SVEOGÖTERNAS RIKE

Utdrag ur Sveogöternas rike: Det kulturhistoriska Sverige i bygd för bygd av Åke Ohlmarks.

LERATO "LIRA" MOLAPO

I'm a big fan of Lira. She is one of South Africas biggest artists. I think she is a beautiful and talented woman. Two songs that I really like are Hamba and Wa Mpaleha. Lira is married to Robin Kohl that is of German descent. He is also her producer.

PROTO-GERMANIC THEORY

I believe that most myths and legends have a core of truth. That is called euhemerism. The Germanic languages are quite different from other Indo-European languages. According to one hypothesis the Proto-Germanic language arose as a hybrid of two Indo-European languages, one each of Centum and Satem types. This hypothesis might help to explain the difficulty of finding the right place for Germanic within the Indo-European family. According to another hypothesis the elements of the common Germanic vocabulary and syntactical forms which do not seem to have an Indo-European origin show Proto-Germanic to be a creole language. It has been suggested that these elements came from a prior population that remained among the Indo-Europeans and was sufficiently influential to transmit some elements of its own language.

In Norse mythology there are two tribes of gods, the Æsir and the Vanir. The land of the Vanir was in Scandinavia. The Æsir migrated to Scandinavia. They came in conflict with the Vanir. The Æsir-Vanir War was a war that occurred between the Æsir and the Vanir. The Æsir and Vanir are said to have made peace. They exchanged hostages, intermarried and reigned together. After the Æsir-Vanir War the gods are generally referred to collectively as Æsir. The mythical Æsir-Vanir War mirror a half-remembered conflict.

The Kivik Grave in Skåne is from the Nordic Bronze Age. In both construction and in size it differs from other burials in Scandinavia from the Nordic Bronze Age. The site has been used as a quarry over a long period of time. A comparison with other contemporaneous graves suggests that the site might have been three times higher than it is today. Several stones in the tomb are adorned with petroglyphs. One of these stones is missing and several stones are severely damaged. The petroglyphs in the Kivik Grave are made in a iconographic style.

There are two groups of people depicted on the lower part of one of the stones. Each group consists of four individuals. I think the two groups are the Æsir and the Vanir. Next to each group is an Omega (Ω) symbol. This probably means the end of the two people. Right above each people is a group of individuals that I think are gods or ancestors. I think these groups above each people are the gods or ancestors worshiped by that people. There are three gods or ancestors above the people to the left. There are five gods or ancestors above the people to the right. I think a womb is depicted on the upper left corner of the stone. There are two individuals inside the womb. This is a symbol of the two people intermarrying and becoming one. On the upper right corner of the stone is a group with four individuals. This is the two people that now have become one, the Proto-Germanic people.

On the lower part of another stone one individual is giving praise to all the eight gods or ancestors. The Proto-Germanic people now worship all the eight gods or ancestors. The Proto-Germanic people expanded to the north and the south. The old stories about their origins became myths. These myths became part of what we today call Norse mythology.

There are several sun crosses on the stones. The sun cross was a solar symbol. The sun cross was the symbol of the solar year, the four cardinal points and the four seasons.

On the upper part of another stone there are two horses facing right (the same direction). I think this is a symbol of the Summer Solstice. When a mare is sexually receptive towards a stallion is controlled by the length of the day. The cycle is triggered when the days begin to lengthen. That is why the builders chose two horses facing the same direction as a symbol of the Summer Solstice. On the lower part of the stone there are two horses facing each other. I think this is a symbol of the Winter solstice. On the upper part of the stone the two horses are facing right. The horses face right because the sun move clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. I think the people that built the Kivik Grave knew about the sun year calender.

The Amber Road was an ancient trade route connecting northern Europe with the eastern Mediterranean. Several rock carvings in southern Scandinavia depict ships that have been identified as plausibly Mediterranean. Amber found in Mycenaean graves from this period originates from the Baltic Sea. The Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun had Baltic amber among his burial goods.

