Category Archives: Serbs

Galician Lelia Doura

Published Post author

An interesting Divine Name appearing in Długosz’s Pantheon is Dzidzilela (a mispronounciation of a Baltic Didis Lela?). Indeed, in addition to Yassa, Lado and Nia, we frequently see in the earliest sources the Name Lela or Leli. Długosz characterized Dzidzilela as the Polish Venus. And indeed, it appears that Venus in its function as the Moon’s (Jasień’s) companion may be connected with Lela. As discussed, the Polish Leliwa coat of arms features the crescent moon and what appears to be a star but is likely Venus. More broadly, in European (and not only) languages, the leli sound is frequently associated with the night (for example, think of a lullaby).  Curiously, layl in Arabic and layla in Hebrew each mean “night”.

Of course, the Alcis are the Lugian Castor and Pollux as per Tacitus (the alleged Polish Lel and Polel) while elkas in Latvian and alkas in Lithuanian may refer to an idol. Then, we have the Polish lalki for puppets/dolls (though lala may also mean a young, attractive woman). All these have been connected with the supposed IE Horse Twins.

We’ve discussed some of this before.

Who is Lela? In Suavic vocabulary the name most frequently refers to an aunt or an older female relation.  Although Lada has been identified as the mother of Lel and Polel (supposedly being the same with the Greek Leda) a question arises: could the Horse Twins be the children of Lela instead in her function as the, well, Mother of the Gods (meaning the Horse Twins)?

Plenty of ink may be happily spilled answering that question (likely to no avail) but, in the meantime, let us note something strange. A curious refrain from a 13th century Galician poem by Pedro Eanes Solaz speaks these very same names in much the same way as the words Leli, Leli or Lado, Lado were sang by Suavic peasant farmers.

The poem has been preserved in three copies written down sometime in the 16th century as part of a compendium of other early Portuguese poetic works.

The Portuguese text is as follows (generally following Cohen and Corriente) in eight strophes:

Eu velida non dormia
lelia doura
e meu amigo venia
edoy lelia doura.

Non dormia e cuidava
lelia doura
e meu amigo chegava
edoy lelia doura.

O meu amigo venia
lelia doura
e d’amor tan ben dizia
edoy lelia doura.

O meu amigo chegava
lelia doura
e d’amor tan ben cantava
edoi lelia doura.

Muito desejei, amigo,
lelia doura
que vos tevesse comigo
edoy lelia doura.

Muito desejei, amado,
lelia doura
que vos tevess’a meu lado
edoy lelia doura.

Leli, leli, par Deus, lely
Lelia doura
Ben sei eu que<n> non diz leli
Edoy lelia doura

Ben sei eu qu<n> non diz lely
Lelia doura
Demo x’ é quen non diz leli
Edoy lelia doura

Here is a copy from the Cancioneiro da Biblioteca Nacional aka the Cancioneiro Colocci-Brancuti (codex 10991, number 829).

An English translation of the text is as follows (from 2005’s Songs of a Friend: Love Lyrics of Medieval Portugal: Selections from Cantigas de Amigo):

I the lovely one, didn’t sleep,
lelia doura,
but my friend was wont to come to me,
e doi lelia doura.

I didn’t sleep and was always grieved,
lelia doura,
but my friend was wont to arrive for me,
e doi lelia doura.

My friend was wont to come to me,
lelia doura,
and he’d speak so beautifully of love,
e doi lelia doura.

And my friend was wont to arrive for me,
lelia doura,
and he’d sing so beautifully of love,
e doi lelia doura.

I ardently desired, my friend,
lelia doura,
that you would be together with me,
e doi lelia doura.

I ardently desired, my love,
lelia doura,
that you would be close at my side,
e doi lelia doura.

Leli, leli, by God, leli,
lelia doura,
I know very well who doesn’t say leli,
e doi lelia doura.

I know very well who doesn’t say leli,
lelia doura.
A demon is he who doesn’t say leli,
e doi lelia doura.

And here is the same in the Cancionerio Vaticano (codex Latinus 4803, number 415).

