Sweden in the 12th century before the incorporation of Finland during the 13th century. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe.      Geats      Swedes      Gotlanders

Geats, Geatas, Gautar, Goths^[1], Gotar, Gøtar, Götar were a North Germanic tribe inhabiting Götaland ("land of the Geats") in modern Sweden. The Swedes (svear Old Norse: svíar; Old English: Sweonas; Suiones Suehans or Sueones) were an ancient North The Gotlanders are the population of the island of Gotland. In Swedish they are also called Gutar an ethnonym identical to Goths ( The Goths ( Gothic: Gothic usvg|14px|u]]Gothic asvg|14px|a]]Gothic s North Germanic tribes are the Germanic tribes that left Scandinavia late on the second phase of the Migration period, that took place between AD 500 Götaland ( Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gotland, Gautland, Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The name of the Geats also lives on in the Swedish counties of Västergötland and Östergötland, the Western and Eastern lands of the Geats, and in many other toponyms. The Counties of Sweden, or Län, are the first level administrative and political Subdivisions of Sweden. is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish situated in the southwest of Sweden. Östergötland is a one of the traditional Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish) in the south of Sweden. Toponymy refers to the scientific study of place-names ( toponyms) their origins meanings use and Typology.

History

Early history

The earliest mention of the Geats may appear in Ptolemy (2nd century A. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca The 2nd century is the period from 101 to 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. D. ), where they are referred to as Goutai. In the 6th century, they were referred to as Gautigoths and Ostrogoths (the Ostrogoths of Scandza) by Jordanes and as Gautoi by Procopius. The 6th century is the period from 501 to 600 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Scandza was the name given to Scandinavia by Jordanes, in his work Getica. Jordanes (also Jordanis or even Iornandes) was a 6th century Roman Bureaucrat, who turned his hand to History later in life Procopius of Caesarea ( Προκόπιος ο Καισαρεύς, c In the Norse Sagas they are referred to as Gautar, and in Beowulf and Widsith as Gēatas^[2]. The sagas (from Icelandic saga, plural sögur) are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history about early Viking voyages Beowulf is an Old English Heroic epic poem of anonymous authorship dating as recorded in the Nowell Codex manuscript from between Widsith is an Old English poem of 144 lines that appears to date from the 9th century drawing on earlier Oral traditions of Anglo-Saxon tale singing Geats should not be confused with the Thracian Getae. "Thracians" also refers to modern inhabitants of Thrace, regardless of ethnicity The Getae ( Greek: Γέται singular Γέτης was the name given by the Greeks to several Thracian tribes that occupied the regions south of the

Beowulf and the Norse sagas name several Geatish kings, but only Hygelac finds confirmation in Liber Monstrorum where he is referred to as Rex Getarum and in a copy of Historiae Francorum where he is called Rege Gotorum. The sagas (from Icelandic saga, plural sögur) are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history about early Viking voyages Geatish kings (Rex Getarum/Gothorum existed since the provinces of Götaland /Gautland/Geatland (the Geats feature in the epic poem ' Beowulf ' are considered to have Hygelac, Proto-Norse * Hugilaikaz, Old Norse Hugleikr (d ca 516) was a King of the Geats, but was born in Denmark These sources concern a Viking raid into Frisia, ca 516, which is also described in Beowulf. Frisia ( West Frisian: Fryslân; North Frisian: Fraschlönj, Freesklöön, Freeskluin, Fresklun, and Events By Place Europe Sigismund, son of Gundobad becomes king of Burgundy. Some decades after the events related in this epic, Jordanes described the Geats as a nation which was "bold, and quick to engage in war".

Before the consolidation of Sweden, the Geats were politically independent of the Swedes, whose old name was Sweonas in Old English. The consolidation of Sweden was a long process during which the loosely organized social system consolidated under the power of the king The Swedes (svear Old Norse: svíar; Old English: Sweonas; Suiones Suehans or Sueones) were an ancient North When written sources emerge (approximately at the end of the 10th century), the Geatish lands are described as part of the still very shaky Swedish kingdom, but the manner of their unification with the Swedes is a matter of much debate.