I think the people that migrated to Skåne came from northwestern Anatolia. They mixed with the natives and created a creole people, the Proto-Germanic people. The culture that arose in the Nordic Bronze Age probably constituted one supply end of the so-called Amber Road. The Troad was a region in northwestern Anatolia. Troy was an ancient city in the Troad region. Troy was known for its riches gained from port trade with east and west. The people of the Troad probably spoke an Anatolian language. The Germanic words for sun have the peculiarity of alternating between -l- and -n- stems. This continues a Proto-Indo-European alternation that is a remnant of an archaic declension pattern that remained productive only in the Anatolian languages.

In Greek mythology Eridanos was a river in northern Europe rich in amber. Hyperborea was a land in northern Europe. The Twelve Olympians were the principal gods of the Greek pantheon. Apollo was the only one among the Twelve Olympians that visited the Hyperboreans. Apollo has Anatolian origins. Apollo comes from the Anatolian god Apaliunas. In Greek mythology Apollo fought on the side of the Trojans during the Trojan War.

In Norse mythology Skaði was a jötunn and goddess associated with bowhunting. Skaði married Njörðr that was a Vanir. She then divorced Njörðr and married Ullr that was an Æsir. This is a metaphor. Skaði represented Scandinavia. Njörðr represented the Vanir that lived in Scandinavia. Ullr represented the Æsir that migrated to Scandinavia. A lot of what we know about Norse mythology we owe to Saxo Grammaticus and Snorri Sturluson. Saxo Grammaticus was a Danish historian born in the 12th century. Saxo Grammaticus wrote Gesta Danorum. Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian/poet born in the 12th century. Snorri Sturlusson wrote the Prose Edda and Heimskringla. According to Snorri Sturluson the Æsir were the people of Troy. The Æsir migrated to the north, where they took wives and had many children, populating the entire north with Æsir. The language of the Æsir became the language of the north. In Norse mythology Thor was the god of sky and storm. Thor were to slay the serpent Jörmungandr at Ragnarök. The Hittite and Luwian name for the god of sky and storm was Tarhun. According to Hittite myth Tarhun slew the serpentine dragon Illuyanka.

Many rock carvings in southern Scandinavia have been dated as belonging to the Nordic Bronze Age by comparing depicted artifacts with archaeological finds. Bronze axes are often portrayed in petroglyphs. The rather crude appearance of the petroglyphs compared to the bronze workings seem to indicate they were produced by different cultures or different social groups. I think many of the rock carvings depicting ships reflect the expansion of the Proto-Germanic people. It was a long process. The newcomers remained a ruling elite. Slowly but surely the two people became one. A radical change in climate around 650 BCE brought a much colder climate. The climate change triggered migrations southwards into continental Europe.

It has been said that there are two ships depicted on one of the stones in the Kivik Grave. I don't think that is true. I think a man is depicted on the stone. The man is depicted from the side laying on his back. The man is engulfed in flames. The body is made in a indistinct way because the body is consumed by the fire. The body is connected to the shelf. There was probably an object placed on the shelf. I think the image on the stone depict a man being cremated. The man depicted on the stone might be Ullr. There is a strophe in the Grímnismál that goes...

the good will of Ullr

and all the gods

whoever first touches the fire

for open will the worlds be

to the sons of the Æsir

when they lift each

This is my own translation. This obscure strophe might refer to the Kivik Grave. The strophe can be found in the Grímnismál. The Grímnismál is considered to be among the oldest poems in the Prose Edda. Ullr is almost unknown in the myths but his name is seen in a lot of geographical names. This indicate that his cult was widespread in prehistoric times. According to Saxo Grammaticus Odin was thrown out of Asgard by the other gods. When Odin was exiled, Ullr was chosen to take his place. Ullr ruled untill Odin was called back. Ullr was then slain by the Danes. This mirror a cultural and religious conflict.

Odin was a latecomer to the Norse pantheon. Odin has Celtic origins. Odin comes from the Celtic god Lugus. Both are intellectual gods, commanding magic and poetry. Both have ravens and a spear as their attributes. Both are one-eyed. Loki and Odin were one and the same until the early Norse Period. The Proto-Germanic people expanded to the north and the south. As the Proto-Germanic people expanded south they mixed with the Proto-Celtic peoples. The Beaker culture had stretched all the way to Jylland. The Proto-Celtic peoples are probably linked to the earlier Beaker culture.

