Posted: August 13, 1999 at 08:12:39: by Martin Read
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: : : I seeem to remember the king of the Teutones having a Celtic name.
: It was the "king" of the Cimbri, he was called Boirax, the Teuton one was Teutobod, at this stage in the migration, many of the original participants seems to have gone home (at least there is a rise in wealthy finds in this period), while new germanic and celtic tribes had joined up and been merged into the two original tribes. Among those joining can be named part of the Cherusci- the later victors of teutoburger wald. It is concievable that Boirax was either born while the migration was in the lands of the Boi or was of that tribe (Cimbic chief taking Boi wife??) as he was very young and had probably never seen Jutland.Now I think of it I have heard of Cimbri being equated with Cymri (originally Cumbrogi) the Welsh name for themselves - meaning "fellow countryman."
: : : Anyway there was a lesser god called Teutates, I think, which would form a parallel with the example of the Saxons getting their name from the god Seaxneat (Saxsnot).
: Teutates was a Gallic god, not a germanic one. Sounds like the whole parcel of tribes was Celtic, or had Celtic influences. Though it sounds as though both Celtic and Germanic languages has similar terms for "People - tribe - folk" - Irish Tuath, Gothic Theod - as in Theoderic (folk-ruler). : : : I cannot remember the origin of the term Germani, but the Romans made somewhat indescriminate use of it often lumping the Sarmatians and Alans under the same name. After all to the Romans one bunch of barbarians north of the rivers was much the same as another.
: Tacitus distinguishes rather well between germans and other barbarians and so does Caesar. However, generally, I agree with that assessment. I think Caesar and Tacitus agrees on the term "German", was their own name for themselves. Though Tacitus described a Baltic people (as in Lithuanian) as being closely related to the British! : : Some other bits - Teuto might be related to the Irish Tuath meaning people - or tribe.
: Some say it comes from Thy, a landscape in Denmark where they suppossedly originated, just as "Himmerland" (the part of Dk north of Limfjorden in Jutland) was called Cimberland way back and is supposed to be the land of the Cimbri. : : Unrelated - I know a rhyme which is supposed to be in Shetland Norse (Norn) which died out as a living language in the 1600s. I know what it's meaning is thought to be, but I wondered if you could make any sense of it. I take no responsibility for the spelling ;) : : Barn vill ikka teea
: : Barn vill ikka teea
: : Takken leggan, slog an veggan
: : Barn vill ikka teea : It seems to say;
: The child will not behave
: The child will not behave
: grapp the legs, bash it into the wall (!!!)
: The child will not behave
: (or possibly ending with a "the child that will not behave) Yes! That's the meaning I was given. Interestingly my local dialect still (or did when I was a child) uses "Slog" to describe an especially hard hit - as of a ball with a bat.
: Scandinavians with some linguistic ear and who takes time can still read our ancient Norse texts. This especially goes for Icelanders as their language has changed little to enable them to still read the sagas easily (they have legislation concerning the language). I too have read some of them, but it is hard.
: ;-) Neitan turambar (but just call me Arminus!) Call me Martinianus Rufus!
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