Based on the lack of early medieval sources, and the fact that the Geats were later part of the kingdom of Sweden, traditional accounts assume a forceful incorporation by the Swedes, but the only surviving traditions which deal with Swedish-Geatish wars are of semi-legendary nature and found in Beowulf. Swedish-Geatish wars refer to semi- Legendary 6th century battles between Swedes and Geats that are described in the Anglo-Saxon A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to Beowulf is an Old English Heroic epic poem of anonymous authorship dating as recorded in the Nowell Codex manuscript from between The Swedish invasion of Geatish lands has been explained with Geatish involvement in the Gothic wars in southern Europe, which brought a great deal of Roman gold to Götaland, but also naturally depleted their numbers (see Nordisk familjebok). Nordisk familjebok (en Nordic familybook is a Swedish Encyclopedia, published between 1876 and 1957 The Hervarar saga is believed to contain such traditions handed down from the 4th century. Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks is a Legendary saga from the 13th century combining matter from several older sagas As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 4th century (per the Julian calendar and Anno Domini / Common era) was that Century It relates that when the Hunnish Horde invaded the land of the Goths and the Gothic king Angantyr desperately tried to marshal the defenses, it was the Geatish king Gizur who answered his call. The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy Angantyr was the name of three characters from the same line in Norse mythology, and who appear in Hervarar saga, in Gesta Danorum Geatish kings (Rex Getarum/Gothorum existed since the provinces of Götaland /Gautland/Geatland (the Geats feature in the epic poem ' Beowulf ' are considered to have Gizur, Gizurr or Gissur was a King of the Geats. He appears in The Battle of the Goths and Huns, which is included in the

There are widely diverging opinions among scholars as to when the Geats were finally subdued by the Swedes and made a part of the Swedish kingdom. ^[3] According to Curt Weibull, the Geats would have been finally integrated in the Swedish kingdom c. Curt Weibull ( 19 August 1886 &ndash 10 November 1991) was a Swedish historian 1000, but according to others, it most likely took place before the 9th century, and probably as early as the 6th century. The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The 6th century is the period from 501 to 600 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. ^[3] The fact that some sources are silent about the Geats indicates that any independent Geatish kingdom no longer existed in the 9th century. The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. ^[3] In Rimbert's account of Ansgar's missionary work, the Swedish king is the sole sovereign in the region and he has close connections not only with the king of the Danes but also with the king of the Franks. Saint Rimbert or Rembert (d 11 June, 888) was Archbishop of Bremen -Hamburg from 865 until his death Saint Ansgar, Anskar or Oscar, ( September 8 ? 801 &ndash February 3, 865) was an Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen. The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group ^[3] However, the oldest medieval Swedish sources present the Swedish kingdom as having remaining legal differences between Swedes and Geats. ^[3]

Viking Age

In the Heimskringla, Snorri Sturluson writes about several battles between Norwegians and Geats. Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse Kings' sagas. Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian poet and politician Norwegians See also History of Norway and Demography of Norway. He wrote that in the 9th century, there were battles between the Geats and the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair, during Harald Fairhair's campaign in Götaland, a war the Geats had to fight without assistance of the Swedish king Erik Emundsson. The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair ( Old Norse: Haraldr hárfagri, Norwegian: Harald Hårfagre) (c Harald Fairhair's campaign in Götaland was an attack that took place in the 870 's Eric Anundsson / Eymundsson (d 882 was a Swedish king who ruled during the 9th century He also wrote about Haakon I of Norway's expedition into Götaland and Harold I of Denmark's battle against Jarl Ottar of Östergötland, and about Olaf the Holy's battles with the Geats during his war with Olof Skötkonung. Haakon I ( Old Norse: Hákon Aðalsteinsfóstri, Norwegian: Håkon Adalsteinsfostre) (c Harald Bluetooth Gormson (Harald Blåtand Haraldr blátönn, Harald Blåtann was born around 935 the son of King Gorm the Old and of Thyra (also Jarl Ottar or Ottar Jarl (?- 970s was a Jarl of Götaland who appears in the Heimskringla (the Saga of Olaf Tryggvasson Östergötland is a one of the traditional Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish) in the south of Sweden. Olof Skötkonung ( Old Icelandic: Óláfr sænski, Old Swedish: Olawær skotkonongær) was the son of Eric the Victorious and

