The Heruls - Summary
1. The South European history of the Heruls
The Heruls/Eruli were a mixed people with an East Germanic language - feared as Roman mercenaries. Probably they were established at the Black Sea, where they were first time mentioned in 267 AD. By a misunderstanding they were connected with Sealand/Scania in the two first centuries AD. They arrived to Central Europe with the Huns and established a kingdom in Maehren/Moravia after an uprise against the Huns in 454 AD. Here they supported the Germanic king, Odoaker, in Ravenna and controlled from the Moravian Gate in the Carpathes the fur trade along the "Amber Route" from Scandinavia - leaving many archaeological indications of contact in Scandinavia in the 5th century (Soesdala, Hoegom, Finnestorp etc.). In the Frisian region lived another group of Herulic mercenaries (Western Heruls) from the 3rd century. They disappeared contemporary with the Anglo-Saxon migration to England. The Heruls in Maehren became their neighbours superior in number and power - tributing even the Lombards - but in 509 AD they were defeated by the Lombards. A group of refugees became East Roman mercenaries serving Justinian. Together with the Gepides they were destroyed by the Romans and Avars in 567 AD. The royal family and their supporters followed in 509 AD the trade route against north and settled at the Scandinavian Peninsula. In 548 AD the Herulian mercenaries of Justianian sent for a new king in Scandinavia. The return of this king and his followers was the contemporary historical source of Procopius and Jordanes regarding the Herulic settlements in Scandinavia. Therefore it is regarded as certain that their dynasty and their followers settled in Scandinavia.
2. The settlement in Scandinavia
The Western Heruls were probably known as pirates and later as mercenaries/officers in the Nordic kingdoms under the name "Erils" - leading to the title "earl". Eastern Heruls from Maehren may have followed that idea, as they already had the contact along the Amber Route. The Heruls were possibly known as Maerings in Scandinavia and maybe they were also confused with the Huns they earlier followed. It has been obvious for the dynasty to follow the trade route against north after their defeat in Maehren. The Roman sources indicate that they first settled in Blekinge/Vaerend before they were expelled from there by the Danes. The most probable final settlement was the Maelar Valley, as we here find the only expansion matching this strong dynasty being for the last 25 years allies with Odoaker, Childeric and Theodoric. Due to the fur trade route and the iron extraction in Bergslagen this region would provide them with the source of income being necessary for their way of life. The early Vendel Style was influenced by East Germanic style and the royal mounds and the boat graves show the expected traces of such a history, which are not found elsewhere in Scandinavia at that time. There are clear tracks of a female nomad from South East Europe in the East Mound of Uppsala, but ethnicity will never be proved by archaeology. The most probable explanation is that the Heruls were integrated as a minority among the Svear. In that way Uppsala became the religious center of this mixed culture with a network of earls in the surrounding country. Nine generations later the royal family of the Maerings was remembered by a descendent at the rune stone in Roek - maybe the most definite remain, but the linguists have not yet understood the riddles of the stone.
3. The Norse literature
The rich Norse literature cannot be used as historical sources of events 500 years earlier, but it is possible to find the fragments of the events above, which should be expected. Consequently the Heruls did not disappear in Scandinavia - they were simply integrated into a Scandinavian people.
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