DOCSLIB.ORG

Spanish Unity and Blame in the Legend of Rodrigo and Florinda

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Spanish Unity and Blame in the Legend of Rodrigo and Florinda University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 12-2014 Going Gothic: Spanish Unity and Blame in The Legend of Rodrigo and Florinda Sara A. Gottardi University of Tennessee - Knoxville, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the European History Commons, Islamic World and Near East History Commons, Medieval History Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, and the Spanish Literature Commons Recommended Citation Gottardi, Sara A., "Going Gothic: Spanish Unity and Blame in The Legend of Rodrigo and Florinda. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2014. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/3132 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Sara A. Gottardi entitled "Going Gothic: Spanish Unity and Blame in The Legend of Rodrigo and Florinda." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Spanish. Gregory B. Kaplan, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Álvaro Ayo, Núria Cruz-Cámara, Thomas E. Burman Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) Going Gothic: Spanish Unity and Blame in The Legend of Rodrigo and Florinda A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Sara A. Gottardi December 2014 Copyright © 2014 by Sara A. Gottardi. All rights reserved. ii ABSTRACT The Legend of Rodrigo and Florinda is used to explain the causes for the successful Muslim invasion of Spain. My dissertation discusses six medieval versions of this legend, three Muslim and three Christian. I trace variations in blame to identify the different strata of society that are described as the corrosive catalysts for the Visigoths’ divine punishment. I also analyze each source’s presentation of the Visigothic kingdom prior to the invasion and examine how they assess the fracture of Spain into smaller kingdoms after the invasion. Identifying the Muslim invasion as a form of divine chastisement inherently includes the idea that once the Christians return to orthodoxy, control of Hispania will be returned to them. This implied rhetoric plays an important but neglected role in the centuries long appeal for Spanish unity and a return to the integral kingdom of the Visigoths. Keywords: Legend of Rodrigo and Florinda, Visigothic Spain, al- Andalus, Reconquest, Hispania, divine judgment iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter(1(Introduction(...............................................................................................(1! Chapter(2(Mandar(e(Tener(Toda(España:(Spanish(Unity(in(the(Legend( of(Rodrigo(and(Florinda(..........................................................................................(19! Chapter(3(Visigothic(Division(and(Muslim(Preservers(of(Order(.........(43! Background(...........................................................................................................................(43! A(History(of(Early(AlOAndalus(......................................................................................(46! Introduction!........................................................................................................................................!46! Summary!...............................................................................................................................................!47! Analysis!..................................................................................................................................................!49! Early(Islamic(Spain(............................................................................................................(55! Introduction!........................................................................................................................................!55! Summary!...............................................................................................................................................!57! Analysis!..................................................................................................................................................!58! Discussion(..............................................................................................................................(67! Chapter(4(Preservation(of(Unity(and(Shared(Blame(.................................(69! Background(...........................................................................................................................(69! Crónica(del(moro(Rasis(....................................................................................................(74! Discussion(..............................................................................................................................(81! Chapter(5(Immodesty,(Misogyny,(and(Treasonous(Coronations(.........(91! Background(...........................................................................................................................(91! Crónica(de(1344(..................................................................................................................