THE SCENE: Germanic rivalry runs strong when the historian Jordanes, himself a Goth, makes no secret of his distaste for the Hunnish people, whose origins he traces back to a group of Gothic witches and evil spirits.
THE TEXT: We learn from old traditions that their origin was as follows: Filimer, king of the Goths, found among his people certain witches, whom he called in his native tongue Haliurunnae. Suspecting these women, he expelled them from the midst of his race and compelled them to wander in solitary exile afar from his army. There the unclean spirits, who beheld them as they wandered through the wilderness, bestowed their embraces upon them and begat this savage race, which dwelt at first in the swamps — a stunted, foul and puny tribe, scarcely human, and having no language save one which bore but slight resemblance to human speech. Such was the descent of the Huns who came to the country of the Goths.
This cruel tribe settled on the farther bank of the Maeotic swamp. They were fond of hunting and had no skill in any other art. After they had grown to a nation, they disturbed the peace of neighboring races by theft and rapine. Like a whirlwind of nations they swept across the great swamp and at once fell upon the Alpidzuri, Alcildzuri, Itimari, Tuncarsi and Boisci. As many as they captured they sacrificed to Victory. The remainder they conquered and made subject to themselves.
– Getica, Jordanes, 6th Century AD