 

The refrain was not intelligible to those who discovered these manuscripts in the 19th centuries and so much has been written about its meaning. Two theories  prevail. First, that the refrain is onomatopeic or, in this case, basically meaningless singalong gibberish. However, more recently, a theory has been put forward that it is of Arabic origin. This was suggested in 1964 by Brian Dutton (“Lelia Doura, Edo y Lelia Doura, An Arabic Refrain in a Thirteenth-Century Galician Poem?”) and reproposed in 2002 by Rip Cohen and Federico Corriente (“Lelia Doura Revisited”). Lelia Doura would mean something like the “night turns”. Why Arabic? Well, as mentioned above, layl refers to night or nighttime and we know that Muslims had conquered portions of the Iberian peninsula at some point.

But this is rather strange. The poet in question is Galician and Galicia had never been conquered by the Muslims. The local Muslim population was nonexistent save for Muslim serfs captured by Galician rulers raiding parts of Al-Andalus to the south (serfs who may well have been Christian in any event). Perhaps most well-known was Alfonso II who more or less successfully fought off both Muslim marauders only to succumb for a time to Charlemagne.

It is safe to say that of all parts of the Iberian Peninsula the Asturian Kingdom of Galicia seems the oddest choice for preserving fragments of the Arabic language. And this is even more so if we are talking about the 13th century when the poem was composed by Pedro.

Galicia, however, had been, the home of:

  • Celtic Luggones
  • briefly of the Hasdingi Vandals (of whom the Lugii are suspected to have been a part), and
  • Suevi 

In the south Al-Andalus was also a major site of Suavic slave trade and, later, integrated many of the imported Suavic slaves into the local polity.

So a Central European connection seems better suited as an explanation of this refrain. Leli may not refer to “my night” but rather to either the Great Lela or, perhaps, Her Divine Twins.

Why Great Lela? Well, Didis Lado was supposed to mean Great Lado in Lithuanian but we also have Dzidzilela, perhaps a rendition of Didis Lela. It is interesting that the Polish word for “large” , “great” or “big” is durzy or, feminine, durza (see here, for example). This might be an explanation for the word doura. An alternative may be dobra meaning the “good”. And, frankly, these words may themselves bear a mutual relation.

Curiously, Cohen and Corriente use another poem by Pedro Eanes Solaz to conclude that the whole song has to do with a competition between two different women for the affections of a man. The other poem reads as follows:

Dizia la ben talhada:
“Agor’ a viss’ eu penada
Ond’ eu amor ei!”

A ben talhada dizia:
“Penad’ a ciss’ eu un dia
Ond’ eu amor ei!”

Ca, se a viss’ eu penada,
Non seria tan coitada
Ond’ eu amor ei!

Penada se a eu visse,
non á mal que eu sentisse
Ond’ eu amor ei!

Quen lh’ oje por mi dissesse
Que non tardass’ e veesse
Ond’ eu amor ei!

Quen lh’ oje por mi rogasse
Que non tardass’ e chegasse
Ond’ eu amor ei!

Thus, they render the following translation of both of these poems:

So sang the lovely girl:
“Now may I see her tormented
Whence I feel love!”

The lovely girl was singing:
“May I see her tormented one day
Whence I feel love!

For if I saw he tormented
I wouldn’t be so saddened
Whence I feel love.

If I saw her tormented
I wouldn’t be so saddened
Whence I feel love.

I wish someone would tell him for me
Not to tarry but to come
Whence I feel love.

I wish someone would beg him for me
Not to tarry but to arrive
Whence I feel love.”

Then the object of our discussion is translated thusly:

I, lovely girl, was not sleeping
(It’s my turn)
And my boyfriend was coming
(And today it’s my turn).

I wasn’t sleeping and was longing
(It’s my turn)
And my boyfriend was arriving
(And today it’s my turn).

My boyfriend was coming
(It’s my turn)
Any my boyfriend was arriving
(And today’s my turn).

My boyfriend was arriving
(It’s my turn)
And chanting so well of love
(And today’s my turn).

I really wanted, friend,
(It’s my turn)
To have you with me
(And today’s my turn).

I really wanted, beloved,
(It’s my turn)
To have you at my side
(And today’s my turn).

My night! My night! Bt God, my night!
(It’s my turn)
I know well who won’t say “my night!”
(And today’s my turn).

I know well who won’t say “my night!”
(It’s my turn)
She’s the devil who won’t say “my night!”
(And today’s my turn).