(92! Refundición!de!1400!......................................................................................................................!97! Portuguese!1400!...........................................................................................................................!102! Discussion(............................................................................................................................(102! Chapter(6(The(Anticipation(of(Unity(in(the(Face(of(Impending( Judgment(......................................................................................................................(124! Background(.........................................................................................................................(124! Crónica(sarracina(.............................................................................................................(128! Discussion(............................................................................................................................(137! Chapter(7(Castilian(Visigoths,(Invited(Arabs,(and(the(New(Look(of( Unity(...............................................................................................................................(160! Background(.........................................................................................................................(160! La(verdadera(historia(del(Rey(don(Rodrigo(........................................................(167! Discussion(............................................................................................................................(174! Chapter(8(Conclusion(............................................................................................(187! List(of(References(....................................................................................................(202! Vita(.................................................................................................................................(213! iv Chapter 1 Introduction The legend of Rodrigo and Florinda la Cava is used by both Christians and Muslims to explain the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the early 8th century. According to the legend, King Rodrigo falls in love with Florinda while she is being raised and educated at his court in Toledo. She refuses to reciprocate his interest in her, so Rodrigo eventually resorts to force in order to fulfill his desires towards her. When Florinda communicates the king’s actions to her father, Count Julian, he decides that the only way to get revenge is to help the Muslims conquer Spain. Rodrigo and his army confront the invaders and are defeated despite far outnumbering the Muslims. The Visigothic kingdom is described by both Muslim and Christian versions of the legend as being comprised of a single unit under the rule of one king. It is also very prosperous because of its large population and desirable goods. This creates the belief that a unified Christian kingdom is Hispania’s natural state. It represents the height of Visigothic strength and accomplishments because they are the first to bring all of Hispania under their control. The legend describes regional kingdoms as a post-Islamic invasion phenomenon 1 and as broken pieces of the Visigothic realm. This rhetoric of unity turns the Reconquista (the eight century Christian reconquest of Islamic Spain) into a fight to restore the idealized Visigothic kingdom of the legend, one that is Christian, prosperous, and united. Another important feature of the legend is the identified cause of the Visigothic demise. Both Christian and Muslim versions of the legend present the Muslims as victorious because they are divinely aided. Muslims chroniclers interpret this victory as approval
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 000 INICIALES English Maquetación 1
    004 MEDIEVAL_english_Maquetación 1 21/02/14 11:43 Página 72 004 MEDIEVAL_english_Maquetación 1 21/02/14 11:43 Página 73 The Medieval World 004 MEDIEVAL_english_Maquetación 1 21/02/14 11:43 Página 74 Al-Andalus (8th-15th Century) Islam, a religious movement born on the Arabian Peninsula, spread to other geographical regions after the Hijra (622), when its founder, Muhammad, migrated from Mecca to Medina. In a short time Muhammad’s successors conquered a vast territory stretching from central Asia to the Atlantic. In the Mediterranean, they occupied North Africa and reached the Iberian Penin- sula in 711, sweeping up and over the Pyrenees to Poitiers, where their ad- vance was finally halted by the Franks in 732. Al-Andalus was how the Muslims referred to the Iberian territory under their control, whose borders shifted repeatedly in the following centuries until the end of Muslim rule on the peninsula in 1492. 74 In the early years (711-756), Al-Andalus was a province of the Umayyad Em- pire governed by an emir who answered to the caliph at Damascus. In 750 the Umayyads were overthrown by the Abbasids, but one Umayyad prince, ‘Abd al-Rahman, survived and conquered Córdoba (756), proclaiming himself emir and founder of the Umayyad dynasty of Al-Andalus. The capital of 'Abd al-Rahman II and various objects that still display the late Hispano-Roman and Visigothic traditions date from this period. In 929 ‘Abd al-Rahman III established the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba, a state in its own right with no ties of dependency on the Abbasid Caliphate of Baghdad, and founded the palatial city of Madinat al-Zahra, a symbol of Umay- yad power and splendour.
