Germany, the Germanic Tribes and their Origins
Shrouded within the uncertainty of Europe’s distant past are many mysteries. Whilst we are relatively well informed about the Mediterranean with its mighty empires we know comparatively little about the heartland and the fringes of the European continent. It wasn’t until the days of Julius Caesar that a new player stepped up onto the stage…
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Fenrir and Tyr
Fenrir bites off Tyr’s hand. Illustration from a 17th century Icelandic manuscript.Tyr is the god of war and justice in Norse mythology, and the etymology of his name suggests that he once was at the top of the Germanic pantheon, although he had been replaced by Odin/Wodan relatively early.Fenrir is one of the children of…
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The German Eastward Expansion
Map showing the German Eastward Expansion, starting in the early Middle Ages at the zenith of Charlemagne’s Frankish Empire. Although first German settlements east of the river Elbe in modern Eastern Germany started relatively early, it wasn’t until the 10th and 11th centuries, that larger amounts of Germans moved eastward and assimilated most of the…
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THE ANGLO-SAXON MIGRATION: NEW INSIGHTS FROM GENETICS
This article is a re-blog from HERITAGEDAILY (link to original article at the bottom of the page). HERITAGEDAILY is an independent publisher of the latest scientific discoveries, research, and travel news. First launched as a small archaeology blog in 2011, the platform has grown into a general science publisher with a focus on archaeology, anthropology,…
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What Is the Oldest English Word?
Languages are always evolving in a process that is never truly finished. So to ask what the oldest word in a given language is, is a bit pointless. We can ask, however, what the oldest attested word in a given language, like English, is, which is what’s examined in this article.
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The Cause of the High German Consonant Shift
The High German Consonant Shift gave rise to the High and Upper German dialects of the West Germanic Dialect Continuum. It’s cause is still debated, however, although a Gallo-Roman substrate seems to be the most likely explanation.
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Tattúínárdǿla saga: If Star Wars Were an Icelandic Saga
A great article by Dr. Jackson Crawford about a hypothetical Germanic/Icelandic inspiration for the Star Wars Saga.
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History through Poems: Examining Beowulf
A great article on a classic of Old English Literature by Kristyn J. Miller.
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Ragnarok and Reincarnation in Norse Mythology
Ragnarok describes the end of the world in Norse Mythology. Or does it really? Not only the world itself is reborn after its destruction, but one of the gods as well. Could this be an indication for reincarnation in Germanic myth or perhaps even evidence for a pan-Indo-European phenomenon of rebirth?
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European Origins 