No this is curious because this love story (triangle?) is very similar to folk songs of Suavic lands where the name Leli as well as the word Lado come up. There is Queen Lela in Croatian and Serbian songs (see for example Vuk Stefanović Karadžić’s “Serbian National Songs” in Milan Milićević’s ethnological writings). We have “leliy, leliy, my lado” in Russian songs as per Karol PotkańskiOr “Łado, my Lelu” (Chronicle of Stryjkowski). Similar songs were sung in Ukraine. Finally Leliwa may have been a reference to the planet Venus itself (the Star of Leli, as per Kazimierz Perkowski).

Beyond Suavic lands we have the Hittite Lelwani (eventually a female) whose name features the suffix -vani which may mean “desire” (comparable with Venus) and which was like Persephone/Proserpina connected with the underworld (Stanisław of Skalbmierz mentions the cults of Venus and Proserpina in Poland). Or, for that matter, we may also mention the Hindu Lalita.

In fact, a recent work on the Polish Dzidzilela concludes that the whole story of Lado and Leli may be summarized as a love affair whereby a God arrives (often a Moon God) and falls in love with a Goddess, betrays her with another and then is punished (either by the brothers of his love or by someone else). He is later reborn. While this myth has a clear connection to the vegetation cycle, it is also reminiscent of the myth of Jason and Medea (miedza?) or Iasion and Demeter that we have written so often about here. Did the Moon God betray his love with another celestial? If so was it Lela? Or was Lela, as the Name itself indicates perhaps an older sister or an aunt? Did the God of the Moon tarry on Earth as Łado/Mars and seduce Marzanna? Only then to return to His true love, the celestial Łada/Lela?

As an aside, it is worth noting that the word lada in Spanish also refers to a side. It is tempting to speculate that that meaning arose from the function (my dear) of one of the Divine Twins in relation to the latter, especially, since Lada and Jasień may have been responsible for different “sides” of the Year divided in two by Midsummer’s Eve. Lela may then have been the Mother of Both (and they, the Lelki or, in Lithuanian, Alcis).

For other discussions of pottential Suavic connections to the Iberian Peninsula see here, here, here, here, here and here.

And if you want a real mindtwister, recall that wyspa – earlier yspa – is the Polish word for an island. The etymology of Hispania is not fully understood so throw this possibility into the mix as well.

Copyright ©2022 jassa.org All Rights Reserved.

December 26, 2022

Crónica Albeldense

Published Post author

Here is a short mention of the Suavs in the Asturian Crónica Albeldense.

64. Eraclius rg. an. XXXVI. Sclaui Greciam Romanis tulerunt, Persi Siriam et Egyptum. In Spania quoque Sisebutus Gotorum rex quasdam eiusdem Romane militie urbes cepit et ludeos regni sui subditos ad Xpi fidem conuertit. Eclesiam quoque sancte Leocadie Toleto mire fundabit. Post quem Suintila princeps ceptum regnum Romanis peregit celerique uictoria totius Spanie monarciam obtinuit. Reges quoque Gotorum a Suintilane usque Cintilane eo imperante fuerunt.

Sclaui Greciam Romanis tulerunt, Persi Siriam et Egyptum translates roughly as: “The Suavs handed Greece over to the Romans and the Persians [handed over] Syria and Egypt.”

The “Romans” are, of course, Byzantines and this refers to the events during the reign of Heraclius (610-641). The Suavs in question are likely Serbs though maybe also Croats. Both (or at least their rulers) were converted to Christianity during the reign of Heraclius.

The oldest preserved copy is in the Códice Vigilano or Albeldense aka Escorialensis d I 2 from the 9th/10th century and contains, in addition to the first known Arabic numerals written in the West, a bunch of cool pictures. However, that one was not available so the above pictures are from a few others.

Copyright ©2022 jassa.org All Rights Reserved.

January 3, 2022

Ibn Hawqal’s Description of Palermo & Why You Should Not Eat Raw Onions

Published Post author

Although we showcased the more famous Suavic passage by Arab writers, there are other works that mention Suavs that are less known. Thus, while we have previously discussed Ibn Hawqal (see here), a lesser known passage from this same writer also mentions Suavs on Sicily. The following translation comes from the William Granara translation (from 1983). The underlying edition is that of Michele Amari (Lipsia: F.A. Brockhaus, 1857). For the rest of Ibn Hawqal, Granara directs his readers to M.J. deGoeje’s edition in Bibliotheca Geographorum Arabicorum (Leiden: Brill, 1973).

