Scandza

Possible map of Scandza, with a selection of tribes

Scandza was described as a "great island" by Gothic-Byzantine historian Jordanes in his work Getica. The island was located in the Arctic regions of the sea that surrounded the world.[1] The location is usually identified with Scandinavia.

Jordanes was a Roman citizen living in Constantinople but described himself as being of Gothic descent. His Getica, written in 551 AD, gives a history of the Goths, beginning in Scandza from where they later migrated to Gothiscandza, near the mouth of the Vistula River. The Swedish archaeologist Göran Burenhult describes this account as a unique glimpse into the tribes of Scandinavia in the 6th century.[2]

  1. ^ Jordanes. The origin and deeds of the Goths.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference burenhult94 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).