    [Show full text]
  • The Heritage of AL-ANDALUS and the Formation of Spanish History and Identity
    International Journal of History and Cultural Studies (IJHCS) Volume 3, Issue 1, 2017, PP 63-76 ISSN 2454-7646 (Print) & ISSN 2454-7654 (Online) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20431/2454-7654.0301008 www.arcjournals.org The Heritage of AL-ANDALUS and the Formation of Spanish History and Identity Imam Ghazali Said Indonesia Abstract: This research deals with the Islamic cultural heritage in al-Andalus and its significance for Spanish history and identity. It attempts to answer the question relating to the significance of Islamic legacies for the construction of Spanish history and identity. This research is a historical analysis of historical sources or data regarding the problem related to the place and contribution of al-Andalus’ or Islamic cultural legacies in its various dimensions. Source-materials of this research are particularly written primary and secondary sources. The interpretation of data employs the perspective of continuity and change, and continuity and discontinuity, in addition to Foucault’s power/knowledge relation. This research reveals thatal-Andalus was not merely a geographical entity, but essentially a complex of literary, philosophical and architectural construction. The lagacies of al-Andalus are seen as having a great significance for the reconstruction of Spanish history and the formation of Spanish identity, despite intense debates taking place among different scholar/historians. From Foucauldian perspective, the break between those who advocate and those who challenge the idea of convivencia in social, religious, cultural and literary spheres is to a large extent determined by power/knowledge relation. The Castrian and Albornozan different interpretations of the Spanish history and identity reflect their relations to power and their attitude to contemporary political situation that determine the production of historical knowledge.
    [Show full text]
  • Autor: Maria Joana Gomes [email protected] Title: to Be Or
    Guarecer. Revista Electrónica de Estudos Medievais Autor: Maria Joana Gomes [email protected] Title: To be or not be (a Goth): Gothic origins and the construction of identity of Iberian kingdoms (10th-12th centuries) Abstract: The genealogical connection of medieval kings of Spain to a specific people – the Visigoths – became among of the most important tools of legitimation used in the historiography written in the North-western Iberian Christian kingdoms. Chronicles and documents written under the direct command of king Alfonso III of Asturias affirmed the Gothic origins of the Asturian dynasty, an ideological current known as Neogothicism. In the same manner, and throughout the 11th-12th centuries, chronicles and documents issued by kings of León, successors of the Asturian kings, also used continuity with the Gothic past to consolidate the power of that dynasty. However, texts coming from other geographies, namely the territories of the recently formed kingdom of Portugal, opted for an alternative view of the past and of the origins of the realm, establishing other kinds of connections to validate the emergence of this new political entity. The aim of this paper is to show how continuity and discontinuity were used as an identity mark and a legitimation strategy in a set of texts written between the 10th and 12th centuries in Asturias, León and Portugal. Keywords: Visigoths; Neogothicism; Asturias; León; Portugal; Continuity; Discontinuity; Historiography. 23 Maria Joana Gomes Resumo: As relações genealógicas dos reis ibéricos com os visigóticos foi uma das ferramentas de legitimação usada pelos historiógrafos dos reinos cristãos do noroeste da Península Ibérica. As crónicas escritas na corte de Afonso III das Astúrias afirmaram a origem gótica da dinastia régias asturiana, uma corrente ideológica que se tornou conhecida como Neogoticismo.
    [Show full text]
  • Medieval Spain
    1 MEDIEVAL SPAIN 6 Which photos show legacies from the Visigothic period? LET’S BEGIN 1 Do you recognise the building in the large photo? Does the architectural style look the same or different to buildings in your town? 2 Which of these periods came before the Middle Ages? Which one came after? the Modern Age • Ancient History 3 What are some of the legacies of the Roman Empire that we can find in Spain today? 4 Which groups of people do you think lived in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages? What do you know? Let’s find out! Useful language I think … came before / after the Middle Ages. 7 Reflect 1 Look at the timeline and match the sentences in your notebook. 218 BC AD 711 1492 Roman rule Moorish rule Christian rule 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1500 ANCIENT HISTORY MIDDLE AGES AD 476 Visigothic rule a The Visigoths ruled in the Iberian Peninsula … 1 … in Ancient History. b The Visigoths and the Moors ruled … 2 … in the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages. c The Romans ruled in the Iberian Peninsula … 3 … around 1,000 years. d The Middle Ages in Spain lasted for … 4 … after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. 2 Say what each photo is. Order the photos from oldest to newest. a b c 3 What is the centre of your town like? a Are the streets narrow or wide? b Does the centre of your town look the same as it does in the suburbs? How are they different? c Think of two famous monuments in your town.
