Heidrek was about to wage a victorious war with the Huns at the beginning of his reign. The Hreidgoans were to ravage the land of the Huns during its course, and the King of the Huns of the Humli—according to Herwararsagi – he and his army must have been frightened. Heidrek of this war was to bring not only many spoils, but besides the daughter of King of Huns – Sifka. With her he was expected to have Hlödra's son, but he did not really know him personally. erstwhile Sifka was pregnant, Heidrek drove her distant so that Hlödr was born after his parent returned to the Huns.
Warrior King Heidrek
I fishy that these events should be linked to the extension of the territory of the Hreidgots to the western Podole and the basin of the advanced Dniester, as well as to the confederate Buffers (the basin of the advanced and central Bohu), i.e. those areas that were lost by the Hreidgotes / Gepids in the 3rd century. The archaeological findings from the town of Gorodok, located at the mouth of the river Czyczyklei to Bohu, where remains of the castle from the 4th century AD, appear to have been found. The ceramics found there leave no uncertainty – a crucial group of inhabitants of the castle, erected by the people of the Melanach culture (identified with Ostrogota), were fresh visitors from above the lower Vistula River. Only 3 specified castles have been found in the area of the culture of Czerniachów; 2 have been found in Podwyprze and 1 in confederate Pobuż, which we are most curious in here. B. W. Magomiedov writes:
"The local population of the town was judging by the stone buildings of the builders and the main inhabitants of the castle and its surroundings, but any percent of them were northern allies (to which the cemetery was mostly discovered).
B. W. Magomedov suggests that ‘fresh visitors from the lower Vistula River’, being a crucial part of the crew (population?) of the castle, performed in it as allies. However, I would be inclined to make a somewhat different thesis. As the appearance of the Vilnius population in the castle took place after the defeat of Hermanerik in the war against the Huns and the actual collapse of the Ostrogota States, I fishy that we have a trace of political events following which the north-western routings of the erstwhile Ostrogota States passed under Hreidgots.
Let's add that in Herwararsada, to which we will return in a moment, we are talking about the castle where Hervör was to reside and who was to stand on the plain, behind the Myrkvidr forest, separating the Hun country from the Hreidgots country. Meanwhile, only open settlements existed in the area of the Vilnius culture. There were no castles! Is this about this castle? possibly it would be besides far-reaching to conclude that this forest and the plain is simply a image of the forest steppes, but... And whether at that cemetery where they were buried ‘fresh visitors from the lower Vistula River’ There are no chance that the warriors who died with Hervör in the described in Herwararsada conflict of the Huns?
The improvement of Wojciech Kempa “What before Mieszko?” is available here:
https://sklep.magnapolonia.org/produkt/co-pre-peg-wojciech-kempa/
The town of Gorodok is not the only archaeological trace of the extension of the power of the kings of the Hreidgots to the north-western ends of the erstwhile Ostrogoth State. This is Andrzej Kokowski in his book Scandza to Campi Gothoum Goths writes:
"In the 1950s, a sensational discovery was made in Komariv on the advanced Dniester. The first glassworks in the past of Barbarian archaeology (M. Smiško 1964), perfectly organized in the image of a provincial-Roman laboratory, producing mainly glassware – thin-walled cups without decorations and decorated with applied glass ornaments (V. Cyhylyk 2006) dense cups made of thick glass with sanded ornamented shafts and flat plates. Glass beads and window windows (!) were besides performed. The constructions of the stone structures in which the metallurgists worked were preserved, as well as the kilns for the smelting of the natural material. Tools were found essential for this work and clay forms for casting any patterns of dishes. These discoveries were accompanied by the remains of the erstwhile life: with quite a few waste and broken items of everyday use, for example, parts of clothing, but besides those that demonstrated extended contact between manufacturers.
According to Ukrainian experts, the steelworks were built by Greek craftsmen, who thus decided to bring their production closer to an highly absorbent market. However, everything besides indicates that this steelworks worked to a tiny degree for the needs of local customers, even understood as a population from the area of the culture of Czerniachowska (A. Kokowski 1990) – besides fewer of its products were recorded in its territory. It seems that products from Komarów reached first of all the Hrubieszowska Basin, to the Goths of the buttermęcka group surviving there, which in turn mediated the export of goods to Scandinavia, creating a kind of monopoly on trade in glass products.