Middle Ages

The Geats were traditionally divided into several petty kingdoms, or districts, which had their own things (popular assemblies) and laws. A petty kingdom is an independent realm recognizing no suzerain and controlling only a portion of the territory held by a particular ethnic group or nation See also Medieval Scandinavian laws A thing or ting ( Old Norse, Old English and Icelandic: þing; other modern The largest one of these districts was Västergötland (West Geatland), and it was in Västergötland that the Thing of all Geats was held every year, in the vicinity of Skara. is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish situated in the southwest of Sweden. The Thing of all Geats (Swedish Alla götars ting) was the thing (general assembly which was held from pre-historic times to the Middle Ages in Skara Skara (pop 10700 is a city in Västergötland, Sweden, an Episcopal see and the seat of Skara Municipality, Västra Götaland

Unlike the Swedes, who used the division hundare, the Geats used hærrad, like the Norwegians and the Danes. Surprisingly, it would be the Geatish name that became the common term in the Swedish kingdom. This is possibly related to the fact that several of the medieval Swedish kings were of Geatish extraction and often resided primarily in Götaland.

In the 11th century, the Swedish House of Munsö became extinct with Emund the Old. The House of Munsö is one of the names of a protohistoric Swedish dynasty. Emund the Old, Emund den gamle, Old Swedish: Æmunðær slemæ (king of Sweden 1050 - 1060) was an illegitimate son of Olof Stenkil, a Geat, was elected king of Sweden, and the Geats would be influential in the shaping of Sweden as a Christian kingdom. Stenkil ( Old Icelandic: Steinkel, Old Swedish: Stænkil) was King of Sweden who ruled c A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth However, this election also ushered in a long period of civil unrest between Christians and pagans and between Geats and Swedes. The Geats tended to be more Christian, and the Swedes more pagan, which was why the Christian Swedish king Inge the Elder fled to Västergötland when deposed in favour of Blot-Sweyn, a king more favourable towards Norse paganism, in the 1080s. Inge Stenkilsson ( Old Norse Ingi Steinkelsson) was a King of Sweden. is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish situated in the southwest of Sweden. Blot-Sven (Blot-Sven "Sweyn the Sacrificer" was a Swedish king c Norse paganism is a term used to describe the religious traditions which were common amongst the Germanic tribes living in Nordic countries prior to and Inge would retake the throne and rule until his death c. 1100.

The Geats were not treated as equals with the Swedes. In his Gesta Danorum (book 13), the Danish 12th century chronicler Saxo Grammaticus noted that the Geats had no say in the election of the king, only the Swedes. Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes" is a work of Danish history by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate" "Saxo" redirects here For the car see Citroën Saxo and for the bank see Saxo Bank Saxo Grammaticus (c When in the 13th century, the West Geatish law or Westrogothic law was put to paper, it reminded the Geats that they had to accept the election of the Swedes at the Stone of Mora: Sveær egho konong at taka ok sva vrækæ meaning It is the Swedes who have the right of choosing and deposing the king. See also Medieval Scandinavian laws Västgötalagen or the Westrogothic law is the oldest Swedish text written in the Latin script Stones of Mora was the place where the Swedish kings were elected

