GOTH s. 



of 1-iis t)irth, which he derived from vhe mifes, or demigods 

 of the Gothic nation. 



Whatever was the motive of their migration, they took 

 their route eaftward, entered Scytliia, advanced to the Cim- 

 merian Bofphorus, and, driving out the Cimmerians, fet- 

 tled in the neighbourhood of the Mxotic lake. Thence, in 

 procefs of time, they icnt out numerous colonics into Thrace, 

 Dacia, Mosfia, or Italy, and laftly into the countries bor- 

 dering on the Euxine fea, forcing every where the ancient 

 inhabitants to abandon their native abodes. Such is the ac- 

 coimt given by Jornandcs, and Ablavius, a celebrated writer 

 among the Goths, who lived long before him. In the vici- 

 nity of the M.cotic lake, they had, it is faid, Filimir for 

 their king, who was a warlike prince ; in Thrace, Mueiia, 

 and Dacia, Xamolxis, a great pliilofopher : and in the coun- 

 tries on the Euxine fea, princes of the illuftrious families of 

 the Dalthi and the Amall, the Viligoths being fubjedt to tlie 

 former, and the Ollrogoths to the latter. In all thefe coun- 

 tries they were the fame people, though fubjetl to diffei'ent 

 princes, andkno.vnby various appellations. As for the 

 denominations of Weilrogotlis, foftened by the Latins into 

 that of Vifigoths, and Oilrogoths, they were diftinguifhed 

 by thofe names before they left Scandinavia, being called 

 Wellrogoths and Oilrogoths, or weftern and eaftern Goths, 

 from their fituation to the weft and eaft, the former inha- 

 biting that part of Scandinavia which borders on Denmai'k, 

 and the latter the more eaftern parts, near tlie Baltic. The 

 information we derive from Jornandes concerning the various 

 migrations and fettlements of the Goths is conformable to 

 the accounts that are given by the ancient Greek and Latin 

 authors with refpeiil to the different colonies and fett!ements 

 of the Getes. That the Goths and Getes were the fame 

 people, is fuppofed by all the writers who flourilhed in or 

 near the limes in which both empii'es were overrun by tliem. 

 Thofe authors, without doubt well acquainted with their 

 origin, call them fometimcs Goths, fometimes Getes, and 

 fometimes Scythians ; and feveral authors tell us, that 

 tlie Getes and Goths had been long known to the Romans, 

 and alfo to the Greeks by the former names, but not by the 

 latter, till their incurfions into the empire. 



When the Goths greatly increaled in Scythia, they re- 

 folved to feek new fettlements ; and accordingly, puriuing 

 their route eaftward, and travelling through leveral 

 countries, they returned at length into Germany. Their 

 leader in this migration was the celebrated ^Voden or 

 Odin, of whom many ftrange things are related. It is faid 

 by the northern writers, that he was king of the Afgar- 

 dians, fuppofed to be the fame people with the Alpurgians 

 mentioned by Ptolemy and Strabo. Afgardia and Aipur- 

 gia aie laid to be a common name of their city, fituated, ac- 

 cording to Strabo, near Bofphorus Cimmerius ; and Afpur- 

 gia was the metropolis of a country whicii Strabo calls Alia ; 

 hence Woden and his followers are ilyled by the ancient 

 Gothic writers Afre, Allani, and Aiiatic. The kings of 

 Afpurgia are reprefented as being mailers of all that part of 

 Scythia that lay weft of momit Imaus, and which the 

 Latins called " Scythia intra Imaum," or Scythia within 

 mount Imaus. Of this Afgardia or Afpurgia, Woden is 

 faid to have been king ; and hence he emigrated with a great 

 multitude of his follov.'ers in quell of new fettlements ; or, as 

 fome fay, with the great defign of forming in Sweden, 

 confidered as the inacceflible retreat of freedom, a rcUgion 

 and a people, which, in fome remote age, might be fubfer- 

 vient to his purpofes ; when his invincible Goths, armed 

 with martial fanaticifra, Ihould iifue in numerous iwarms from 

 the vicinity of the Pular circle to challife theopprelfors of man- 

 kir.d. Havnig paffed llirough dilTerent countries, aud perforra- 



VoL. XVI. 



ed a variety of exploits, lie at length arrived in Sweden, wherd 

 he was allowed to fettle, and where he reigned till his death. 

