Celtic and therefore they came most directly from continental Europe (at least the ruling elithe that imposed their language), where Celts dwelt since before any clasical historian could remember. And, anyhow, I don't see any relation between Britons (Celtic-speakers) and Goths (Germanic-speakers) as Cyrus' quote want's to mean.

Apart of Scythian and Cymmerian incursions and Persian historical campaigns, both with only anecdotic consquences, there's not been any Iranian movement towards Europe at least since the Thracians (asuming Thracians were Eastern IEs) and anyhow these haven't but touched the eastern regions of Europe.

True that eventually all IEs came most likely from the Caspian region but that was soo deep in the past that nobody could have recorded it.

Originally posted by Cyrus Shahmiri It sounds strange if we want to compare languages of Goths/Gutians and Persians (in fact it is said Persians entered the Iranian plateau around 1800 BC) but there are really some similarites between Gothic words and Persian words.

Of course there are, both Germanic and Iranian languages are, after all, indo-european/aryan.

That being said, we really have no reason to doubt that the Goths originated in Scandinavia. They spoke a Germanic language, they carved Germanic runes, used Germanic names and referred to their ancestral homeland as "Scandza, the womb of peoples". There'll always be people making up far-fetched theories, but we, as historians, must be able to apply our critical senses to them.

Gothic runes have been found near Buchuresti, Romania, on a golden armlet, which isn't surprising seeing as they settled in that area for a while. It reads: "Gutani o wi hailag", "clenodium of the Goths, a holy bringer of fortune". Distributing golden armlets as a reward for deeds done was a common practice among the Germanic peoples, all the way up to the end of the Viking Age. A warlord could be given the informal "title" of "ring-giver", if he was generous with these things.

Originally posted by Maju Originally posted by Emperor Barbarossa Beowulf, didn't that have something to do with Nordic Mythology? As for similar names, how bout the Gaels who later settled in Scotland and the Gauls. I know that they were both Celtic but were they similar? Gaels, Gaelic, Gauls are names of what we commonly call Celts (from Greek Keltoi). Nothing to do with Goths at all. The same that Latins and Latvians, Austria and Australia have nothing in common either.

All right, I get why different groups of Celts have similar names. I reject the theory that the Goths were an Iranian people because they do not seem to be like Scythians, they seem more Nordic in their culture.