Greetings friends,
apologies in advance for the lengthy post.
I have just logged for the first time, thanks to some help from one of your wonderful Mods.
I am here for two reasons. One is, I am researching a work of fiction that I have been itching to write for a long time. As part of this, I have been researching the Vandals, and their alliance with the Alans, and Suieve. There just does not seem to be much out there in documentation form in the way of evidence that has not been tainted by the Romans and their descendants.
And secondly, the debates here are fantastic. So I am hoping to spark one that will not only help me, but enlighten others. I suspect that the Vandals are no where near the criminals that the Romans make them out to be.
I have recently watched a documentary narrated by Terry Jones
(yes the one from Monty Python) regarding "Barbarians". I was able to see on google videos, but it seems that it is no longer there. I suspect the recent copywrite issues had them removed.
One of the episodes covers Geiseric and Attila, but they spend so little time on the Vandals that it is difficult to make any conclusions. He did do an interview with an archaeologist that is working in Tunisia on the Carthage dig. So far the dig has uncovered evidence of Arian/Vandal poetry, not in Aribic or latin but Vandal. Unfortunately, I do not recall the scientist's name. (Arian is a Christian denomination NOT A RACE btw)
I am interested in the Vandals and their allies for several reasons other then what I am working on as well. I suspect that they are decedents of peoples displaced by the Baltic flood, hence their constant migration until conquaring North Africa. I also suspect that they were very much like the Celts of mainland Europe (pre-genocide) which would explain their enmity with Rome, and the Goths.
I have also seen the five part series done by the "history" channel. Talk about a Roman spin, my goodness those folks need to change the name of that station to the Spun history Channel.
I welcome any input on this subject, and hope that I am not the only that has seen this work by Terry Jones and the BBC.