Gotlander

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Gotlanders are the population of the island of Gotland. In Swedish, they are also called Gutar an ethnonym originally identical to Goths (Gutans), and both names were originally Proto-Germanic *Gutaniz. Their dialect/language is called Gutnish (Gutniska). Certain linguists point out that there are similarities between Gothic and Gutnish that are not found elsewhere in the germanic languages.

Their oldest history is retold in the Gutasaga, where it is related that because of overpopulation one third of the Gutar had to emigrate and settle in southern Europe. Some historians have argued that this tale might be a reminiscensce of the migration of the Goths.

over a long time, the people descended from these three multiplied so much that the land couldn't support them all. Then they draw lots, and every third person was picked to leave, and they could keep everything they owned and take it with them, except for their land. ... they went up the river Dvina, up through Russia. They went so far that they came to the land of the Greeks. ... they settled there, and live there still, and still have something of our language.

The fact that the ethnonym is identical to Goth may be the reason why they are not mentioned as a special group until Jordanes' Getica, where they may be those who are called Vagoths (see Scandza).

Before the 7th century, they made a trade and defence agreement with Swedish kings, according to the Gutasaga.

Many kings made war on Gotland while it was heathen, but the Gotlanders always maintained victory and their rights. Then the Gotlanders were sending many messengers to Sweden, but none of them succeeded in negotiating a peace, till Awair Strabain from Alva parish. He was the first to make peace with the king of the Swedes.[...] As he was a smooth-tongued man, wise indeed and artful, as the stories of him go, he established a fixed treaty with the Swedish king: 60 marks of silver a year - that is the tax for the Gotlanders - with 40 for the king, out of that sixty, and the jarls to get 20. This amount had already been decided by agreement of the whole land before he left.

So the Gotlanders made a trade and defence agreement with the king of the Swedes of their own free will, that they might go anywhere in all areas dominated by the Swedes freely and unfettered by tolls or any duties. So too the Swedes could come to Gotland with no ban on the import of corn, or any other restrictions. The king was to give aid and help whenever they needed it and asked. The king would send messengers to the Gotland national assembly, and the jarls likewise, to collect their tax. These messengers must proclaim freedom to the Gotlanders to travel in peace over the sea, to all places where the Swedish king held sway. And the same went for anyone travelling there to Gotland.