HERULI

This article appears in Volume V13, Page 404 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: HEG-HIG

HERULI , a Teutonic tribe which figures prominently in the history of the migration period. The name does not occur in writings of the first two centuries A.D. Where the

original

ORIGINAL

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of the Heruli was situated is never clearly stated. Jordanes says that they had been expelled from their territories by the Danes, from which it may be inferred that they belonged either to what is now the kingdom of Denmark, or the southern portion of the Jutish peninsula. They are mentioned first in the reign of Gallienus (260268), when we find them together with the Goths ravaging the coasts of the Black Sea and the Aegean. Shortly afterwards, in A.D. 289, they appear in the region about the mouth of the Rhine. During the 4th century they frequently served together with the Batavi in the Roman armies. In the 5th century we again hear of piratical incursions by the Heruli in the western seas. At the same time they had a kingdom in central Europe, apparently in or round the basin of the Elbe. Together with the Thuringi and Warni they were called upon byTheodoric the Ostrogoth about the beginning of the 6th century to form an alliance with him against the Frankish king Clovis, but very shortly afterwards they were completely overthrown in war by the Langobardi. A portion of them migrated to Sweden, where they settled among the Gdtar, while others crossed the Danube and entered the Roman service, where they are frequently mentioned later in connexion with the

Gothic

GOTHIC

wars. After the middle of the 6th century, however, their name completely disappears. It is curious that in English, Frankish and Scandinavian works they are never mentioned, and there can be little doubt that they were known, especially among the western Teutonic peoples, by some other name. Probably they are identical either with the North Suabi or with the Iuti. The name Heruli itself is identified by many with the A.S. eorlas (nobles), O.S. erlos (men), the singular of which (erilaz) frequently occurs in the earliest Northern

inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS (from Lat. inscribere, to write upon)

, apparently as a title of honour. The Heruli remained heathen until the overthrow of their kingdom, and retained many striking primitive customs. When threatened with death by disease or old age, they were required to

call

CALL (from Anglo-Saxon ceallian, a common Teutonic word, cf. Dutch kallen, to talk or chatter)

in an executioner, who stabbed them on the pyre. Suttee was also customary. They were entirely devoted to war-fare and served not only in the Roman armies, but also in those of all the surrounding nations. They disdained the use of helmets and coats of

mail

MAIL

, and protected themselves only with shields.
See Georgius

Syncellus

SYNCELLUS

; Mamertinus Paneg. Maximi; Ammiahus

Marcellinus

MARCELLINUS, ST

; Zosimus i. 39; Idatius, Chronica; Jordanes, De origine Getarum; Procopius, esp. Bellum Goticum, ii. 14 f.; Bellum Persicum, ii. 25;

Paulus

PAULUS
PAULUS (older form PAur.Lus), LUCIUS AEMILIUS
PAULUS, HEINRICH

Diaconus, Hist. Langobardorum, is 20; K. Zeuss, Die Deutschen and die Nachbarslamme, pp. 476f. (

Munich

MUNICH (Ger. Munchen)

,
(F. M. B.)
404. HERVAS Y PANDURO-HERVEY OF ICKWORTH

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