    [Show full text]
  • Achila, Visigothic King, 34 Acisclus, Córdoban Martyr, 158 Adams
    Index ; Achila, Visigothic king, 34 Almodóvar del Río, Spain, 123–24 Acisclus, Córdoban martyr, 158 Almonacid de la Cuba, Spain, 150. See Adams, Robert, 21 also Dams Aemilian, St., 160 Alonso de la Sierra, Juan, 97 Aerial photography, 40, 82 Amalaric, Visigothic king, 29–30, 132, Aetius, Roman general, 173–75 157 Africa, 4, 21–23; and amphorae, 116, Amber, 114 137, 187, 196; and ARS, 46, 56, 90, Ammianus Marcellinus, Roman histo- 99, 187; and Byzantine reconquest, rian, 166, 168 30; and ‹shing, 103; and olive oil, Amphorae, 43, 80, 199–200; exported 88, 188; and Roman army, 114, 127, from Spain, 44, 97–98, 113, 115–16, 166; and trade, 105, 141; and Van- 172; kilns, 61–62, 87–90, 184; from dals, 27–28, 97, 127, 174 North Africa, 129, 187. See also African Red Slip (ARS) pottery, 101, Kilns 147, 186–87, 191, 197; de‹nition, 41, Anderson, Perry, 5 43, 44, 46; and site survival, 90, Andujar, Spain, 38, 47, 63 92–95, 98–99; and trade, 105–6, 110, Annales, 8, 12, 39 114, 116, 129, 183 Annona: disruption by Vandals, 97, Agde, council of, 29, 36, 41 174; to Roman army, 44, 81, 114–17; Agglomeration, 40–42, 59, 92 to Rome, 23, 27, 44, 81, 113; under Agila, Visigothic king, 158–59. See Ostrogoths, 29, 133. See also Army also Athanagild Antioch, Syria, 126 Agrippa, Roman general, 118 Anti-Semitism, 12, 33. See also Jews Alans, 24, 26, 27, 34, 126, 175 Antonine Itinerary, 152 Alaric, Visigothic king, 2, 5, 26–27 Apuleius, Roman writer, 75–76, 122 Alaric II, Visigothic king, 29–30 Aqueducts, 119, 130, 134, 174–75 Alcalá del Río, Spain, 40, 44, 93, 123, Aquitaine, France, 2, 27, 45, 102 148 Arabs, 33–34, 132–33, 137.
    [Show full text]
  • Abortion in the Early Medieval West, C.500-900
    „Alienated from the womb‟: abortion in the early medieval West, c.500-900 Zubin Mistry University College, London PhD Thesis 2011 1 I, Zubin Mistry, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. Signed: 2 ABSTRACT This thesis is primarily a cultural history of abortion in the early medieval West. It is a historical study of perceptions, rather than the practice, of abortion. The span covered ranges from the sixth century, when certain localised ecclesiastical initiatives in the form of councils and sermons addressed abortion, through to the ninth century, when some of these initiatives were integrated into pastoral texts produced in altogether different locales. The thesis uses a range of predominantly ecclesiastical texts – canonical collections, penitentials, sermons, hagiography, scriptural commentaries, but also law- codes – to bring to light the multiple ways in which abortion was construed, experienced and responded to as a moral and social problem. Although there is a concerted focus upon the ecclesiastical tradition on abortion, a focus which ultimately questions how such a tradition ought to be understood, the thesis also explores the broader cultural significance of abortion. Early medieval churchmen, rulers, and jurists saw multiple things in abortion and there were multiple perspectives upon abortion. The thesis illuminates the manifold and, occasionally, surprising ways in which abortion was perceived in relation to gender, sexuality, politics, theology and the church. The history of early medieval abortion has been largely underwritten. Moreover, it has been inadequately historicised.
