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From: Ulf Larsson <>
Subject: Re: Counts/Earls
Date: 5 Jul 1995 14:50:33 GMT


(Kaare Albert Lie) wrote:
>Ulf Larsson <> wrote:
>
>>A Viking chief could style himself as "jarl" which corresponds to the English
>>"Earl". It probably just meant that he had accepted the King as his superior!
>>Ulf Larsson
>
>Originally the jarl was not subservient to the king. Jarl is an
>old title in Scandinavia - possibly older than 'konungr' (king).
>A jarl was an independent chief of a large area - and it was not
>till later, when kings extended their power over largere areas,
>that the jarls became more or less subservient to the kings.
>Still later, when the European titles became fashionable in
>Norway, the nobleman Skule Jarl, had his title changed to Hertug
>Skule - that is: 'jarl' was seen as equivalent with 'hertug' =
>'duke'.
Yes, you are absolutely right. During the 13th century,
Birjer Jarl was in reality the ruler of Sweden. The
title "Jarl" must then be more like "Duke" then
"Earl" .
>There seems to be a connection between 'jarl' ('earl') and the
>older title 'eril', known from rune-stones. The erils seems to
>have been the ones who originally knew the runes, and it may have
>been a religious as well as a secular title. Some find a
>connection between the title 'eril' and the 'heruls' - a group of
>germanic warriors who took part in the great migrations. Were the
>heruls a warrior-band of erils who went south to win fame and
>riches - or were the erils herul-warriors who returned home after
>fighting at the borders of the Roman empire, and who won leading
>positions in Scandinavia due to their knowledge of writing and
>due to riches brought home from the wars?
>
In the year 532 a detachment of herules took part in the massacre of
what was said to be 30.000 people in the Hippodrome in Constantinopel
during what was called the "Nika"-revolt.

Some time thereafter herules and huns were used in the destruction
of the Vandal Kingdom of Carthage. Because of their "bad reputation",
the herules have not been so favored as the Goth and others by the
earlier swedish historians. In Vendel, Sweden, a rich grave from c.600
contained among other things a helmet in roman style very similar to
the helmet found in Sutton Hoo, England. Maybe these belonged to
herules? Ok, I am by now far outside the subject of this thread1
Ulf Larsson

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