Note that some of these passages by Ibn Hawqal are repeated in the 13th century by Yāqūt in his “Dictionary of Countries”.

For other evidence of Suavs in Sicily see also Michele Amari’s Storia di musulmani di Sicilia, volume 2 (of the 1935 edition) which mentions a Suav military unit (or slave?) created by the Arabs which was successfully employed in the Arab-Byzantine conflicts as well as, in the year 939, a village of apparently Suavic origin (“Sclafani”). Note that there are other place names in Sicily that indicate Suavic origin.

Incidentally, Amari, hypothesizes that the origin of the Suav district in Palermo dates back to a raid in 928/929 by Suavic pirates from the Adriatic coast who were led by Sârib as-Saqlabi – presumably a Serb – and who, in league with Arabs, raided Calabria, Sardinia and Corsica. Amari’s source for this idea, however, is the later 14th century writer, Abulfeda (Abū al-Fidāʾ).

Be that as it may, it is clear that Suavic settlement on Sicily predated that incident. For earlier evidence of Suavs in Sicily in the 8th or maybe even 7th century see here (discussing Suavs in “The Life of Saint Pancratius of Taormina”).

On Suavs on the relatively nearby Malta in the 11th century see here (referencing claims made by the later chronicle al-Himyari).

The Suavic Quarter/District name later disappears and, according to Lewicki, is replaced by the name Seralcadi or Seralcadio (from the Arabic – sari-al-qadì – for the Street of the Judge). Today the area is referred to as Mount of Piety (Monte di Pietà).

The area in question

Note Sicily had been taken by the Muslims in 902 who would hold the island until the Norman conquest of the 11th century.


“Sicily is an island seven days long (walking distance) by four days. Much off it is mountainous and full of castles and fortresses. Most of the land is inhabited and cultivated. It has no city as popular nor as famous as that known as Palermo (Balarm), the capital of the island. Palermo is a seaport city in the North.

Palermo consists of five quarters, each one close to the others, but situated in such a way that the borders of each are clearly defined. The largest quarter is itself called Palermo. It is enclosed by a high defensive stone wall and inhabited by merchants. It houses the Friday mosque which was, at one time, a Christian church. The mosque has a huge sanctuary. I heard certain logicians say that  the Greek philosopher Aristotle is buried in a wooden box suspended in the sanctuary. The Christians used to venerate him and pray to him for rain. They preserved the traditions of Classical Greece which he ahd handed down to them from his forefathers. It was said that the reason for suspending the body mid-air was so that the people could go and see it there in order to pray for rain or seek cures for all sorts of calamities that befell them, be they natural disasters, death or civil strife. I myself saw a great big box which suggests that the tomb may actually be there.

The quarter of the city known as al-Khalisa* has a wooden wall which is not like the stone wall that surrounds the Old City (Palermo). The sultan and his entourage inhabit this quarter. It has neither markets nor inns. It does have public baths as well as a small but frequently attended Friday mosque. The quarter also houses the sultan’s prison, the naval arsenal and the administration offices. It has four gates facing south and west. On these sides, south and west, is the ocean. Also, there is a wall there that has no gate.

[*note: compare with Calisia :-)]

The Slav Quarter (Harat al-Saqaliba) is more populous and grander than the two mentioned above. It contains the port as well. It also has springs that run through it as well as through the Old City. These springs serve as the only border between the two quarters.

The so-called Quarter of the Mosque, also referred to as Ibn Saqlab, is also large, but does not have running water. Its residents get their drinking water from wells.

Outside of the city to the south is a great big valley, known as Wadi cAbbas, full of mills, but unsuitable for orchards and gardens.

The New Quarter (al-Hara al-Jadida) is a large section of the city, located close to the Quarter of the Mosque. There is no border nor divided between the two. Nor does it have a wall adjacent to the Slav Quarter.

The vast majority of the markets are situated between Ibn Saqlab Mosque and the New Quarter. There are, for example, markets for the oil merchants, money changers and pharmacists, all of which are located outside the city wall There are also cobblers armourers and coppersmiths. Finally, there are grain markets and markets for other types of crafts as well.

