Scandza was described as a "great island" by Gothic-Byzantine historian

Jordanes Jordanes (; Greek language, Greek: Ιορδάνης), also written as Jordanis or Jornandes, was a 6th-century Eastern Roman bureaucrat, claimed to be of Goths, Gothic descent, who became a historian later in life. He wrote two works, one on R ...

in his work ''

Getica ''De origine actibusque Getarum'' (''The Origin and Deeds of the Getae''), commonly abbreviated ''Getica'' (), written in Late Latin by Jordanes in or shortly after 551 AD, claims to be a summary of a voluminous account by Cassiodorus of the ori ...

''. The island was located in the Arctic regions of the sea that surrounded the world. The location is usually identified with

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

. Jordanes was a Roman citizen living in

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

but described himself as being of Gothic descent. His ''Getica'', written in 551 AD, gives a history of the

Goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...

, beginning in Scandza from where they later migrated to Gothiscandza, near the mouth of the Vistula River. The Swedish archaeologist Göran Burenhult describes this account as a unique glimpse into the tribes of Scandinavia in the 6th century.

Geographical description through history

Early Greek and Roman geographers used the name ''Scandia'' for various uncharted islands in

Northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other ge ...

. The name originated in Greek sources and then into Latin , which used it for a long time for different islands in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

region. In the

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; , ; ) is one of two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odyssey'', the poem is divided into 24 books and ...

the name denotes an ancient city in Kythira, Greece. The first attested written use of the name for a Northern European island appears in the work of Roman

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...

, ''

Naturalis Historia The ''Natural History'' () is a Latin work by Pliny the Elder. The largest single work to have survived from the Roman Empire to the modern day, the ''Natural History'' compiles information gleaned from other ancient authors. Despite the work' ...

'' of c. AD 77. Pliny described "Scandia" as an island located north of

Britannia The image of Britannia () is the national personification of United Kingdom, Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used by the Romans in classical antiquity, the Latin was the name variously appli ...

. This island does not appear to be the same as the island Pliny calls " Scatinavia", located near Cimbri. In Claudius Ptolemy's '' Geographia'', written in the 2nd century AD, Scandia is described as the most easterly of the Scandiae islands, a group of islands located east of the Cimbrian peninsula. This is the region where Pliny had located "Scatinavia". When Scandinavian scholars became familiar with the Roman records in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, Scandiae was used as an alternative Latin name for Terra Scania. The early 13th-century Latin paraphrase of the Scanian Law bears the title ''Lex Scandiae provincialis''. Jordanes referred to

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...

's description of ''Scandia'' "as a great island shaped like a juniper leaf" (i.e. long and not round) "having bulging sides and which tapered down in the south at a long end". He also referred to Pomponius Mela's description of '' Codanonia'' (called '' Scatinavia'' by

) which was located in the Codanian Gulf (probably

Kattegat The Kattegat (; ; ) is a sea area bounded by the peninsula of Jutland in the west, the Danish straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the Swedish provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Scania in Swede ...

). "This island was in front of the

Vistula The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra i ...

and that there was a great lake" "from which sprang the river ''Vagus''". "On the western and northern side it was surrounded by an enormous sea", "but in the east there was a land bridge which cut off the sea in the east forming the ''Germanic Sea''". "There were also many small islands" (the Swedish and Finnish archipelagos) "where wolves could pass when the sea was frozen. In winter the country was not only cruel to people but also to wild beasts. Due to the extreme cold there were no swarms of honey-making bees." In the 16th century, Olaus Magnus, a Swedish cartographer familiar with Pliny's writings, created a map where he placed the name "Scandia" in the middle of today's Sweden. In Olaus Magnus' map, the name denotes an area including "Svecia" (

Svealand Svealand (), or Swealand, is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south-central Sweden and is one of the three historical lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tive ...

), " Gothia" and "Norvegia" (Norway), where he places various tribes described by the ancient geographers. Although mainly a historical name, ''Scandia'' still occasionally continues in use today as a Latin name for

. The Scandinavian Bishops Conference, an Episcopal Conference organized by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

since 1923, is called ''Conferentia Episcopalis Scandiae''.

Midsummer sun and the midwinter darkness

In the north, there was the nation of the ''Adogit'' (perhaps referring to the inhabitants of Hålogaland in Norway or the people of AndøyaNerman 1925:36) who lived in continual light during the midsummer (for forty days and nights) and in continual darkness (for as long) during the midwinter. Due to this alternation they go from joy to suffering (the first description of the Scandinavian winter depression). The sun moreover seemed to pass along the horizon rather than rise from below.

Inhabitants

Jordanes names a multitude of tribes living in Scandza, which he described as a "womb of nations" (loosely translated), and says they were taller and more ferocious than the Germans. (Indeed, archaeological evidence has shown the Scandinavians of the time were tall, probably due to their diet). The listing represents several instances of the same people named twice, which was probably due to the gathering of information from diverse travellersNerman 1925:46 and from Scandinavians arriving to join the Goths, such as Rodwulf from Bohuslän. Whereas linguists have been able to connect some names to regions in Scandinavia, there are others that may be based on misunderstandings.Burenhult 1996:94 On the island there were the ''Screrefennae'' (i.e.,

Sami people Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...

s), who lived as

hunter-gatherer A hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living in a community, or according to an ancestrally derived Lifestyle, lifestyle, in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local naturally occurring sources, esp ...

s, subsisting on birds's eggs and a variety of swamp game. There were also the ''Suehans'' (

Swedes Swedes (), or Swedish people, are an ethnic group native to Sweden, who share a common ancestry, Culture of Sweden, culture, History of Sweden, history, and Swedish language, language. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countries, ...

