TEUTONIC MYTHOLOGY. - Centrostudirpinia.it

CHAPTEE V.
PEIESTS.
The most general term for one who is called to the immediate
service of deity (minister deoram, Tac. Germ. 10) is one derived
from the name of deity itself. From the Goth. gu8 (deus) is formed
the adj. gaguds (godly, pius, evo-e{3r)<;), \hen. gagudei (pietas, euo-e/3eta).
In OHG. and MHG., I find pius translated erhaft, strictly reverens,
but also used for venerandus ;
our fromm has only lately acquired
this meaning, the MHG. vrum being simply able, excellent. The
God-serving, pious man is in Goth, gudja (tepeu?, Matt. 8, 4, 27, 1.
63. Mk. 10, 34. 11, 27. 14, 61. Lu. 1, 5. 20, 1. Jo. 18, 19.
22. 19, 6. ufargudja (ap^iepeu?) Mk 10, 33. gudjindn (lepareveiv),
Lu. 1, 8. gudjinassus (lepareia) Lu. 1, 9. (see Suppl.).
That these were heathen expressions follows from the accordance
of the ON. gofti (pontifex), Jwfs goffi (fani antistes), Egilss. 754.
Freys goffi, Nialss. cap. 96. 117. Fornm. sog. 2, 206. godbrd
(sacerdotium). An additional argument is found in the disappear
ance of the word from the other dialects, just as our alah dis
appeared, though the Goths had found alhs unobjectionable. Only
a faint vestige appears in the OHG. cotinc by which tribunus is
glossed, Diut. 1, 187 (Goth, gudiggs ?).
Now as Ulphilas 1 associates
gudja and sinista (Trpeo-fivrepos, elder, man of standing, priest), a
remarkable sentence in Amm. MarcelL 28, 5 informs us, that the
high priest of the Burgundians was called sinisto: Nam sacerdos
omnium maximus apud Burgundies vocatur sinistus, et est perpetuus,
2 obnoxius discriminibus nullis ut reges. The connexion of
priests with the nobility I have discussed in EA. 267-8 (see Suppl.).
More decidedly heathen are the OHG. names for a priest
liarugari, Diut. 1, 514b 3
,
andparaivari, Diut. 1, 150 a
, (being derived
from haruc and paro, the words for temple given on p. 68-9, and
*
Strictly the Evangelist ;
the>translator had no choice. TRANS.
For the sense of perpetuity attaching to sin- in composition, see Gramm.
_54-5.
2, 554-5.
3
If haruc meant wood or rock, and harugari priest, they are very like the
. and Gael, earn, cairn, and cairneac priest. O Brien 77 a .