I had written somewhere in this blog:
“How can in fact exist an easy mutual understanding between the people of the Mediterranean and the Hyperboreans, namely the northern folks living in a realm of clouds, rain, cold and darkness? Such diverse climate (together with a different history) is a potent factor for creating marked differences in behaviour, mood, disposition of soul etc., all of which makes intercourse difficult.”
But I also had said elsewhere:
“There is in fact a general attraction-repulsion among the people from North and South Europe. Let’s now forget the repulsion and focus instead on the terrible attraction we feel for each other.”
The term Hyperboreans is here used (ie in the post of which this writing is a note) in the modern broad meaning of “any folk from a cold climate.” But I here mainly refer to the North Western somewhat German-related Europeans – Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, Germans, Dutch, English etc. – plus the Celts living in the UK.
The ancient Greeks coined the word Hyperborean to indicate a mythical folk living somewhere north of Thrace, a region North and East of Greece where to them the north cold wind, or Boreas, came from (hence hyper-borea meant to them ‘somewhere beyond the place from whence the cold wind originates’).
Living beyond and behind the north wind the Hyperboreans therefore enjoyed a temperate climate. According to Pliny the Elder:
“Beyond the Aquilon [thus the Romans called Boreas] one finds a blessed nation … many marvels are told of this people … the country enjoys a pleasant temperature.” (Hist. Nat. 4:26).
In the course of the later centuries and during the Renaissance scholars by Hyperboreans indicated folks occupying the whole northern polar area.
It is not totally unacceptable in our view that also during the Antiquity people signified by Hyperboreans some mysterious folk living somewhere in the far North.
And today as well – this is the idea I wanted to convey in my 3rd post on them – the Northern Europeans are somewhat mysterious, alien and fascinating at the same time to us Southern Europeans (which I’m sure it’s reciprocal.)
Related posts from the Man of Roma’s blog:
Differences of behaviour between hyperboreans and non hyperboreans:
Roman Humanitas (point 1 only)
On the Britons and us:
Isn’t the British Trojan Horse a Short-sighted Animal?
Ups and Downs