    [Show full text]
  • Xerox University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 4B106
    INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the original submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or patterns which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(5)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting thru an image and duplicating adjacent pages to insure you complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a large round black mark, it is an indication that the photographer suspected that the copy may have moved during exposure and thus cause a blurred image. You will find a good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being photographed the photographer followed a definite method in "sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is continued again - beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. The majority of users indicate that the textual content is of greatest value, however, a somewhat higher quality reproduction could be made from "photographs" if essential to the understanding of the dissertation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Self-Coronations of Iberian Kings: a Crooked Line
    THE SELF-Coronations OF IBERIAN KINGS: A CROOKED LINE JAUME AURELL UNIVERSIDAD DE NAVARRA SpaIN Date of receipt: 10th of March, 2012 Final date of acceptance: 4th of March, 2014 ABSTRACT This article focuses on the practice of self-coronation among medieval Iberian Castilian kings and its religious, political, and ideological implications. The article takes Alfonso XI of Castile self-coronation (1332) as a central event, and establishes a conceptual genealogy, significance, and relevance of this self-coronation, taking Visigothic, Asturian, Leonese, and Castilian chronicles as a main source, and applying political theology as a methodology. The gesture of self-coronation has an evident transgressive connotation which deserves particular attention, and could throw some light upon the traditional debate on the supposed “un-sacred” kingship of Castilian kings1. KEY WORDS Coronation, Unction, Castile, Monarchy, Political Theology. CAPITALIA VERBA Coronatio, Unctio, Castella, Monarchia, Theologia politica. IMAGO TEMPORIS. MEDIUM AEVUM, VIII (2014) 151-175. ISSN 1888-3931 151 152 JAUME AURELL 1Historians have always been fascinated by the quest for origins. Alfonso XI of Castile and Peter IV of Aragon’s peculiar and transgressive gestures of self-coronation in the fourteenth century are very familiar to us, narrated in detail as they are in their respective chronicles2. Yet, their ritual transgression makes us wonder why they acted in this way, whether there were any precedents for this particular gesture, and to what extent they were aware of the different rates at which the anointing and coronation ceremonies were introduced into their own kingdoms, in their search for justification of the self-coronation3.
    [Show full text]
  • Biosphere Reserves in the Mediterranean Region: Development of a 14
    MAB Report Seville+5 page1(EN) 18/09/01 9:47 Page 1 (Noir/Process Black film) The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the impression of any opinion on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The opinions expressed in this digest are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of UNESCO or the authors’ employers. Published in 2001 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP France (SC-2001/WS/28) Previous reports in this series 1. International Co-ordinating Council of the Programme on Man and the Biosphere 34. Regional meeting on integrated ecological research and training needs in the (MAB). First session. Paris, 9–19 November, 1971. southern Asian mountain systems, particularly the Hind u Kush-Himalayas. 2. Expert panel on the role of systems analysis and modelling approaches in the Kathmandu, 26 September–2 October, 1975. Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB). Paris, 18–20 April, 1972. 35. Regional meeting on integrated ecological research and training needs in tropical 3. Expert panel on Project 1: Ecological effects of increasing human activities on deciduous and semi-deciduous forest ecosystems of South Asia. Varanasi, tropical and subtropical forest ecosystems. Paris, 16–18 May, 1972. 5–11 October, 1975. 4. Expert panel on Project 12: Interactions between environmental transformations 36. Regional meeting on integrated ecological research and conservation activities in and genetic and demographic changes.