Inside the (Old) city, however, are over one hundred and fifty butcher shops. The other quarters, on the other hand, have only a few of these. Such a quantity is indicative of their value. The mosque there is so large that when I counted the people when it was completely full, I found over seven thousand. There were more than thirty-six rows at prayer time, each row counting almost two hundred people. The mosques of the Old City, of al-Khalisa and of the other quarters surrounding the city from beyond the wall, number more than three hundred, most of them built with roofs, walls and gates. Those on the island most knowledgeable and best informed agree on this number.

Outside the city, in areas that border it directly as well as those that are adjacent to its gardens and towers, are the closely connected inns (mahall). The one closest to Wadi cAbbas is near a place called The Barracks (al-Mucaskar), which actually extends from the countryside to Wadi-cAbbas. Some of these inns stand one after the other until they reach an area known as al-Bayda. This is a village which overlooks the city at a distance of about six kilometers. It had been destroyed and its inhabitants perished in a series of civil wars which plagued the country.

No one would deny the importance of these small towns since there are over two hundred mosques there alone. Personally, I have never seen such a number in any one of the major cities, even those twice as large as Palermo. In fact, I have not heard anything like it except what they say about Cordova. I have not been able to verify that. I am inclined to doubt it. I am quite sure about Sicily, however, since I have seen most of them with my own eyes.

One day I was standing beside the house of Abu Muhammad al-Qafsi, the lawyer, a specialist in contracts. Looking out from his mosque at a distance of a shot of an arrow, I noticed about ten mosques, some of them facing each other, often separated by a road, Inquiring as to the excessive number of them, I was told that the people are extremely proud, each wanting his own private mosque to share with only his family and his small inner circle.  Among them were two brothers who lived next door to each other, and whose walls were adjacent. Each one built his own mosque so that he could pray there in private.

Among these ten mosques which I mentioned is a mosque there Abu Muhammad al-Qafsi prays. Next to it at about twenty paces is a mosque which he built for his son so that he could study law in it. Each one wants it to be said that this is so-and-so’s mosque and no one else’s. This son of his thought himself something special. He admired himself and was so arrogant that he acted like the father instead of the son.

There are quite a few ribat on the coastline, full of freeloaders, scoundrels and renegades, both old and young, poor and ignorant. These people would pretend to perform their prostrations, standing in order to teal money given to charity, or to defame honorable women. Most of them were pimpts and perverts. They sought refuge there because they were incapable of doing anything else, and because they had no place to go. They were low-life and rabble…

The city is oblong shaped and has a market which cuts across it from east to west. This market is called al-Samat and is paved with stone. It houses all sorts of merchants, from one side to the other.

Palermo sits on many springs, from east to west, each one able to power two mills. From their sources to their mouths these waters fertilize much land. There one finds Persian sugar cane and succulent vegetable gardens. Throughout the land one also finds lots on which papyrus is grown, This is used for making paper. I do not know if Egyptian papyrus has an equivalent on the face of the earth with the exception of that in Sicily. Much of it is twisted into rope which is then used for ships. Some of it is used, as stated, for paper for the use of the sultan, depending upon the amount available…

Most of the water of the city quarters and the towns comes from wells. It is rather thick and unhealthy. They drink it for lack of fresh water. The crudeness of their manners and the dullness of their senses come from their excess in eating raw onions. There is no one among them, rich nor poor, who does not eat them day in and day out. This is what has thwarted their imaginations, impaired their minds, numbed their senses, altered their thinking, clouded their understanding and even ruined their facial features. It has, in fact, changed their dispositions so much that they do not always see things as they actually are.

There are more than three hundred teachers who educate the young. They see themselves as the most honorable and noble of people, God’s chosen people, His loyal servants. This is contrary to what is known of teachers, that is, their inferior intellects and dim-wittedness. For they have come to their professions escaping the duty of jihad, shirking from battle.

I have written a book with a full account of them.”


Although names are frequently recycled, and a connection between the Shekelesh of the Sea Peoples fame and the Siculi of Sicily is possible, it is worth noting for the overly ambitious that it would take a lot more to establish a connection with the Sclavi. The existence of today’s Modica (earlier Μότουκα, Mótouka, Mutyca or Motyca) certainly won’t be sufficient. That “Trojans” and others migrated to Sicily is, of course, possible though here some Germanic researchers might also claim the heritage as with, for example, Segesta on the other side of the island.