 His name became fo famous that the northern nations ranked 

 him among tht- gods, and wor(l)ippid him with divine ho- 

 nours. He is fuppof.;d to have brought with him out of 

 Afia the Runic ciiaracters (fi-e Kfsjcl, and to have taught 

 the northern nations the art of poetry ; whence he is ilvK-d 

 the father of the Scaldi or Scaldri. See Sf.ALD.s. 



That the Goths, under the conduft of Wotlen, came from 

 Scythia into the northern parts of Germany, is a received 

 opinion among the northern writerf, and, as they allege, 

 confirmed by an immemorial tradition, by tin- ancient eliro- 

 nicles of thofe countries, and by many momiments and in- 

 fcriptions in Runic characters, fome of which are ilill to he 

 feen in Sweden, Denmark, and the neighbouring ifland': 

 That there were fucli migrations can hardly Ik- qiiciliored. 

 fince we (ind the fame names common to the inhabitants of 

 Scandia and Aiiatic Scythia, and likewlfelhe fame language, 

 as Grotiub, and after him Sheringhani, have fliewn. The 

 ancient language of the Goths is now fpukeii bv the Tartar.i 

 of Precop, whence, and from other collateral circumlbiices. 

 It has been concluded tlint the Scandiaii Goths and Afiatic 

 Scythians had one and the fame original. As to the time of 

 this migration of Scythians under Woden into the northern 

 parts of Germany, thofe who maintain it have not been able 

 to determine. Some refer it to a period about 24 years J3. C; 

 for at that time, they fay, Pompey laid v.-alle' Syria, and 

 great part of Afia, and menaced tlie north «itli fervitude. 

 After all, this wonderful expedition of Woden or Odin is 

 admitted with great hehtalion, or indeed fcarcely admitted 

 at all by many, into authentic hillory. According to the 

 obvious fenfe of t!ie Edda (fee Edda), and the interpre- 

 tation of the moll ikilful critics, Af-gard, inllead of de- 

 noting a real city of the Afiatic Sarmatia, is the (iclitious 

 appellation of the myftic abode of the gods, the Olympus 

 of Scandinavia ; from whence the prophet was fuppofed to 

 defcend, when he am-.onnced his new religion to the Gothic 

 nations, who were already feated in the'fouthern piuls of 

 Sweden. 



Before we proceed with our brief abftraft of the hiftory of 

 the Goths, we (hall give fon e account of their chnradler, 

 culloms, laws, and religion, before they embraced Chrifiianity. 

 With regard to their general difpolition and character, they 

 were celebrated for their hofpitaiity and kindnefs to Grangers ; 

 and it is faid that they derived tiieir name from then" being 

 eminently good ; the name of Goth being derived, accord- 

 ing to Grotius and other writers, from tlie German word 

 gotiii, lignilying^ow/. TUey encouraged, fays Dio, the lludv 

 of philolophy more than any other barbarous or foreign na- 

 tion, and often leleded their kings from among their philo- 

 fophers. Polygamy was not only allowed, but encouraged, 

 and every one was refpec^ed aecurding lo the number ot liis 

 wives, and of courle his cliildreii. Adidterv with them wa« 

 a capital crime, and invariably ininllhed with death. Thi-i 

 feverity, and likewife polyiramy, prevailed among them, 

 when they were known to the Greeks and Romans onlv bv 

 the name of Getes, as appears from the poet Meiiander, 

 who was h.imfelf a Gcte, and from Horace (I. ill. od. 2.^.) 

 who bellows great encomiums on the virtue and chatlity of 

 their women; Of their laws we ftiall have occalhin to fjieak 

 in the fequel of this article. Their goveniment was monar- 

 chical. Their religion fecms to have been the fame wit!» 

 that of the ancient inhabitants of Scandinavia and Saxonv ; 

 which fee refpecitively. Till the end of the eleventh ccnturv, 

 a celebrated temple uibiifted at Upfal, the rtioft conlltier- 

 able town of the Swedes and Goths. This tempre was en- 

 riched with the gold which the S^Miidinavians had acquired 



3 l^ i'! 