One of these Swedish kings was Ragnvald Knaphövde, who in 1125 was riding with his retinue in order to be accepted as king by the Geats of Västergötland. Ragnvald Knaphövde was a King of Sweden whose reign is estimated to the mid-1120s or c is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish situated in the southwest of Sweden. As he despised the Geats, he decided not to demand hostages from their prominent clans. The Scandinavian clan or ætt (ˈɛtt in Old Norse) was a social group based on common descent or on the formal acceptance into the group at a þing He was slain near Falköping. Falköping is a city in the traditional province of Västergötland, Sweden and the seat of Falköping Municipality, Västra

The distinction between Swedes and Geats lasted during the Middle Ages, but the Geats became increasingly important for Swedish national claims of greatness due to the Geats' old connection with the Goths. They argued that since the Goths and the Geats were the same nation, and the Geats were part of the kingdom of Sweden, this meant that the Swedes had defeated the Roman empire. The earliest attestation of this claim comes from the Council of Basel, 1434, during which the Swedish delegation argued with the Spanish about who among them were the true Goths. The Council of Florence (originally Council of Basel) was an Ecumenical Council of Bishops and other ecclesiastics of the Roman Catholic Church The Spaniards argued that it was better to be descended from the heroic Visigoths than from stay-at-homers. The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East This cultural movement, which was not restricted to Sweden went by the name Gothicismus or in Swedish Göticism, i. Gothicismus, Gothism, or Gothicism (Göticism is the name given to what is considered to have been a Cultural movement in Sweden. e. Geaticism, as Geat and Goth were considered synonymous back then.

Modern times

After the 15th century and the Kalmar Union, the Swedes and the Geats appear to have begun to perceive themselves as one nation, which is reflected in the evolution of svensk into a common ethnonym^[4][5]. The Kalmar Union ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish: Kalmarunionen) is a historiographical term meaning a series of Personal It was originally an adjective referring to those belonging to the Swedish tribe, who are called svear in Swedish. As early as the 9th century, svear had been vague, both referring to the Swedish tribe and being a collective term including the Geats^[4], and this is the case in Adam of Bremen's work where the Geats (Goths) appear both as a proper nation and as part of the Sueones^[4]. The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Adam of Bremen (also Adam Bremensis) was one of the most important German Medieval Chroniclers He lived and worked in the second half of the The merging/assimilation of the two nations took a long time, however. In the early 20th century, Nordisk familjebok noted that svensk had almost replaced svear as a name for the Swedish people^[6]. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Nordisk familjebok (en Nordic familybook is a Swedish Encyclopedia, published between 1876 and 1957

Today, the merger of the two nations is complete, as there is no longer any tangible identification in Götaland with a Geatish identity, apart from the common tendency of people living in those areas to refer to themselves as västgötar (West Geats) and östgötar (East Geats), that is to say, residents of the provinces of Västergötland and Östergötland. Götaland ( Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gotland, Gautland, Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden The provinces of Sweden, Landskap, are historical geographical and cultural regions is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish situated in the southwest of Sweden. Östergötland is a one of the traditional Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish) in the south of Sweden. The city Göteborg, known in English as Gothenburg, was named after the Geats (Geatsburg or fortress of the Geats), when it was founded in 1621. Gothenburg ( Swedish:) /jœte'bɔrj/ is a city, a municipality, and an urban area on the west-coast of Sweden.

Until 1973 the official title of the Swedish king was King of the Swedes, the Geats/Goths and the Vandals (with the formula "Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung") This, however, changed when the new king Carl XVI Gustaf in 1973 decided that his royal title should simply be King of Sweden. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. The disappearance of the old title was a decision made entirely by the king. The old title in Latin was "N. N. Dei Gratia, Suecorum, Gothorum et Vandalorum Rex. "

Goths

Main article: Goths

     traditional Götaland      the island of Gotland      Wielbark Culture in the early 3rd century      Chernyakhov Culture, in the early 4th century      Roman Empire

