Goths Quote by R.A. Lafferty
““The Goths had trained bears and possibly, from one garbled account, trained seals. The dance is something with no survival, lacking verbal or pictorial record. The Goths may have had it. If they painted, it was not in a medium or on a material that has survived. Their history was unwritten. Their scientific speculation may not have gone beyond mead-table discussions and arguments. There is no record of their early philosophy. Since they were Germans, they must have constructed philosophical systems; and also, since they were Germans, these would have been erroneous.””
About This Quote
The Goths’ undocumented cultural practices and speculative philosophy illustrate how history can be lost, leaving gaps in our understanding.
In simple terms: Lost records mean we know little about Goths’ culture and thought.
Key Takeaway
Recognize limits of historical knowledge.
Themes
history
culture
speculation
loss
knowledge
Mood
curious
analytical
Type
historical
speculative
When to use this quote
- academic research
- museum curation
- educational curricula
- public history
Key Concepts
archaeology
anthropology
mythmaking
historical methodology
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence could change our view of Goths?
- How do we avoid projecting modern ideas onto ancient peoples?
A Different Perspective
Speculation may overstate conclusions without evidence.
![“[The Goths'] poverty was incurable; since the most liberal donatives were soon dissipated in wasteful luxury, and the most fertile estates became barren in their hands.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/89a/edward-gibbon-710_barren_the-goths-poverty-was-incurable-since-th_978857.jpg)