), who had splendid horses like the Thuringians. (

Snorri Sturluson Snorri Sturluson ( ; ; 1179 – 22 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He is commonly thought to have authored or compiled portions of th ...

wrote that the 6th-century Swedish king

Adils Eadgils, ''Adils'', ''Aðils'', ''Adillus'', ''Aðísl at Uppsölum'', ''Athisl'', ''Athislus'' or ''Adhel'' was a semi-legendary king of Sweden, who is estimated to have lived during the 6th century. ''Beowulf'' and Old Norse sources present h ...

had the best horses of his time). They were the suppliers of black fox skins for the Roman market, and they were richly dressed, even though they lived in poverty. There were also the ''Theustes'' (the people of the '' Tjust'' region in

Småland Småland () is a historical Provinces of Sweden, province () in southern Sweden. Småland borders Blekinge, Scania, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name ''Småland'' literally means "small la ...

); '' Vagoths'' (probably the Gutes of

Gotland Gotland (; ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a Provinces of Sweden, province/Counties of Sweden, county (Swedish län), Municipalities of Sweden, municipality, a ...

);Nerman 1925:40 ''Bergio'' (either the people of '' Bjäre Hundred'' in

Skåne Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...

, according to L Weibull, or the people of Kolmården according to others); ''Hallin'' (southern

Halland Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Skåne, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Br ...

); and the ''Liothida'' (either the '' Luggude Hundred'' or ''Lödde'' in

, though others connect them to

Södermanland Södermanland ( ), locally Sörmland, sometimes referred to under its Latinisation of names, Latinized form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a Provinces of Sweden, historical province (or ) on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Österg� ...

),Nerman 1925:38 who lived in a flat and fertile region, due to which they were subject to the attacks of their neighbours. Other tribes were the ''Ahelmil'' (identified with the region of

Halmstad Halmstad () is a port, university, industrial and recreational urban areas of Sweden, city at the mouth of the Nissan (river), Nissan river, in the provinces of Sweden, province of Halland on the Sweden, Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat ...

); the ''Finnaithae'' (''Finnhaith-''; i.e., ''Finnheden'', the old name for

Finnveden Finnveden or Finnheden is one of the ancient ''small lands'' of Småland. It corresponded to the hundreds of Sunnerbo, Östbo and Västbo. Finnveden had its own judicial system and laws, as did the other ''small lands''. Finnveden is situated ar ...

); the ''Fervir'' (the inhabitants of Fjäre Hundred); and the ''Gautigoths'' (the

Geats The Geats ( ; ; ; ), sometimes called ''Geats#Goths, Goths'', were a large North Germanic peoples, North Germanic tribe who inhabited ("land of the Geats") in modern southern Sweden from antiquity until the Late Middle Ages. They are one of ...

Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Vä ...

), a nation which was bold and quick to engage in war. There were also the ''Mixi'', ''Evagreotingis'' (or the ''Evagres'' and the ''Otingis'' depending on the translator), who live like animals among the rocks (probably the numerous

hillfort A hillfort is a type of fortification, fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late Bronze Age Europe, European Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe, Iron Age. So ...

s; ''Evagreotingis'' is believed to have meant the "people of the island hill forts," which best fits the people of southern Bohuslän).Nerman 1925:42ff Beyond them, there were the ''Ostrogoths'' ( Östergötland), ''Raumarici'' (

Romerike Romerike is a Districts of Norway, traditional district located north-east of Oslo, in what is today south-eastern Norway. It consists of the Akershus municipalities Lillestrøm, Lørenskog, Nittedal, Rælingen and Aurskog-Høland in the southern ...

), the ''Ragnaricii'' (probably Ranrike, an old name for the northern part of Bohuslän) and the most gentle ''Finns'' (probably the second mention of the

sNerman 1925:44). The '' Vinoviloth'' (possibly remaining

Lombards The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...

, ''vinili'') were similar. He also named the ''Suetidi'', a second mention of the

, although it is also possible that the term "Suetidi" could be equated with the term "Svitjod".Thunberg 2012:44-52. The Dani were of the same stock and drove the Heruls from their lands. Those tribes were the tallest of men. In the same area there were the ''Granni'' ( Grenland),Nerman 1925:45 ''Augandzi'' (

Agder Agder is a counties of Norway, county () and districts of Norway, traditional region in the southern part of Norway and is coextensive with the Southern Norway region. The county was established on 1 January 2020, when the old Vest-Agder and Au ...

), ''Eunixi'', ''Taetel'', '' Rugii'' (

Rogaland Rogaland () is a Counties of Norway, county in Western Norway, bordering the North Sea to the west and the counties of Vestland to the north, Telemark to the east and Agder to the east and southeast. As of 1 January 2024, it had a population of 49 ...

), '' Arochi'' ( Hordaland), and ''Ranii'' (possibly the people of Romsdalen). The king Rodulf was of the Ranii but left his kingdom and joined

Theodoric Theodoric is a Germanic given name. First attested as a Gothic name in the 5th century, it became widespread in the Germanic-speaking world, not least due to its most famous bearer, Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. Overview The name w ...

, king of the Goths.

Notes

Sources

*Burenhult, Göran (1996) ''Människans historia'', VI. *Nerman, B. ''Det svenska rikets uppkomst''. Stockholm, 1925. *Ohlmarks, Å. (1994). ''Fornnordiskt lexikon'' *Ståhl, Harry (1970) ''Ortnamn och ortnamnsforskning'', AWE/Gebers, Uppsala.

External links