    [Show full text]
  • Questions for Art of Medieval Spain
    www.YoYoBrain.com - Accelerators for Memory and Learning Questions for Art of Medieval Spain Category: Default - (74 questions) Alabaster sculpture of Tanit/Astarte, nicknamed "Dama de Galera," Madrid, Museo Arqueológico, 7th c BCE -Phinecean object that found home in Iberian religious practices -Phineceans: eastern culture; experts in maritime travel; traded with Iberian locals; began settling in coastal cities around mouth of the mediterranean around 8th cen. BCE Sculpture of Askepios, from Empùries, 2 c BCE -Greek Empuries -from Sanctuary of Askepios (God of Medicine) Dama de Baza, 4th c. CE -reminiscent of ancient Greek Chios Kore -from native culture of Iberia: culturally receptive but politically resistant to invading groups; independent tribes) -rise of votive figure echo to the Phineceans Head of Augustus, early 1st c. CE -sculpture from Merida (sculptures from this area were among the finest on the peninsula) -Merida (aka Augusta Emerita) was a military settlement; founded by Augustus for retired soldiers; not founded on a pre-existing site which is different from ordinary Roman towns in Spain; became a politically important city Mérida, theater, inscr. 15-16 BC -attached to amphitheater; deliberate connection -attributed to Augustus -well preserved -partly reconstructed (scenae frons- elaborate, built later during Hadrian period) Tarragona (Tarraco), Arch of Bará, 2nd c CE -Tarragona was capital of Eastern Roman Spain (being on top of a hill, it was hard to attack and therefore a good place for a capital) -The arch is just outside
    [Show full text]
  • Relations Between Portugal and Castile in the Late Middle Ages – 13Th-16Th Centuries
    Relations between Portugal and Castile in the Late Middle Ages – 13th-16th centuries Vicente Ángel Álvarez Palenzuela Autonoma University of Madrid [email protected] Abstract A study of the intense diplomatic relations maintained between the Portuguese and Leonese, afterwards Castilian-Leonese, monarchies throughout the Middle Ages. They were dotted with a series of agreements relating to the internal problems of each kingdom, the mutual relations and the general political situation in the Iberian Peninsula. These relations, except for specific moments of brief warfare, which were sometimes very serious, were friendly and familiar. This didn’t exclude the occurrence of frictions resulting from contrary interests. On both sides of the frontier very similar problems were faced: dynastic confrontations or rebellions of the nobility in which both monarchies usually collaborated closely. Castilian expansion and the resulting imbalance of power in its favour, was the cause of the gravest tensions. Key words Diplomatic Relations, Castile, International Treaties Relations between the Portuguese monarchy and the monarchies of Leon or Castile (the Kingdom of Castile was the historical continuation of the Kingdom of Leon) after the unification of the latter two kingdoms show a profundity, intensity and continuity not to be found among any of the other peninsular kingdoms during the Middle Ages, even though these were also very close. The bond between the two went far beyond merely diplomatic relations. The matrimonial unions between the two
    [Show full text]
  • Gothic Introduction – Part 1: Linguistic Affiliations and External History Roadmap
    RYAN P. SANDELL Gothic Introduction – Part 1: Linguistic Affiliations and External History Roadmap . What is Gothic? . Linguistic History of Gothic . Linguistic Relationships: Genetic and External . External History of the Goths Gothic – Introduction, Part 1 2 What is Gothic? . Gothic is the oldest attested language (mostly 4th c. CE) of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European family. It is the only substantially attested East Germanic language. Corpus consists largely of a translation (Greek-to-Gothic) of the biblical New Testament, attributed to the bishop Wulfila. Primary manuscript, the Codex Argenteus, accessible in published form since 1655. Grammatical Typology: broadly similar to other old Germanic languages (Old High German, Old English, Old Norse). External History: extensive contact with the Roman Empire from the 3rd c. CE (Romania, Ukraine); leading role in 4th / 5th c. wars; Gothic kingdoms in Italy, Iberia in 6th-8th c. Gothic – Introduction, Part 1 3 What Gothic is not... Gothic – Introduction, Part 1 4 Linguistic History of Gothic . Earliest substantively attested Germanic language. • Only well-attested East Germanic language. The language is a “snapshot” from the middle of the 4th c. CE. • Biblical translation was produced in the 4th c. CE. • Some shorter and fragmentary texts date to the 5th and 6th c. CE. Gothic was extinct in Western and Central Europe by the 8th c. CE, at latest. In the Ukraine, communities of Gothic speakers may have existed into the 17th or 18th century. • Vita of St. Cyril (9th c.) mentions Gothic as a liturgical language in the Crimea. • Wordlist of “Crimean Gothic” collected in the 16th c.
    [Show full text]