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Alrunen

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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Alrich, William P., D.D.

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Alsace, Thomas Louis de Henin Lietard

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in German mythology, are prophesying women, to whom the ancients paid the greatest respect and honor. The Gothic historian Jornandes relates the following: "The Gothic king Filimer found certain women among his people, whom he called Aliorumnes. As these women were somewhat suspicious-looking characters, he banished them from his kingdom, and compelled them to wander about in forsaken places. Thus they came in contact with other people of the woods, called Feigenfaunen, and thus originated this horrible generation of human beings." Tacitus says of them, "We have seen, during the reign of Vespasian, Weleda, a certain deity, universally worshipped as a goddess; but in earlier times also the Germans worshipped Aurinia and other women." It is not quite clear, however, that the name Aurinia is the same as Alrune.