Geats

The Gauts it was a North Germanic people. Because they had long as the other North Germanic peoples except for brief runic inscriptions no written records, little is known about the Gauts. The main source of their history before 1000 are therefore but partly only much later written down word that hardly suffices as credible historical sources. The sporadic notes in ancient authors are even less productive.

Controversial is the relationship between Gauts and Goths, which is justified except the name similarity mainly with the origin saga of the Goths by Jordanes ' Getica. In addition comes as the area of ​​origin of the Goths also the island of Gotland into consideration. First, the Gauts around 150 AD by Ptolemy as Goutai ( Γου̑ται ) are mentioned.

The traditional Beowulf in the war between Svea and Geatas was often based on the Gauts due to the phonetic similarity, but this identity was doubted by historians at the end of the 19th century. Today there are three different interpretations with respect to said at Beowulf Geatas, but the source location is bad.

Jordanes mentioned at this time in the Scandza Ostrogothae and Gautigoth. For the period after 600 one has to rely solely on the archaeological sources.