It is besides thought that the steelworks in question operated very briefly, most likely only 10 years. However, after examining available metallic monuments from this position, I believe that it is impossible to accept specified a narrow dating, let alone that it is incompatible with the chronology adopted in Russian literature, which refers to its activity until the second half of the 3rd century. This dating must be moved firmly to our time, at least 1 century. Otherwise, it would be hard to keep the chronology of any fibuls and elements of the belts, including primarily hourglass-like strengthening fittings that happen in the horizon of the Pilgrimian princely grave. The lock found in Komarów with a lock hidden in a metallic can should besides be dated so late, as the oldest known structures of this kind can be placed, at most, in the 4th century BC.
An interesting metallic lock was besides found in Komarów, which closed the chain in a way akin to the way the handcuffs were closed. Could this discovery indicate the presence of slaves in this place, or alternatively the mediation of their sale? This seems likely, but a valid consequence requires careful survey of the problem of ancient slavery."
We can see, therefore, that at a time erstwhile over Ostrogota, identified here by us with the population of the Melanachian culture, the Huns, functioning on its north-western outskirts, the glassworks were economically connected to the northern areas, without maintaining links with the native area of the Melanachian culture. It is hard to say that this would be the consequence of the "exportation of production".
In the meantime, I will return to the Hreidgot wars with the Huns... To another, described in HerwararsadaThe wars between the Hreidgots and Hunami were to take place immediately after Heidrek's death. King of Hreidgotaland, the Hreidgoans called the first-born boy of Heidrek – Angantyr at the rally. Herwarasad says:
“Then Angantyr, the boy of King Heidrek, ordered a rally. At this rally Angantyr was hailed king over all the lands his father possessed.”
As we can see, although there were dynastic governments among the Goths, the successor of the throne had to be formally approved by the rally. But this is where Hlödr came for his father's legacy. There was a gathering between Hlödra and Angantyr during which Hlödr demanded the division of the kingdom. Herwararsaga reports:
And, behold, Hlödr, Heidrek's son, learned of the death of his father, and at the same time that Angantyr had taken power over the state that their father ruled. King Humli and Hlödr agreed that he should go to his brother Angantyr with a request for inheritance, first in good words, as they say:
He went west on Hlödr,
Heidrek the heir,
came to the castle,
where the Goths lived close Arheim,
The inheritance of your desire.
There, Angantyr drank the Heidrek wake.
It is interesting to know that Hlödr to scope Arheim (name otherwise unknown, from the content Herwararsagi It may seem that the capital of Hreidgotaland was located there, but it had to go west. Unless we are dealing with literary fiction here, we must recognise that the events described took place before the centre of the Huns moved to the Carpathian Basin. But let's decision on:
Hlödr arrived in Arheim at the head of a large army, as it is said:
There was a junak outside
in front of a advanced hall,
Very late.
And so he [don] said:
‘Go, Junaku, to the advanced hall
And ask Angantyr,
to bring me an answer."
He went before the king's table, telling all things, and then said,
Hlödr has arrived here,
Heidrek the heir,
Your brother,
It's any kind of brazen woman.
He's very high.
On your horse's back.
I want to meet you,
Ladies, talk.
When Angantyr heard it, he pressed the knife on the table, stood up from behind the table, and put on his weapon, a white shield to one, and took Tyrfing to the another hand. There was quite a few sound in the room, as they say:
The sound is in the hall,
The king has risen.
Everyone wanted to hear,
What Hlödr says
And what Angantyr for it.
The answer will be found.
And Angantyr said,
Hail, Hlödre,
Heidreka heir,
My brother,
Come sit on the bench.
To Heidrek, drink in the drink hall,
wine and honey,
The best you can do.
Hlödr said, “We came here for a different intent than to fill our stomach.” And he said,
Half of everything I want
from what Heidrek had:
and the hook and arrows,
gross stocks,
cows and calves,
noisy mills,
servants and servants,
and their children in addition;
a immense forest,
what Myrkvidr is called,
the grave of the saint, which in the Goths of the country,
The stone that's beautiful,
which stands on the shore of Danpar,
half a gun,
Heidrek had.
Let us leave this dialog between the brothers for a moment, in which later comes Angantyr's longer monologue. In the passage cited above, it is worth noting 2 points. First of all, the name of the Danpar River, or Dampar, is found in the land of the Hreidgots. It sounds akin to the name Dniepru (the ancient Danaper). Unfortunately, in various manuscripts this name sounds different: Dampar, Danpar, Dampnara, but besides Dampstađi, Damstađir and Danpstađir. So it might as well be Dniester.