There used to be many turf mazes and stone-lined mazes in northern Europe. Some stone-lined mazes in Scandinavia still exist. Many of these mazes have names which translated to English means Troy. These type of mazes are often found close to the sea. Place-names connected to Ullr are often found close to these type of mazes. A similar type of maze is engraved on an Etruscan wine-jar from the late 7th century BCE. The name Troy is inscribed in the outermost circuit of the maze. The other engravings on the Etruscan wine-jar and stories about these type of mazes suggest they were connected with some sort of ceremonial event. The same type of maze can also be found on ancient coins from the island of Crete. In Greek mythology the Labyrinth was a legendary maze-like structure on the island of Crete. The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age culture that arose on the island and flourished from approximately the 27th century BCE to the 15th century BCE when it was overrun by the Mycenean civilization from mainland Greece. According to the ancient writer Virgil a king named Teucer left his native island Crete with a third of its inhabitants and settled in the Troad. These people became the Trojans. There is a mountain southeast of the ruins of Troy that in ancient times was called Mount Ida. Mount Ida was located on the Trojan plain. Mount Ida was sacred to the Trojans. There is a mountain on the island of Crete that in ancient times was called Mount Ida. The mountain was sacred to the people on the island. I think the people from Crete that settled in the Troad named the mountain in northwestern Anatolia after the mountain on the island of Crete. In Norse mythology Iðavöllr was a plain where the Æsir lived. Iðavöllr means the plain of Ida.

Another similarity is the custom that a third of the people would depart if the land couldn't support the entire people. Just like king Teucer departed with a third of his people, so did several Germanic peoples like the Langobards and the Goths. A link to a post about the origins of the Langobards:

http://www.keyoghettson.com/2011/11/langobards-heaobards-and-danes.html

The Bjäre peninsula in northwestern Skåne is known for an unusually high density of Bronze Age graves. The Tofta mounds on the Bjäre peninsula are known locally as Gudahovet. Gudahovet means the court of the gods. In northwestern Skåne there are place-names like Vanstad, Vantinge, Valhall and Gimle. In Norse mythology Asgard is a place where the gods live. Valhalla is located within Asgard. The gods and humans that survive Ragnarök build Gimlé on Iðavöllr. In northwestern Skåne there are two hundreds called Åsbo Southern Hundred and Åsbo Northern Hundred. A hundred is a geographic division, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions. In medieval times the two hundreds were called Asbo Southern Hundred and Asbo Northern Hundred. Asbo means the place where the Æsir live.

According to Snorri Sturluson the name of the Æsir derive from Asia. The word Asia originated from the Ancient Greek word Ἀσία. Originally it was the name for northwestern Anatolia. The area were known to the Hittites as Assuwa. Assuwa means horse. The Sanskrit word for horse is ashva. The Lithuanian word for horse is ašva. The Trojans were known for their horses. The Assuwa league was a confederation of states in northwestern Anatolia. Troy was part of the Assuwa leauge. The Greek name derive from the Anatolian name of the region.

The Bjäre peninsula and the Kullen peninsula in northwestern Skåne form a bay called Skälderviken. There is a town on the cost with the same name. This is also where you find the place-name Valhall. The first segment of Skälderviken means shield. One of the kennings for Ullr was shield. Ullr's ship was called Skjöldr. Skjöldr means shield. Beowulf (8th century) is an Old English poem. According to the text Scyld Scefing came in a boat as a child to Scedenigge/Scedelandum. The Old English name for Skåne was Scedenig. Scedelandum means the Scanian lands. The old name for Skåneland was Skånelandene. Skånelandene means the Scanian lands. Later on Scyld Scefing became king of the land. Scyld means shield. In Scandinavian texts like the Prose Edda Scyld Scefing is called Skjöldr. Widsith (9th century) is an Old English poem. The text mentions a Langobard king called Sceafa. The Æthelweard Chronicle (10th century) tell the history of the Anglo-Saxons. According to the text the Anglo-Saxon kings decendeded from a Langobard king called Scef. According to the text Scef came in a boat as a child to Scani. Scani means Skåne. Later on Scef became king of the land. In the Beowulf text Scyld Scefing is referred to as the giver of rings. In the eddic poem Atlakviða there is a line that refer to the rings of Ullr. In Lilla Ullevi north of Stockholm archaeologists have excavated a religious worshiping ground for Ullr. The archaeologists found 65 rings. I think Scyld Scefing and Ullr were one and the same. I think Ullr was Scyld Scefing turned deity.

