Rugen (again)

                                                         ��Rugen��  

 largest island of Germany, in the Baltic Sea opposite Stralsund and separated from the German mainland by the Strelasund (Strela Sound) and Bodden Strait. It is administered as part of Mecklenburg�West Pomerania Land (state)...R�gen is rich in prehistoric artifacts. There are Upper Paleolithic remains, traces of the Neolithic Beaker folk, and the Bronze Age H�gelgraber Culture (distinguished by burial tumuli). The Germanic Rugieri tribe was displaced by the Slavic Wends (c. 500 BC), whose fortress on the northern promontory of Arkona was destroyed by the Danish king Waldemar I when he conquered and Christianized the island in 1168. R�gen was thereafter ruled by native princes under Danish supremacy until 1218 and passed to Pomerania (Pomorze) in 1325, to Sweden in 1648, and to Prussia in 1815...                                                                                                                 Copyright � 1994-2002 Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc

                                                             ��Arkona��                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      West Slavic citadel-temple of the god Svantovit, dating from the 9th�10th century AD and destroyed in 1168/69 by Christian Danes when they stormed the island of R�gen in the southwestern Baltic. Saxo Grammaticus, the 12th-century Danish historian, wrote that the Arkona was a wooden structure of consummate workmanship; around the temple extended a yard, and around this was a wooden fence, splendidly carved and bearing various painted symbols. The temple itself was log-built and was topped by a red roof; the inner chamber had partitions of heavy tapestry. In this inner sanctum loomed the statue of Svantovit, larger than life size, awe-inspiring with its four heads and throats joined together facing in opposite directions. Saxo mentions that not only the whole land of Wends but also Scandinavian neighbours paid tribute to Svantovit. When the statue was cut and removed, the Danes carried away seven boxes of treasures (gifts to the god). C. Schuchhardt's excavation in 1921 proved the actual existence of the temple. Repeated excavations in 1969�70 revealed an earlier layer of the sanctuary dated to the 10th and possibly 9th century AD.              Copyright � 1994-2002 Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc

  It is presumed (by some historians) that ancient Vanas mentioned in Sagas r infact Slavs( comp.to Wends, Veneds), whose judgment was greatly trusted by the Northerners.I haven�t found (yet) more clues...The fact that Slavs lived in Rugen since 500 BC puts even more weight to these claims.Tacitus in chapter 40 of  Germania writes about an island sacred to Germani.Now, my translation is dated 1927.(by Veselin Cajkanovic)-back then the most likely candidates were Seeland(maybe not spelled properly) and Rugen-it is also mentioned that the very name could be originally Slavic-Rujen(comp to rujevina- a plant specie; or rujno-red(dish)).Anyone got any further info on this?Btw, is there a word in German (or Swedish or Danish) that could be rooted in Rug ?Your oppinions and speculations on the subject...

One thing I find particulary interesting-in aprox. the same time Herodotus describes Budini and Neuri living in what�s todays Ukraine and White Russia � I found some references they could be Slavs and Balts-so were the Slavs that widespread (in ancient times)-from Ucraine to Elbe?And if the Slavs were infact living in the area of todays eastern and north eastern Germany-before the germanic tribes and later as their neighbours, they had to influence Germanic culture in some way.Now the German historians r emphasising only the Germanic influence on Slavs-sometimes they�re going too far by claiming that many slavic cultural traits r infact of germanic origin.Perun(slavic deity) is just one example-they say that it�s infact germanic Donner...I guess Baltic Perkunas is also of germanic origin-seems like everyone borrowed from germanics? I mean, why would that be true-ancient germanic culture wasn�t more advanced or superior then slavic in any way.Infact they were more or less similar to eachother...Oppinions?

Originally posted by Maju Copy and paste: Source? Your own opinion?

Ya Maju Socrates writes for Encyclopedia Britannica.

Originally posted by Maju Originally posted by Jhangora Originally posted by Maju Copy and paste: Source? Your own opinion? Ya Maju Socrates writes for Encyclopedia Britannica. It's this forum's policy that copy-and-paste should be limited and contextualized. And anyhow a source must be offered always.

 Well, I saw many threads with more copy/paste then here...The source is Britannica-I don't really see what's not clear about it.And concerning my opinnion-what do you want me to say? Ok, I'll say it...I think that name Rugen is slavic...infact many place names of north-eastern Germany( and eastern as well) r slavophonic even today-like Pomeranie.And I think that slavic culture influenced germanic one at least in the same extent as germanic did on slavic...

And yes, I think that Vanas were infact Wends(slavs)-northern kings payed tribute to Svantovit even in 12th century-when they were monotheistic( christianized)-why wouldn't it be the same in the centuries before ?And we know for sure that slavs( Wends) did inhabit northeastern  Germany as early as 500 BC-maybe even earlier.

I think it"s clear enough that my source is Britannica...it's not an online source-it's Britannica 2002 deluxe CD edition...anyone can check...all the citations r done properly-according with the terms Britannica suggested.

And 1/2 of my post r infact my comments- 

I knew it! Iwas already starting to think about a conspiracy theory...