Herwig Wolfram History Of The Goths Pdf 14 Bervan

One-third of the book covers the Ostrogoths under Theodoric the Great (493–526 CE). Wolfram masterfully explains how Theodoric, raised as a hostage in Constantinople, tried to fuse Roman and Gothic institutions — an experiment that collapsed after his death.

No person, place, or term Bervan appears in Wolfram’s index or footnotes. Possible explanations: Herwig Wolfram History Of The Goths Pdf 14 bervan

If you saw “Bervan” in a so-called PDF of Wolfram, that PDF is corrupted or fake. Do not rely on it for academic work. One-third of the book covers the Ostrogoths under

Since you cannot access page 14 directly here, I can summarize Wolfram’s argument from the early section (pages ~10–20 in the English edition): If you saw “Bervan” in a so-called PDF

Wolfram begins by critiquing the Origo Gothica of Jordanes. He notes that Jordanes (c. 551 CE) claimed the Goths descended from the biblical Magog and migrated from Scandinavia under King Berig. Wolfram rejects this as legendary, not historical. However, he does not dismiss Jordanes entirely; instead, Wolfram reads him as evidence of 6th-century Gothic elite self-perception. The name “Berig” (Gothic Bairika?) Wolfram treats as a possible eponymous ancestor of a ruling clan. The “three ships” of Goths in Jordanes’ story symbolize an army’s warband — not an entire people. This is Wolfram’s key move: mythological origins are themselves historical sources for group identity formation.

Thus, if “bervan” is a mangled “Berig,” page 14 likely contains Wolfram’s first remarks on Gothic legendary kingship.