According to a local Scanian legend Torekov was named after Thora who was drowned and was found on the shore of Torekov by a blind man. Thora was buried by the blind man who then regained his sight. Torekov is a villiage on the Bjäre peninsula. In Greek mythology Ilus was the son of Tros. Ilus founded the city Ilion. Ilus won a wrestling prize at games held by the king of Phrygia. He received fifty youths and maidens as his reward. The king also, on the advice of an oracle, gave him a cow and asked him to found a city where it should lie down. Ilus did so. Ilus prayed for a sign and saw the Palladium but was immediately blinded for the impiety of looking on the image. He regained his sight after making offerings. The Scanian legend has a Christian setting. I think the legend has pre-Christian roots. I think the legend was given a Christian setting much later on.

Sons of Noah is an extensive list of descendants of Noah appearing within the Torah at Genesis 10, representing an ethnology from an Iron Age Levantine perspective. Japheth was one of the sons of Noah. Japheth's first son was Gomer. Gomer's first son was Ashkenaz. Ashkenazi Jews are descended from the medieval Jewish communities of Germany. Ashkenaz was the Medieval Hebrew name for Germany and German-speaking borderland areas. It was also the Hebrew name for the land of the Phrygians. I think the Jews knew there was a connection between the Germanic peoples and the Phrygians. During the Trojan War the region by Lake Ascania (aka Lake Ascanius) in Anatolia was held by the Phrygians who sent troops to the aid of the Trojans. It is possible that the fifty youths and maidens that the Phrygian king gave to Ilus came from the region by Lake Ascania. In Greek mythology several Trojans have the name Ascanius.

I think the Veneti are linked to the continental trade during the Bronze Age. The Veneti lived in what today is northern Poland. This was the beginning of the Amber Road. The Veneti also lived in what today is the region of Veneto and Slovenia. This was the end of the Amber Road. According to ancient writers the Veneti orginally came from Anatolia and were partly of Trojan descent. The Baltic Veneti are believed to have been a centum Indo-European people. Their heritage is attributed to Pre-Slavic hydronyms found in Poland. Hydronyms attributed to the Baltic Veneti seem to show resemblances to those attested in the area of the Adriatic Veneti as well as those attested in the Western Balkans that are attributed to Illyrians, all of which may point to a possible connection between these ancient Indo-European peoples. There was probably a Veneti presence in what today is the region of Brittany. Bronze is a metal alloy usually consisting of copper and tin. The sources of tin in Europe are scarce. Tin had to be traded over very long distances. Brittany has significant sources of tin. Devon and Cornwall close to Brittany also have significant sources of tin. This is probably why there was a Veneti presence in Brittany. I think the Veneti in Brittany later got assimilated by the Celtic peoples in the region.

The Sami people are a Finno-Ugric people that live on the northern part of the Scandinavian peninsula. The earliest Sami yoik texts written down refer to the world as Skadesi-suolo (north-Sami) and Skađsuâl (east-Sami), probably meaning Skaði's island. The Sami name was a loan word from the North Germanic languages. Sk- in words used in Sami is a phonotactic structure of non-native origin. The goddess Skaði may have once been a personification of Scandinavia.

Skåne (aka Scania) and Scandinavia have the same etymology. It's two different forms of the same name. Originally it was the name for Skåne. As the Proto-Germanic people expanded it became the name for all of Scandinavia. It appears later in Old Norse as Skáney. I think the first segment of the name originally derive from the Indo-European root for shoot. The Indo-European root for shoot was probably *skeud-. The second segment of the name means island. The Old English name for Skåne was Scedenig. The first segment of the name originally derive from the same root as the first segment of Skåne. The second segment of the name represents Old English īġ that means island.

