Árheimar (

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

"river home") was a capital of the

Goths The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe ...

, according to the Hervarar saga. The saga states that it was located at ''Danparstaðir'' ("

Dnieper } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...

stead"), which is identified with the ruins of Kamjans'ke Horodyšče, near

Kamianka-Dniprovska Kamianka-Dniprovska ( uk, Ка́м'янка-Дніпро́вська, ; russian: Каменка-Днепровская) is a city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine. It served as the administrative center of Kamianka-Dniprovska Raion until that rai ...

. .

Hervarar saga

The name first appears in the Hervarar saga when

Angantyr Angantyr was the name of three male characters from the same line in Norse mythology, and who appear in '' Hervarar saga'', ''Gesta Danorum'', and Faroese ballads. The last generation named Angantyr also appears to be mentioned as ''Incgentheo ...

has avenged his father

Heidrek Heidrek or Heiðrekr (Old Norse: ) is one of the main characters in the cycle about the magic sword Tyrfing. He appears in the '' Hervarar saga'', and probably also in ''Widsith'',line 115, as ''Heathoric'' together with his sons Angantyr (''Incgen ...

and retaken the Dwarf-cursed sword

Tyrfing Tyrfing, Tirfing or Tyrving (the name is of uncertain origin, possibly connected to the Terwingi) was a magic sword in Norse mythology, which features in the Tyrfing Cycle, which includes a poem from the '' Poetic Edda'' called '' Hervarar ...

: It was during this feast that Angantyr's

Hunnish The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...

half-brother

Hlöd Hlod or Hlöd was the illegitimate son of Heidrek, the king of the Geats, in Norse mythology. He appears in the '' Hervarar saga'' and probably also as ''Hlith'' in ''Widsith'', line 115, together with his father Heiðrekr (''Heathoric''), half ...

appeared with a large army to demand half the inheritance: The next place is when Angantyr's brave sister

Hervor Hervör is the name shared by two female characters in the Tyrfing Cycle, presented in '' The Saga of Hervör and Heidrek'' with parts found in the '' Poetic Edda''. The first, the viking Hervör, challenged her father Angantýr's ghost in his gr ...

fights the Huns, although, her small army is greatly outnumbered by the Horde and she knows she cannot win: Arheimar is mentioned for the last time, when the

Geatish king Geatish kings ( la, Rex Getarum/Gothorum; sv, Götakungar), ruling over the provinces of Götaland (Gautland/Geatland), appear in several sources for early Swedish history. Today, most of them are not considered historical. This list follows t ...

Gizur 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 '' Hervarar saga'' and in editions of the ''Poetic Edda''. Gizur was the foster-father of Heidrek, who made a coup-d'ét ...

has arrived with his army from

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

to fight for the Goths, and tells the Huns where they and the Goths are to meet the Huns in battle. Hlöd demeans Gizur by calling him an

Ostrogoth The Ostrogoths ( la, Ostrogothi, Austrogothi) were a Roman-era Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Gothic kingdoms within the Roman Empire, based upon the large Gothic populations who ...

(

Gryting Gryting is a small village in Gjerstad municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the Norwegian County Road 417 and the Sørlandsbanen railway line. The village of Sundebru Sundebru is a village in Gjerstad municipality ...

) and Angantyr's man from Arheimar, and not a king of the Geats:

Notes

Sources

* *
e-text
**Also Kershaw's translation alongside the Old Nors

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arheimar Gothic cities and towns Saga locations Tyrfing cycle Populated places on the Dnieper