Scandza was described as a "great island" by Gothic-Byzantine historianJordanes in his workGetica. The island was located in the Arctic regions of the sea that surrounded the world.[1] The location is usually identified withScandinavia.
Jordanes was a Roman citizen living inConstantinople but described himself as being of Gothic descent. HisGetica, written in 551 AD, gives a history of theGoths, beginning in Scandza from where they later migrated toGothiscandza, near the mouth of theVistula River. The Swedish archaeologist Göran Burenhult describes this account as a unique glimpse into the tribes of Scandinavia in the 6th century.[2]
_Scandinavia.jpg)
Early Greek and Roman geographers used the nameScandia for various uncharted islands inNorthern Europe.[3] The name originated in Greek sources and then into Latin[citation needed], which used it for a long time for different islands in theMediterranean region.[4] In theIliad the name denotes an ancient city inKythira, Greece.[5] The first attested written use of the name for a Northern European island appears in the work of RomanPliny the Elder,Naturalis Historia of c. AD 77.[6] Pliny described "Scandia" as an island located north ofBritannia.[7] This island does not appear to be the same as the island Pliny calls "Scatinavia", located nearCimbri. InClaudius Ptolemy'sGeographia, written in the 2nd century AD, Scandia is described as the most easterly of the Scandiae islands, a group of islands located east of the Cimbrian peninsula.[8] This is the region where Pliny had located "Scatinavia".
When Scandinavian scholars became familiar with the Roman records in theMiddle Ages, Scandiae was used as an alternative Latin name forTerra Scania. The early 13th-century Latin paraphrase of theScanian Law bears the titleLex Scandiae provincialis.[9]
Jordanes referred toPtolemy's description ofScandia "as a great island shaped like a juniper leaf" (i.e. long and not round) "having bulging sides and which tapered down in the south at a long end".[1] He also referred toPomponius Mela's description ofCodanonia (calledScatinavia byPliny the Elder) which was located in the Codanian Gulf (probablyKattegat). "This island was in front of theVistula and that there was a great lake" "from which sprang the riverVagus". "On the western and northern side it was surrounded by an enormous sea", "but in the east there was a land bridge which cut off the sea in the east forming theGermanic Sea". "There were also many small islands" (the Swedish and Finnish archipelagos) "where wolves could pass when the sea was frozen. In winter the country was not only cruel to people but also to wild beasts. Due to the extreme cold there were no swarms of honey-making bees."
In the 16th century,Olaus Magnus, a Swedish cartographer familiar with Pliny's writings, created a map where he placed the name "Scandia" in the middle of today's Sweden. In Olaus Magnus' map, the name denotes an area including "Svecia" (Svealand), "Gothia" and "Norvegia" (Norway), where he places various tribes described by the ancient geographers.
Although mainly a historical name,Scandia still occasionally continues in use today as a Latin name forScandinavia. TheScandinavian Bishops Conference, anEpiscopal Conference organized by theCatholic Church since 1923, is calledConferentia Episcopalis Scandiae.
In the north, there was the nation of theAdogit (perhaps referring to the inhabitants ofHålogaland in Norway or the people ofAndøya[10]) who lived in continual light during the midsummer (for forty days and nights) and in continual darkness (for as long) during the midwinter. Due to this alternation they go from joy to suffering (the first description of the Scandinavianwinter depression). The sun moreover seemed to pass along the horizon rather than rise from below.
Jordanes names a multitude of tribes living in Scandza, which he described as a "workshop producing peoples" or a "womb of nations" (officina gentium aut certe velut vagina nationum), and says they were taller and more ferocious than the Germans. The listing represents several instances of the same people named twice, which was probably due to the gathering of information from diverse travellers[11] and from Scandinavians arriving to join the Goths, such asRodwulf fromBohuslän.[12] Whereas linguists have been able to connect some names to regions in Scandinavia, there are others that may be based on misunderstandings.[2]
On the island there were theScrerefennae (i.e.,Sami peoples),[10] who lived ashunter-gatherers, subsisting on birds's eggs and a variety of swamp game.
There were also theSuehans (Swedes), who had splendid horses like theThuringians. (Snorri Sturluson wrote that the 6th-century Swedish kingAdils had the best horses of his time). They were the suppliers of black fox skins for the Roman market, and they were richly dressed, even though they lived in poverty.
There were also theTheustes (the people of theTjust region inSmåland);Vagoths (probably theGutes ofGotland);[13]Bergio (either the people ofBjäre Hundred inSkåne, according to L Weibull,[clarification needed] or the people ofKolmården according to others);Hallin (southernHalland); and theLiothida (either theLuggude Hundred orLödde inSkåne, though others connect them toSödermanland),[14] who lived in a flat and fertile region, due to which they were subject to the attacks of their neighbours.
Other tribes were theAhelmil (identified with the region ofHalmstad);[15] theFinnaithae (Finnhaith-; i.e.,Finnheden, the old name forFinnveden); theFervir (the inhabitants ofFjäre Hundred); and theGautigoths (theGeats ofVästergötland), a nation which was bold and quick to engage in war.
There were also theMixi,Evagreotingis (or theEvagres and theOtingis depending on the translator), who live like animals among the rocks (probably the numeroushillforts;Evagreotingis is believed to have meant the "people of the island hill forts," which best fits the people of southernBohuslän).[16]
Beyond them, there were theOstrogoths (Östergötland),Raumarici (Romerike), theRagnaricii (probablyRanrike, an old name for the northern part of Bohuslän) and the most gentleFinns (probably the second mention of theSami peoples[17]). TheVinoviloth (possibly remainingLombards,vinili[18]) were similar.
He also named theSuetidi, a second mention of theSwedes,[17][19] although it is also possible that the term "Suetidi" could be equated with the term "Svitjod".[20] TheDani were of the same stock and drove theHeruls from their lands. Those tribes were the tallest of men.
In the same area there were theGranni (Grenland),[21]Augandzi (Agder),[21]Eunixi,Taetel,Rugii (Rogaland),[21]Arochi (Hordaland),[21] andRanii (possibly the people ofRomsdalen).[21] The kingRodulf was of the Ranii but left his kingdom and joinedTheodoric, king of the Goths.