Either way, both the basin of the advanced Dnieper and the central Dnieper are areas that, at the time of the Ostrogots, were part of the Ostrogot empire. After Hermaneric's death and Hun's mastery of the land of Ostrogots, they were likely to be temporarily subject to the Huns, both of which may have been in Heidrek's regulation later, as has already been said. And if so, both Huns may have resented it.
Another issue that emerges from the passage quoted just now Herwarasagi, is the possible age of Hlödra who at that point seemed to be a mature man or at least a young man. surely he was not little than a twelve years old. So it must have been at least a twelve years since Heidrek kidnapped the Hun Princess Sifka.
Let us return to the content Herwararsagi... Behold, Angantyr was willing to share power with his half-brother, offering him 1/3 of the country's territory (while preserving his superior authority). At the time, however, the aged Gisur, Heidrek's erstwhile hubby, joined the conversation, stating that the bastard had nothing to do with it. Indignant by Gisur, Hlödr, named a bastard, returned to the Huńsk court, where his grandpa Humli, king of the Huns, decided to go armedly to Hreidgotaland. At this point in Herwararsada reads:
Humli and Hlödr were sitting inactive this winter. In spring they gathered so many armies that the land of the Huns desolated completely from their armed husbands. All men from 12 years of age went up who were capable of carrying weapons, and horses all from 2 years of age up. And there were so many hosts that they had to be divided—and smaller troops than a 1000 were not in the separation—in thousands. A commander was appointed over all thousand, and a banner was set over each division: there were 5 1000 in each division, and 13 secins in each thousand, and forty warriors in each secin. There were 30 and 3 troops together.
According to Herwararsaga, before the first battle, the Hun army was to number 343.200 soldiers (4 x 40 x 13 x 5 x 33). The reliability of these numbers is not naturally besides large (as is all the information about the number of armies struggling with each another in the ancient or mediate Ages). Either way, the Huns had a immense advantage over the Goths. Herwararsaga first describes the march of the Hun army:
When this army was assembled, they went to a forest called Myrkvidr and separated the countries of Huns and Goths. erstwhile they came out of that forest, there were large fields and plains. There was a beautiful castle on the plain. It was ruled by Hervör, Angantyr's sister, along with her Ormar's nurse. They settled in this place in defence of the Huns and had quite a few people here.
Meanwhile, the Goths were looking for incoming troops. Hervör personally observed the forefield from the defender tower above the bulkhead gate:
One morning, erstwhile Hervör was standing on a defender tower over the bulkhead gate, she saw immense piles of dust, covering the sun. She besides saw gold shines, beautiful shields, gold kits, gold-plated helmets, and shiny armor. She noted that they were the Hun troops in large strength. So she rushed down – called the defender and ordered all people to be beaten. Then Hervör said:
"Take your weapons and prepare to fight. You, Ormar, go to the Huns and invitation them to conflict at the south gate.”
Ormar said:
“Of course I will go
And I will carry the shield,
to call upon [Huns] to fight
against the Gothic ranks.”
Ormar left the castle other the army and with a loud voice invited them to fight the fences:
"Behind the south gate in the underback I invitation you to battle; let the 1 who first arrived wait for the other."
Ormar turned to his own. Hervör and the full army were ready. With the full army, she left before the castle against the Huns. And a very large conflict began there. But that the Huns had much more troops, so many people fell among Hervör. Finally, she fell alone and quite a few people around her. erstwhile Ormar saw her fall, he and all those who remained alive escaped. Ormar drove day and night as much as he could to King Angantyr to Arheim. The Huns began to ravage and burn the country. And erstwhile Ormar came before Angantyr, he said, “From the south, I come to tell the news: The full forest of Myrkvidr is burned, the full land of the Goths, filled with blood.”
And he said:
“I know that Heidreka's daughter,
virgin daughter, your sister,
She fell to the ground.
The Huns have knocked her down.
and many others.”
Thus the first conflict was fought close the castle, where Sister Angantyr Hervör lived, and which I identify with the 4th century castle located in Gorodok, at the mouth of the river Czyczyklei to Bohu. The conflict was to end with the defeat of the Hreidgots, and Hervör was among the killed. But it was only the beginning of the gocko-hunish struggles. Angantyr sent Gisur to Huns, but not to ask for peace, but to invitation them to the battle. W Herwararsada reads:
Gisur armed himself with a good weapon and jumped his horse like he was a young man. Then he said to the king,
‘Where I Have Huns
direct to battle?”
Angantyr said,
‘Refer to combat
Dunheida
To the old Jass mountains.
There frequently Goci
The battles were fought
and beautiful victories
They were brave.”