Copyright ©2021 jassa.org All Rights Reserved.

September 16, 2021

The Suavic Names of the Gospel of Cividale

Published Post author

Gospel of Cividale (Italian: Evangelario di Cividale, Slovene: čedadski evangelijčedajski evangelij or štivanski evangelij, Croatian: čedadski evanđelistar), at first named the Codex of Aquileia (Latin: codex aquileiensis, codex foroiulensis, Slovene: Oglejski kodeks), is a medieval Latin transcript of the Gospel of Mark, written on parchment. It is named after Cividale del Friuli, a town in Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Northern Italy) where it is kept. It contains about 1500 Suavic and German names of pilgrims to the monastery of San Giovanni di Duino (Štivan, today part of the Duino Aurisina municipality), written in the second half of the 9th and the first half of the 10th century. The monastery was a property of the Patriarchate of Aquileia. The Gospel contains the first known Croatian autographs in a Latin text. A part of the manuscript resides in Cividale de Friuli, and another in Prague. The particular evengeliary comes from the 6th century but the belief was that it was much older. As a result, it was a religious tourist attraction for the monastery where it had been kept. Thus, many of the visitors to the monastery “signed” (or, really, had signed for them) their names in the codex’ margins. This includes Suavs such as Trpimir of Croatia, the Pannonian duke Pribina, Kocel also of Pannonia, Rostislav and Svatopluk of Moravia, Braslav of Croatia and Boris-Michael of Bulgaria – as per Alexander Schenker’s The Dawn of Slavic – though you can confirm the same below.

The edition use is the Evangelienhandschift von Cividale by Conrad Ludwig Bethmann (part V of the 1877 Neues Archiv der Gesellschaft für Ältere Deutsche Geschichtskunde zur Beförderung einer Gesammtausgabe der Quellenschriften Deutscher Geschichten des Mittelalters, volume 2)

Folio 1

finan. cucpald. sunilda. uualto. utpald. garaca. itta. arno.
regelenda.
neofrit. malamila. iusinig gete.
domine miserere famulu tuo foskero diacono.
fesselo. ceseri. marcorus.
antelf.
hos richmond pbr. ernoste pbr. pabo. richeri. ingelscalh
. . titiel . . memorato sie quomodo dimis
odela bega livera puelle. cuno rislinda unegardis ….
et duxit

Folio  1′

iringer rachini ….
gaitepret gifardi flodeberte
habraham uxor eius uuil …. beda sclauo filius eorum
. . . thesia pbr.

Folio 2

cotafrit. erissuint. roteperte. felix diac. iustus pbr
amantinus et bona uxor eius.
felicitas pelerina
nepocor gresic ihon
de tei’ra brasclauo. zelesena. uxor eius hesla. stregemil
filius eorum
motico.
trebenec. dracig. craniohi. millena zelebor. andreas.
uualti hertri pina.
nos i mer gelanus luta . . isa audeberte petrus pbr
henglerioch odelrich arfret.
reginbert otihi . . . gauselinus andreas grimalde martinus
pbr theddad cleri
foscari subd gaugiosus.
engilinda pergildruda [8th or 9th century]
rotecause perterote perga [8th or 9th century]
witirich [9th century]
hadamar kero susanna hunulf cuncpric huduinus pbr
uiceriaut uuolslez grimpert uuolfker.
engelberte adolanna alpote enguelric
audebertus dia maseliosubd [8th century]
uuilliric uuilliric ingildruda.
elinhart rodpret geonilt
kermunt odilint item oclilint adalker palthilt odilint einhart [9th century]

Folio 2′

chotmer
huluolt
erpald [added in the 9th century]
carmanastrepald frederun alboin freuriz [added in the 9th century]
audebertus.
cozil. uuozet. margareta
zelislaua. sebetuh. humislan. d. trebebor. bribibor. trudopulc. amarih.
. . ricpult. teutkart. odlard.
hodelric. ildepret. hunilt. iltelint. richer. alprit. adelpret
artepret inselpret diepruc hicheu conterat.

