Scandza
 |
map of Scandza with a selection of tribes |
Scandza was the name given to
Scandinavia by
Jordanes, in his work
Getica. He described the area to set the stage for his treatment of the
Goths' migration from Scandinavia to
Gothiscandza. His account contains several accurate descriptions of Scandinavia, but is also jumbled and composed of information from several sources. To quote the prominent Swedish archaeologist Göran Burenhult (1996:94),
Jordanes account gives us a unique glimpse into the tribes of Scandinavia in the
6th century.
Jordanes referred to
Ptolemy's fairly correct description of
Scandia which was described 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. He also referred to
Pomponius Mela's description of
Codanonia (called
Scatinavia by
Pliny the Elder) which was located in the Codanian Gulf (probably
Kattegat).
This island was in front of the
Vistula and that there was a great lake (probably
Vänern) from which sprang the river
Vagus (cf.
Ván an old name for
Göta älv). On the western and northern side it was surrounded by an enormous sea (the
Atlantic), but in the east there was a land bridge (
Lappland) which cut off the sea in the east forming the
German Sea (the
Baltic 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 north, there was the nation of the
Adogit (perhaps originally
Halogit and referring to the inhabitants of
Hålogaland in Norway) who lived in continual light during the midsummer (for forty days and nights) and in continual darkness for as long time during the midwinter. Due to this alternation they go from joy to suffering (the first description of the Scandinavian
winter depression). The sun moreoever seemed to pass around the Earth rather than to rise from below.
Jordanes names a multitude of tribes living in Scandza, which he named the
Womb of nations, and they were taller and more ferocious than the Germans (archaeological evidence has shown the Scandinavians of the time were tall, probably due to their diet). The listing represents several instances of the same people named twice, which was probably due to the gathering of information from diverse travellers and from Scandinavians arriving to join the Goths, such as
Rodwulf from
Bohuslän. Whereas linguists have been able to connect most names to regions in Scandinavia, there are others that oppose any identification.
On the island there were the
Screrefennae (i.e.
Sami peoples) who lived as
Hunter-gatherers (
Finn (
cf. find)>
Fennae) living on a multitude of game in the swamps and on birds' eggs.
There were also the
Suehans (
Swedes) who had splendid horses like the
Thuringians (interestingly
Snorri Sturluson wrote that the
6th century Swedish king
Adils 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 the
Theustes (the people of the
Tjust region in
Småland),
Vagots (probably the
Gotlanders),
Bergio (either the people of
Bjäre Hundred in
Skåne, according to L Weibull, or the people of
Kolmården according to others),
Hallin (southern
Halland) and the
Liothida (either the
Luggude Hundred or
Lödde in
Skåne, but others connect them to
Södermanland) who live in a flat and fertile region, due to which they are subject to the attacks of their neighbours. Other tribes were the
Ahelmil (identified with the region of
Halmstad), the
Finnaithae (
Finnhaith-, i.e.
Finnheden, the old name for
Finnveden), the
Fervir (the inhabitants of
Fjäre Hundred) and the
Gautigoths (the
Geats of
Västergötland), a nation which was bold and quick to engage in war. There were also the
Mixi,
Evagreotingis (or the
Evagres and the
Otingis depending on the translator), who live like animals among the rocks (probably the numerous
hillforts and
Evagreotingis is believed to have meant the "people of the island hill forts" which best fits the people of
Bohuslän). Beyond them, there were the
Ostrogoths (
Östergötland),
Raumarici (
Romerike), the
Ragnaricii (probably
Ranrike, an old name for a part of Bohuslän) and the most gentle
Finns (a second mention of the
Sami peoples). The
Vinovilith (perhaps
Vingulmark, but it has been proposed that it referred to remaining
Lombards,
vinili) were similar.
He also named the
Suetidi (probably a second mention of the
Swedes). The
Dani, who were of the same stock and who drove the
Heruls from their lands. Those tribes were the tallest of men.
In the same area there were the
Granni (
Grenland),
Auganzi (
Agder),
Eunixi,
Taetel,
Rugi (
Rogaland),
Arochi (
Hordaland?) and
Ranii (second mention of
Ranrike, an older name for a part of Bohuslän). The king Roduulf was of the Rani but left his kingdom and joined
Theodoric, king of the Goths.
Some claim that Scandza only referred to
Scania, which must be due to not having read Jordanes, since the description covers all of the Scandinavian peninsula.
Some scholars who refute that the
Goths were from Scandinavia claim that Scandza was a mythical location. This is strikingly at odds with Jordanes' numerous correct descriptions and the fact that he identified it with Pliny the Elder's Scatinavia.
*Burenhult, Göran (1996)
Människans historia, VI.
*Ståhl, Harry (1970)
Ortnamn och ortnamnsforskning, AWE/Gebers, Uppsala.
*
A History of the Vikings*
The Origin and the Deeds of the Goths*
A Norwegian etymology for Germanic tribal names
