GALINDAI EUROPOS PLATYBĖSE: ARCHEOLOGIJA, ISTORIJA, LINGVISTIKA
GALINDIANS ACROSS THE VASTNESS OF EUROPE: ARCHAEOLOGY, HISTORY, LINGUISTICS

Summary/Abstract: The supposition that the Galindians could take part in the Migration Period are being accepted as the scientific truth in Lithuania and associated mainly with the name of the Russian scholar V. Toporov. Although traces of the Galindian migrations are not found, Toporov’s main concepts were completely adopted by E. Jovaisha in his books and school manuals. The article regards the history of this question and its argumentation. The main focus of the paper is the methodology used by V. Toporov, and a systemic examination of all relative facts. During 1977–1983, the scholar published two theses and three small articles, which were all devoted to the Galindians. Yet his handling of the subject was somewhat unexpected. Before that, in 1972, V. Toporov published two substantial works, devoted to the toponymy of the Moscow region: any traces of the Galindians were absent there. It is possible to state that all aspects of the Galindian problematics were adopted by V. Toporov from another substantial work, written by V. B. Vilinbachov and N. V. Engovatov (1963). In many aspects, it would later become a starting point of his crackpot ideas.

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