Gisur went and erstwhile he arrived in the Hun army, he approached at the distance of his voice and said:
“Fear your ranks.
Cowards are your chiefs.
The banners are raised against you.
Odin is your enemy.”
And then again:
“I invitation you to fight
Dunheida,
to fight at the ft of the Jass mountains.
Let all 1 of you be held.
Odin drives and let him direct the arrow
as I wish.”
So the decisive conflict was to take place in Dunhaida (ok at Dunheidi), at the ft of the Jass Mountains. For decades there have been disputes over the site of the conflict described here. We have here the name Dunheid (Dunheiđr) where the second word (heiđr) means a plain (usually a river), and the first word would be the name of the river over which that plain extended. And here the proposals can be without a hitch – Don, Dniepr (the ancient Danaper), Dniestr (the ancient Danaster), the Danube (the ancient Danubis), and even the Danube... I personally advocate the Transnistrian Plain. Here I will quote Jan Rozwadowski, who thus explained the etymology of the name Dniestr:
‘In Et. Wtb., he takes Miklosich Dŭnastrъ as a basic form on the basis of an oldrus. Dъnastrъ next to Dъnĕstrъ; minorus. Dñister, Gen. Dñistra. Vocabularies of the first voice perceived as "ъ" (Dъnastrъ), after which it was "ъ unstressed as everywhere."
Here we see that the name Dunheiđr can be interpreted as the Transnistrian Plain, especially since Jassów Góra (Jassafjöll) can be identified with the east Carpathians, where – according to investigation conducted by Tadeusz Sulimirski – in the 3rd – 5th century of our era the Western Alans were to live, besides called the Jassami.
Tadeusz Sulimirski, referring to the ancient papers unknown to me, claims that the country located in the advanced and mediate Prutu basin was then to be called Alania, and Prut himself was named Alanus Fluvius. It is worth noting that in this area there are many local names created from the core of the ‘jass’, the most celebrated of which are the Moldovan Jassy. Among the many East Carpathian names formed from the core of the "jass" it is besides worth mentioning Jasło, a town in Beskid Nisko, whose name was first certified in a 1346 paper in the form of Jessel. The name Jasło is besides worn by the mountain in Bieszczady, south of Cisna (and fundamentally even 2 mountains, as there are large Jasło and small Jasło). In the advanced and mediate Prutu basin there are besides many Sarmatian cemeteries, Sarmatian princely graves, and stone slabs with signs of tagging.
But let's go back to the confrontation between the Hreidgots and the Huns. This is due to the fact that a immense army marched against the Hreidgots, which was headed by Humli and Hlödr. W Herwarsad reads:
Six is
combat troops,
in each separation
Five thousand,
in all thousand
Thirteen secins,
in each set
Junaks in four.
Thus Dunheida was marched by the Husk army of 156,000 people (400 x 13 x 5 x 6). But as I wrote before, this number should not be besides attached to; especially if we consider that the Hun army was to be only half as large as the Hreidgots' army, to which reinforcement troops were to be added during the fighting. Meanwhile, the general population of the Christian culture (including women, children and old people) is most likely not more than 250 – 300 000 people. But let's decision on:
erstwhile Angantyr learned all about the Huns' army, he sent people to all sides and invited all warrior who wants to join the ranks and who can wield a weapon. Then he went with his army to Dunheida and a large army gathered there. Here came the Hun army, and they had half as many men.
The next day they fought and fought all day, and by evening they returned to their camps. So they fought for 8 days, but all the commanders remained alive. But nobody knew how many people died. The army came to Angantyr day and night on all roads. And it happened that he had no less men than at first. The fight became even more fierce. The Huns were increasingly excited due to the fact that they saw their lives saved in victory. It was hard to number on the grace of the Ready. The Goths defended their freedom from the Huns and their homeland, so they stood firm and supported 1 another. At the same time, the Goths hit so hard that Hun troops broke down. And erstwhile Angantyr noticed this, he appeared under the shield of the shield from the ranks. With Tyrfing in his hand, he was beating people and horses off his feet. He broke the shield against the king of the Huns and both brothers clashed. The kings of Hlödr and Humla fell. The Huns have fled. The Goths killed and broken so much that the river stood and appeared from the trough, and the valley was full of horses, husbands killed and blood. King Angantyr came to admit the dead and found his brother.
This is simply a fragment of the survey by Wojciech Kempa “What Before the City?” which is available here:
https://sklep.magnapolonia.org/produkt/co-pre-peg-wojciech-kempa/