Geatas was originally Proto-Germanic *Gautoz and Goths and Gutar (Gotlanders) were *Gutaniz. The Goths ( Gothic: Gothic usvg|14px|u]]Gothic asvg|14px|a]]Gothic s Götaland ( Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gotland, Gautland, Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden is a county, province and municipality of Sweden and the largest Island in the Baltic Sea. The 3rd century is the period from 201 to 300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The Chernyakhiv culture (also known as Cherniakhov culture or Cherniakhovo culture) ( Second century to Fifth century) was found in Ukraine As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 4th century (per the Julian calendar and Anno Domini / Common era) was that Century The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Proto-Germanic, or Common Germanic, is the hypothetical common ancestor ( Proto-language) of all the Germanic languages such as modern English The Gotlanders are the population of the island of Gotland. In Swedish they are also called Gutar an ethnonym identical to Goths ( *Gautoz and *Gutaniz are two ablaut grades of a Proto-Germanic word *geutan with the meaning "to pour" (modern Swedish gjuta, modern German giessen). The word comes from an Indo-European root meaning to pour, offer sacrifice. ^[7] There were consequently two derivations from the same proto-Germanic ethnonym. ^[8]

It is a long-standing controversy whether the Goths were Geats. The Goths ( Gothic: Gothic usvg|14px|u]]Gothic asvg|14px|a]]Gothic s Both Old Icelandic and Old English literary sources clearly separate the Geats on one hand (Isl. Gautar, OEng Geatas) from the Goths/Gutar (Isl. The Gotlanders are the population of the island of Gotland. In Swedish they are also called Gutar an ethnonym identical to Goths ( Gotar, OEng. Gotenas); on the other, however, the Gothic historian Jordanes wrote that the Goths came from the island of Scandza. Jordanes (also Jordanis or even Iornandes) was a 6th century Roman Bureaucrat, who turned his hand to History later in life The Goths ( Gothic: Gothic usvg|14px|u]]Gothic asvg|14px|a]]Gothic s Scandza was the name given to Scandinavia by Jordanes, in his work Getica. Moreover, he described that on this island there were three tribes called the Gautigoths (cf. Geat/Gaut), the Ostrogoths (cf. the Swedish province of Östergötland) and Vagoths (Gutar?) - this implies that the Geats were Goths rather than vice versa. Östergötland is a one of the traditional Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish) in the south of Sweden. The Gotlanders are the population of the island of Gotland. In Swedish they are also called Gutar an ethnonym identical to Goths ( The word Goth is also a term used by the Romans to describe related, culturally linked tribes like the Tervingi and the Greuthungs, so it may be correct to label Geats as Goths. The Thervingi, Tervingi, or Teruingi (sometimes pluralised "Tervings" or "Thervings" were a Gothic people of the Danubian plains west The Greuthungs, Greuthungi, or Greutungi were a Gothic people of the Black Sea Steppes in the third and fourth centuries

Scandinavian burial customs, such as the stone circles (domarringar), which are most common in Götaland and Gotland, and stelae (bautastenar) appeared in what is now northern Poland in the 1st century AD, suggesting an influx of Scandinavians during the formation of the Gothic Wielbark culture [1][2]. The Stone Circles of the Iron Age (ca 500 BC - ca 400 AD were a characteristic burial custom of southern Scandinavia especially on Gotland and in Götaland Götaland ( Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gotland, Gautland, Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden is a county, province and municipality of Sweden and the largest Island in the Baltic Sea. A menhir is a large upright Standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as Monoliths or as part of a group of similar stones The 1st century was the Century that lasted from 1 to 100 according the Julian calendar. Wielbark culture also known as Willenberg culture (Wielbark/Willenberg-Kultur Kultura wielbarska Вельбарська культура ( Vel’bars’ka kul’tura Moreover, in Östergötland, in Sweden, there is a sudden disappearance of villages during this period. Östergötland is a one of the traditional Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish) in the south of Sweden. ^[9]

Jutish hypothesis

There is a hypothesis that the Jutes also were Geats, and which was proposed by Pontus Fahlbeck in 1884. The Jutes, Iuti, or Iutae were a Germanic people who according to Bede were one of the three most powerful Germanic peoples of the time According to this hypothesis the Geats would have not only resided in southern Sweden but also in Jutland, where Beowulf would have lived. This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland.

