Thread by @ArsCrypta

Huns practiced skull elongation. The practice is found in Germanic cultures under their influence as well. It was a special thing that priests and royals did. Did it create more brain mass?

Incans and ancient Peruvians did the same thing.

You see it in ancient Egyptians too.

Romans write about how fearsome the Huns were in battle and as they charged on. Calling them “scarcely human”, and “a scourge”. They would ride into battle with a “savage noise” whistling (throat singing), and make “terrible slaughter” on their enemies.

The Huns are the only people then living who were known to do skull elongation, as ancient Egyptians were gone and the ancient Inca-related peoples were by then extinct. Hunnic burial in Rhine region. Romans regarded Huns, Scythians, Turks, Avars as the same people.

Marcellus: “The original cause of all the destruction and various calamities which the fury of Mars roused up, throwing everything into confusion by this violence: the people called Huns, slightly mentioned in the ancient records, came from beyond the Sea of Azov, on the border.”

“They are in the shape of men, however uncouth, but are sohardy that they neither require fire nor well-flavored food, but live on roots of such herbs, or on the half-raw flesh of any animal, which they warm by placing in between their own thighs and their horses.”

“There is not a person in the whole nation who cannot remain on his horse day and night. On horseback they buy and sell, they take their meat and drink, and there they recline on the narrow neck of their steed, and yield to sleep so deep as to indulge in every variety of dream.”

“Sometimes, when provoked, they fight; and when they go into battle, they form in a solid body, and utter all kinds of terrific yells. They are very quick in their operations, of exceeding speed, and fond of surprising their enemies. “

And you may pronounce them the most formidable of all warriors, for when at a distance they use missiles tipped with sharpened bones instead of the usual points of javelins, but when they are at close quarters they fight with the sword, without any regard for their own safety;

Huns are described by Priscus as lords of all the lands between the two seas (Atlantic and Black Sea) that is not Roman and the islands (Denmark). This corresponds to where you find Hunnic burials, sites extend to south Sweden. The names of the Huns became quite popular as well.

The Goths and Gepids and other tribes gave them homage and tribute. The Huns provide them some prized warriors to lead them, and marry into their chieftain families. In this period, Huns are fighting in China, conquer into India, and conquer in Europe too.

The Huns systematically break the Roman frontier in the late 4th c, and the deluge of tribes that swarm in were attributed by Romans to Hunnic pressure. Later on, they tried to induce tribes to rebel and fight the Huns.

Ostrogoths especially melded into Hunnic forces, and Edeko, the advisor of Atilla, married their chief’s daughter, birthing Hunwulf and Otoghar (Odoacer) who becomes king of Italy later.

The famous battles of the Huns which destroyed the Burgundian army was memorialized in the Saga of Helvinska and the Saga of Volsung. There is a charge of Huns at the pivotal moment which routes the enemy Burgundians and Romans.

In the Sagas, Volsung is a Hun who is a prince of Hun-land and father of Sigurd. There is also a plot line about Atilla’s magic sword which has to be retrieved for the hero to defeat the enemies.

Not all were skull-elongated but it shows up where their influence does. Most burials are in the Pannonia region which becomes known as Hunnic.

The Poetic Edda, Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar, and other Sagas attribute Atilla (Atli they call him) or his other son Etzel as the progenitor of many royal families of Saxons, Franks, Norsemen.

Of old they said Humli
of Huns was the ruler,
Gizur the Gautar,
of Goths Angantyr,
Valdar the Danes ruled,
and the Valir Kjár,
Alrek the valiant
the English people

“Great clouds of dust rolling over the plain, through which glittered white corslet and golden helmet, as the Hunnish host came riding on.”

The Huns had a civil war after Atilla died (of poisoning?) and then continued in central and East Europe for centuries after.

Priscus was a Roman diplomat who had dinner with Atilla , “in the evening we heard the sound of horses approaching, and two Scythians arrived with directions that we were to set out to Attila. On the next day, under their guidance, we arrived at the tents of Attila…”

I went to Scottas (one of the Hun nobles, brother of Onegesius), taking with me Rusticius, who understood the Hun language. He had come with us to Scythia, not as a member of the embassy, but on business with Constantius, an Italian whom Aetius had sent to Attila

As we were considering what to say to Attila, and how to present the Emperor's gifts, Scottas came to fetch us, and we entered Attila's tent, which was surrounded by a multitude of barbarians. We found Attila sitting on a wooden chair.

We stood at a little distance and Maximin advanced and saluted the barbarian, to whom he gave the Emperor's letter, saying that the Emperor prayed for the safety of him and his. The king replied, "It shall be unto the Romans as they wish it to be unto me,"

we remained one day in that place, and then set out with Attila for the northern parts. We accompanied the barbarian for a time, but as Attila was proceeding to a village where he intended to marry the daughter of Eskam, though he had many other wives, we traveled ahead

Here we met with some of the "western Romans," who had also come on an embassy to Attila--the count Romulus, The object of the embassy, was to soften the soul of Attila, who demanded the surrender of one Silvanus, a dealer in silver plate in Rome, accused of stealing from Atilla

If, however, Attila refused to desist from his demand, he, the Emperor, would send him the value of the vessels, but would not surrender the innocent Silvanus.