A link to a post about why *skeud- probably was the Indo-European word for shoot:

http://www.keyoghettson.com/2011/04/oswald-szemerenyi.html

During the Migration Period Germanic tribes wandered across the European continent. Several of these tribes claimed Scandinavian origins. They called it the womb of nations. According to the Goths their original homeland was Scandza. According to the Langobards their original homeland was Scadan/Scadanan. The Proto-Germanic word for shoot was probably *skeutanan. Note the similarity between Scadan/Scadanan and *skeutanan. Also note the similarity between Scadan/Scadanan and Scedenig. The Scanian word for shoot is almost the same as *skeud-.

The people that originally was known as Illyrians might be linked to the Trojans. This people occupied a small and well-defined part of the south Adriatic coast around Lake Skadar (aka Lake Scutari). Shkodra is a city next to Lake Skadar. The name of the lake and the name of the city have the same etymology. I think the first segment of the name of the lake and the city originally derive from *skeud-. In Greek the city is known as Scutarion or Skodra. In Italian the city is known as Scutari. In Serbian, Croatian, Montenegrin and Macedonian the city is known as Skadar. In Turkish the city is known as İşkodra. The name of the Scythians probably was *Skuda (archer). The name originally derive from Indo-European root for shoot. These two examples give support to my claim that the first segment of Skåne and Scandinavia derive from *skeud-.

Skanör is a town on the Falsterbo peninsula in southwestern Skåne. The first segment of the name has the same etymology as the first segment of Skåne. The second segment of the name means sandbanks. The Falsterbo peninsula belongs to Skytt hundred. Skytt means archer. The Falsterbo peninsula is shaped like an arm holding a bow. I think that was why the Proto-Germanic people named their homeland "Skåne".

LANGOBARDS, HEAÐOBARDS AND DANES

Before you read this post you should read my post about the Proto-Germanic people:

http://www.keyoghettson.com/2010/11/proto-germanic-people_30.html

The Langobards and the Heaðobards were probably the same people. I think Skåne was the original homeland of the Langobards. Origo Gentis Langobardorum (7th century) and Historia Langobardorum (8th century) tell the history of the Langobards. According to these texts the Langobards were originally called Winnili and their original homeland was called Scadan/Scadanan. According to Historia Langobardorum the Winnili split into three groups. One of the groups left their original homeland. This group would later become the Langobards. I think the Heaðobards were the Winnili that remained.

This is how Scadan/Scadanan is described in Historia Langobardorum:

This island then, as those who have examined it have related to us, is not so much placed in the sea as it is washed about by the sea waves which encompass the land on account of the flatness of the shores.

According to ancient writers the Langobards dwelt near the mouth of the river Elbe at the beginning of the Common Era. The place-names Bardengau and Bardowick in what today is northern Germany most likely derive from the name of the Langobards. It can hardly be said of neither Bardengau or Bardowick that it is surrounded by sea waves. Skåne on the other hand fit the description very well.

In ancient texts Scandinavia is refered to as an island. Skåne (aka Scania) and Scandinavia have the same etymology. It's two different forms of the same name. Originally it was the name for Skåne. Later it became the name for all of Scandinavia. The Old Norse name for Skåne was Skáney. The second segment of Skáney means island. The Old English name for Skåne was Scedenig. The second segment of the name represents Old English īġ that means island. Note the similarity between Scadan/Scadanan and Scedenig.

Beowulf (8th century) is an Old English poem. The text mention a feud between the Danes and the Heaðobards. According to the text the Danes killed the Heaðobard king Froda. The Danish king sent his daughter to marry Froda's son Ingeld to end the feud. One of the Heaðobards urged the other Heaðobards to avenge Froda. Widsith (9th century) is another Old English poem. The text also mentions the feud between the Danes and the Heaðobards. According to the text the Danes defeated the Heaðobards. In later Scandinavian texts Froda is referred to as a Danish king. The later Scandinavian texts mention the feud but not the Heaðobards. The Heaðobards had either been forgotten by then or the Heaðobards were deliberately erased from history by the the Danes. Froda was not a Danish king. Froda was a Heaðobard king.