The generally accepted identification of Old English Gēatas as the same ethnonym as Swedish götar and Old Norse gautar is based on the observation that the ö monophthong of modern Swedish and the au diphthong of Old Norse correspond to the ēa diphthong of Old English. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age

etc. Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age

Thus, Gēatas is the Old English form of Old Norse Gautar and modern Swedish Götar. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age This correspondence seems to tip the balance for most scholars. It is also based on the fact that in Beowulf, the Gēatas live east of the Dene (across the sea) and in close contact with the Sweon, which fits the historical position of the Geats between the Danes and the Swedes. Beowulf is an Old English Heroic epic poem of anonymous authorship dating as recorded in the Nowell Codex manuscript from between Moreover, the story of Beowulf, who leaves Geatland and arrives at the Danish court after a naval voyage, where he kills a beast, finds a parallel in Hrólf Kraki's saga. Hrólfs saga kraka, the Saga of King Hrolf kraki, is a late Legendary saga on the adventures of Hrólfr Kraki and his clan, the Skjöldungs In this saga, Bödvar Bjarki leaves Gautland and arrives at the Danish court after a naval voyage and kills a beast that has been terrorizing the Danes for two years (see also Origins for Beowulf and Hrólf Kraki). Beowulf and Hrólf Kraki are two well-known characters in the myths and sagas of ancient England and Scandinavia respectively

The Geats and the Jutes are mentioned in Beowulf as different tribes, and whereas the Geats are called gēatas, the Jutes are called ēotena (genitive) or ēotenum (dative). ^[10] Moreover, the Old English poem Widsith also mentions both Geats and Jutes, and it calls the latter ȳtum. Widsith is an Old English poem of 144 lines that appears to date from the 9th century drawing on earlier Oral traditions of Anglo-Saxon tale singing ^[11] However, Fahlbeck proposed in 1884 that the Gēatas of Beowulf referred to Jutes and he proposed that the Jutes originally also were Geats like those of southern Sweden. ^[12] This theory was based on an Old English translation of Venerable Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People attributed to Alfred the Great where the Jutes (iutarum, iutis) once are rendered as gēata (genitive) and twice as gēatum (dative)^[11] (see e. Bede (ˈbiːd (also Saint Bede, the Venerable Bede, or (from Latin Beda (beda (c The Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (in English: Ecclesiastical History of the English People) is a work in Latin by the Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c g. the OED which identifies the Geats through Eotas, Iótas, Iútan and Geátas). The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English Fahlbeck did not, however, propose an etymology for how the two ethnonyms could be related. ^[12]

Fahlbeck's theory was refuted by Schück who in 1907 noted that another Old English source, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, called the Jutes īutna, īotum or īutum. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of Annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. ^[12] Moreoever, Schück pointed out that when Alfred the Great's translation mentions the Jutes for the second time (book IV, ch. 14(16)) it calls them ēota and in one manuscript ȳtena. ^[13] Björkman proposed in 1908 that Alfred the Great's translation of Jutes as Geats was based on a confusion between the West Saxon form Geotas ("Jutes") and Gēatas ("Geats"). ^[13]

As for the origins of the ethnonym Jute, it may be a secondary formation of the toponym Jutland, where is jut is derived from an Proto-Indo-European root *eud meaning "water". This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland. ^[14]

Since the 19th century, there have also been other suggestions that Beowulf's people were Goths or the Gotlanders. The Gotlanders are the population of the island of Gotland. In Swedish they are also called Gutar an ethnonym identical to Goths (

See also

• Götavirke (Geatish Dyke)
• Viking
• Varangian
• Geatish Society
• Trial by combat
• Trial by ordeal
• Göta
• Blenda

Notes