Chaedini
Encyclopedia
The Chaedini or Chaideinoi or Khaideinoi (Greek forms) were a Germanic people that are listed only in the Geography of Ptolemy
. He locates them in the west of a large island, Scandia
, off the mouth of the Vistula
river. Most scholars concur that Scandinavia is meant.
Fortunately a strong etymology of the word is available and is summarized in the American Heritage Dictionary under heath. Chaideinoi is identical in form to its English relative, heathen; that is, Indoeuropean
*kaito-, "forest, uncultivated land" becomes common Germanic *xaiþiz, appearing in *xaiþinaz, "people of the uncultivated land". The exact pronunciation of Chaidein- is not certain, but it must have been close to *xaiþin-; that is, Ptolemy's name is close to common Germanic, even though we don't know the time from which it dates. No doubt, it much precedes Ptolemy, as he depended on previous sources.
Common Germanic *xaiþ- becomes Hed- in the Scandinavian languages. Possible locations of the Chaideinoi have therefore been proposed at Hedemark in Norway
or, if the east of Scandia is actually Finland
, in Dalarna
and Gästrikland
of Sweden
, both of which regions contain a high concentration of Hed- names.
The descriptive nature of the name gives us clue as why they do not appear in such strong sources as Tacitus
. They must have had one or more other names, reflecting ethnic or political organization.
As used, Chaideinoi would be synonymous with a possible meaning of *mannaz as "country people" (see also mannus
). One might hypothesize that the more urbane people of Sweden wished to call their rustic countrymen (who did not actually live on uncultivated land) by their more general and ancient name, but did not apply "men", as they themselves still considered themselves "men". They therefore devised a synonym, which makes the desired discrimination but retains the ancient meaning; however, such a view is speculative.
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
. He locates them in the west of a large island, Scandia
Scandia
Scandia was a name used for various uncharted islands in Northern Europe by the first Greek and Roman geographers. The name originated in Greek sources, where it had been used for a long time for different islands in the Mediterranean region...
, off the mouth of the Vistula
Vistula
The Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
river. Most scholars concur that Scandinavia is meant.
Fortunately a strong etymology of the word is available and is summarized in the American Heritage Dictionary under heath. Chaideinoi is identical in form to its English relative, heathen; that is, Indoeuropean
Proto-Indo-European language
The Proto-Indo-European language is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, spoken by the Proto-Indo-Europeans...
*kaito-, "forest, uncultivated land" becomes common Germanic *xaiþiz, appearing in *xaiþinaz, "people of the uncultivated land". The exact pronunciation of Chaidein- is not certain, but it must have been close to *xaiþin-; that is, Ptolemy's name is close to common Germanic, even though we don't know the time from which it dates. No doubt, it much precedes Ptolemy, as he depended on previous sources.
Common Germanic *xaiþ- becomes Hed- in the Scandinavian languages. Possible locations of the Chaideinoi have therefore been proposed at Hedemark in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
or, if the east of Scandia is actually Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, in Dalarna
Dalarna
', English exonym: Dalecarlia, is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. Another English language form established in literature is the Dales. Places involving the element Dalecarlia exist in the United States....
and Gästrikland
Gästrikland
' is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Uppland, Västmanland, Dalarna, Hälsingland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Gästrikland is the southernmost of the Norrland provinces....
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, both of which regions contain a high concentration of Hed- names.
The descriptive nature of the name gives us clue as why they do not appear in such strong sources as Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
. They must have had one or more other names, reflecting ethnic or political organization.
As used, Chaideinoi would be synonymous with a possible meaning of *mannaz as "country people" (see also mannus
Mannus
Mannus is a Germanic mythological figure attested by the 1st century AD Roman historian Tacitus in his work Germania. According to Tacitus, Mannus is the son of Tuisto and the progenitor of the three Germanic tribes Ingaevones, Herminones and Istvaeones.-Tacitus' account:Tacitus explicitly...
). One might hypothesize that the more urbane people of Sweden wished to call their rustic countrymen (who did not actually live on uncultivated land) by their more general and ancient name, but did not apply "men", as they themselves still considered themselves "men". They therefore devised a synonym, which makes the desired discrimination but retains the ancient meaning; however, such a view is speculative.