Árheimar (
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...
"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 ...
stead"), which is identified with the ruins of
Kamjans'ke Horodyšče, near
Kamianka-Dniprovska. .
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 (''Incgent ...
and retaken the Dwarf-cursed sword
Tyrfing:
It was during this feast that Angantyr's
Hunnish 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 Heidrek, Heiðrekr (''Heathoric'') ...
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' ...
has arrived with his army from
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...
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 (
Gryting) 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