The Heaðobard that urged the other Heaðobards to avenge Froda was Starkad/Starkodder. There used to be a mound in northwestern Skåne called Starkodder's mound. In the 12th century a historian working for the Danish archbishop Absalon wrote that Starkad killed Angantyr and his brothers. According to the text this happened in northwestern Skåne not far from Starkodder's mound. According to the legend there used to be a stone circle marking out the spot where it happened. According to the Annales Ryenses (13th century), it was still possible to see Starkad's sword in the water beneath the bridge of Boilyngh when the water was low. Later this spot was located to Rönne river in northwestern Skåne. In the 16th century people talked of the Stones of Starkad at Vegeholm also in northwestern Skåne. The Danish folklorist Axel Olrik and Arthur Stille recorded many recent traditions about Starkad in northwestern Skåne.

The Æthelweard Chronicle (10th century) tell the history of the Anglo-Saxons. According to the text the Anglo-Saxon kings decendeded from a Langobard king called Scef. According to the text Scef came in a boat as a child to Scani. Scani means Skåne. Later on Scef became king of the land. Widsith mentions a Langobard king called Sceafa. The same story that can be found in the Æthelweard Chronicle can also be found in Beowulf. According to the Beowulf text Scyld Scefing came in a boat as a child to Scedenigge/Scedelandum. The Old English name for Skåne was Scedenig. Scedelandum means the Scanian lands. The old name for Skåneland was Skånelandene. Skånelandene means the Scanian lands. Later on Scyld Scefing became king of the land. Scyld means shield. The Bjäre peninsula and the Kullen peninsula in northwestern Skåne form a bay called Skälderviken. There is a town on the cost with the same name. The first segment of Skälderviken means shield. The second segment of the name means bay.



The area around Växjö in southern Småland.

Close-up of the area around Dänningelanda.

De origine actibusque Getarum (6th century) tell the history of the Goths. According to the text the Danes were the same people as the Swedes. In the area around Växjö in southern Småland there are place-names like Dänningelanda, Dänninge, Dänningeborg and Danneborg. The first segment of all these place-names have the same etymology as Dan. Dänn- is an archaic form of Dan. There is no other place in Scandinavia where you find a cluster of place-names like that. In Denmark place-names like that are virtually absent. In the same area in southern Småland you also find place-names like Yngslanda, Inglinge, Inglinge hög, Ingelstad and Uppsala. The Ynglings were a legendary dynasty of Swedish kings. Uppsala were the residence of the Swedish kings. According to De origine actibusque Getarum the Heruli were expelled from their native homeland by the Danes. I think the Danes migrated south from their original homeland. As the Danes migrated south they came into conflict with the Heathobards and the Heruli. The Heaðobards were subdued and the Heruli were expelled.

Småland is a province in southern Sweden. Småland borders to Skåne. Forna Rijdghiöta eller Smålendske Antiqviteter is a text that tell the history of Småland. The text was written by Petter Rudbeck in the 17th century. The text is based on myths, songs and legends from Småland. According to the text a Geatish king called Eric I sent people from Småland to colonize what is today Denmark. According to the text it was these people that became the Danes. The same story can be found in a text called Historia de omnibus gothorum sueonumque regibus. The text was written by Johannes Magnus in the 16th century. Historia de omnibus gothorum sueonumque regibus tell the history of the Swedes. In the text there is a song called the Ballad of Eric. According to the song a Geatish king called Eric sent troops south to colonize land that had not yet been cultivated. Later a Geatish king named Humli sent his son Dan to rule the settlers. The land was named Denmark after Dan. According to Johannes Magnus the Ballad of Eric was widely sung among the peasantry in Sweden at the time.

MOSADI WAKA (MY WOMAN)

O nthata jaaka ke ntse. O dumela mo go nna. O tsala yame e tona. O ntsisetsa boitumelo. Ke wena mosadi yo o ntshiametseng. Ke batla go nna le wena botshelo jwa me jothe. Ke batla go dira lelwapa le wena.

Translation from Setswana to English:

You love me as I am. You believe in me. You are my best friend. You make me happy. You are the right woman for me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to have a family with you.