When Attila entered the village he was met by girls advancing in rows, under thin white canopies of linen, which were held up by the outside women who stood under them, and were so large that seven or more girls walked beneath each. They sang Scythian songs. bearing meat and wine

To gratify the wife of his friend, he ate, just as he sat on his horse, his attendants raising the tray to his saddlebow; and having tasted the wine, he went on to the palace, which was higher than the other houses and built on an elevated site.

As I waited and walked up and down in front of the enclosure which surrounded the house, a man, whom from his Scythian dress I took for a barbarian, came up and addressed me in Greek, with the word Xaire, "Hail!" I was surprised at a Scythian speaking Greek.

For the subjects of the Huns, swept together from various lands, speak, besides their own barbarous tongues, either Hunnic or Gothic, or--as many as have commercial dealings with the western Romans--Latin; but none of them easily speak Greek,

He smiled and said that he was born a Greek and had gone as a merchant to Viminacium, on the Danube, where he had stayed a long time, and married a very rich wife. But the city fell a prey to the barbarians, and he was stript of his prosperity,

Taken as prisoner, and having fought bravely against the Romans and the Acatiri, he had paid the spoils he won to his master, and so obtained freedom. He then married a barbarian wife and had children, and had the privilege of eating at the table

He considered his new life among the Scythians better than his old life among the Romans, and the reasons he gave were as follows: "After war the Scythians live in inactivity, enjoying what they have got, and not at all, or very little, harassed.

The Romans, on the other hand, are in the first place very liable to perish in war, as they have to rest their hopes of safety on others, and are not allowed, on account of their tyrants to use arms

But the condition of the subjects in time of peace is far more grievous than the evils of war, for the exaction of the taxes is very severe, and unprincipled men inflict injuries on others, because the laws are practically not valid against all classes.

In reply to this attack on the Empire, I asked him to be good enough to listen with patience to the other side of the question. "The creators of the Roman republic," I said, "who were wise and good men, in order to prevent things from being done at haphazard…”

My interlocutor shed tears, and confessed that the laws and constitution of the Romans were fair, but deplored that the governors, not possessing the spirit of former generations, were ruining the State.

As we were engaged in this discussion a servant came out and opened the door of the enclosure. I hurried up, and inquired how Onegesius was engaged, for I desired to give him a message from the Roman ambassador. He replied that I should meet him if I waited a little…

The next day I entered the enclosure of Attila's palace, bearing gifts to his wife, whose name was Kreka. She had three sons, of whom the eldest governed the Acatiri and the other nations who dwell in Pontic Scythia.

Within the enclosure were numerous buildings, some of carved boards beautifully fitted together, others of straight, fastened on round wooden blocks which rose to a moderate height from the ground.

Attila toasted us in the same way according to the order of the seats. When this ceremony was over the cup-bearers retired, and tables, large enough for three or four, or even more, to sit at, were placed next the table of Attila, so that each could take of the food on the dishes

The attendant entered with a dish full of meat, and behind him came the other attendants with bread and viands, which they laid on the tables. A luxurious meal, served on gold plate, had been made ready for us and the guests, but Attila ate nothing but meat on a wooden trencher.

When evening fell torches were lit, and two barbarians coming forward in front of Attila sang songs they had composed, celebrating his victories and deeds of valour in war.

And of the guests, as they looked at the singers, some were pleased with the verses, others reminded of wars were excited in their souls, while yet others, whose bodies were feeble with age and their spirits compelled to rest, shed tears.

After the songs a Scythian, whose mind was deranged, appeared, and by uttering outlandish and senseless words forced the company to laugh. After him Zerkon, the Moorish dwarf, entered.

On the occasion of the banquet he made his appearance, and threw all except Attila into fits of unquenchable laughter by his appearance, his dress, his voice, and his words, which were a confused jumble of Latin, Hunnic, and Gothic.

Attila, however, remained immovable and of unchanging countenance nor by word or act did he betray anything approaching to a smile of merriment except at the entry of Ernas, his youngest son, whom he pulled by the cheek, and gazed on with a calm look of satisfaction.

I was surprised that he made so much of this son, but a barbarian next to me who knew Latin said that Atilla honored his children well. When the night had advanced we retired from the banquet, not wishing to assist further at the drinking.

The next day, Maximin came out of his tent and told me that the barbarian wished Nomus or Anatolius to be ambassador, when I replied that it was not decent to mention men by name and so render them suspect in the eyes of the Emperor, he said the Romans must comply. Next, tribute

was agreed upon, 2100 pounds of gold for twice a year. Atilla emerged soon after and made for his horse. His dress was very simple, boasting only of cleanliness. The sword he wore at his side, the ribbons of his Scythian shoes, and the bridle of his horse lacked adornment.

I learned later that he was to make for Gaul and had agreed with the Western Romans for Silvanus the silver merchant to be handed over at the next embassy.