Folio 3

gagtari
irmingart
teotpert
cotahardus pbr machelm
uuerinolfus ab ellanpertus.
teudericus. albisinda. garardus
adoarde. rodiberte.
uualtelm liutrat gauspert uuipert subdiac.
boselisa. sobemuscla sclauuenca.
ulfihir quoteld

Folio 3′

lodohicus imp: ingelberga regina.
uuardema . . .
hisinard. emeltruda.
hic sunt nomina de bolgaria. inprimis rex illorum Georg
et frater eius dox et alius frater eius gabriel | michahel
et uxor eius maria et filius eius rasäte. et alius gabriel.
et tercius filius simeon. et quartus filius iacob. et filia
eius dei ancella praxi. et alia filia eius anna.
[a hand from the 9th century wrote on the other side: De bolgaria etc]
zergobula f . . ias
odt . . . imus dei servus.
paulo
anastasius diac.

Folio 4

upolt. hoolt. irmisen. uualto filius upold.
frambertus. roco.
albini. mino atala
karsuint
ernust
egono elmeric
teuterihc starcolf atala etela emelrih uuicpald erideo
adaluualr stararahilt ingilart phisila piofa.
pritcot . . . a per e inpere [8th century]
candon . . kerolt folcer elene . . . merd . . . . .
uuilelm. strem.
De bolgaria qui primus venit in isto monasterio. nomen
eius sondoke et uxor eius anna. et pater eius iohannes.
et mater eius maria. et filius . . mihael. et alius filius
eius uuelecneo. et filia eius bogomilla. et alia kalia.
et tercia mar . . . . . elena et quinta maria. et alia
uxor eius sogesclaua. et alius homo bonus. petrus . .
. . . . et georius
[the same hand which wrote ‘hic sunt’ etc. on the prior side]
petrus et uxor eius sofia
iohamies Imperator et uxor eius . . . . da . . . . . . . .
[much has been cut off here]

Folio 4′

mota. eginulfus. ueti. ualto. ermigeri. madoloc. romalde.
adelprete. rodald regimprete adolo.

khaco . sebedrago centeska
porosit. alpiker rihilt
petrus diac. petrus laicus
gisleberte diac.
luiching pbr.

paldmunt. lontpert. lepuns . . ngilsuon . alpker . erchanhart.
lantsuind snelsuind. uualtrih. ruodpold. liuphilt.
sindman. lutheri.

szuentiepulc. szuentezizna predezlaus.

Folio 5

einard.
miramusele zitemer straneca maola u . .
lobonilaica miserere . . . .
cunipret. adelint iacob rumolt reginolt
fredebertus giselbertus.
forti et filio eius bertaldo
orso diac. et orso subd

ratepote rotepertus uarteman m . . . eimo rotecari ernoste
inehich . . angelarius. adelbertus. iohannes. eimo.

Folio 5′

eban . . . . . prebrassclava pressoboda mutacus
felice launia
agathe domnitia iorsia
sedemir
magnus ciprianus suberancius gaginart
perinsuin. isac. stamer. penebod. semidraga.
raginardo. adalrih p cristina zempho chuningund.

heimo pbr. eripert pbr.
iltint. rotlind. rosind.
rengheri preteld helias pretsunt gisuldruta ernosed
giselperte.

. . . . . . itesen . otila . . .
uuerno.

uualto pernger cutpert iltipert iacob engilram gisilbrit
perinart

richeri itiburga et richeri.
egilpert . . itonna . . molcicu
reginarde regichis
orsus pbr
angelgari perteri f [8th century]
ratuuic sebedra hostiarius
domno tripimiro
ulsychari cotild uolbolt

Item noticia commemoratio . . . . . . . . memoria dimisit
et ead  . . . . . . . . liberam . . . . suum non per . .
. . per manu stabili pbro in ecclesia . . . . sancti viti
in presentia trialdu . . . . . tus duciolo . . . . . in auro
de fabricato. donis . . . . . R petro pbr
[Langobard writing]

Memento domine famulorum famularum . . . . . . uuitgauo
cö adalpert reginuart austregaus immo. paltilh.
bribina terpimer. petrus. maria dragoiud sabes pizeden
. . . nisl. benedictus. straha. petro. bedoslau. mihahel.
siliz. coten. kanei. drisimer. engildeo. amulpirc. irnpurc.
kissilperga. ernipurc. sedobra . . . . . . . dragoroc.
moeta. couar . . . . arcumis . . . saba. cafrat. iob.
estimer. radasta. ado. eginolt. uuihheri. irminolh. ratpir
hantuni

heita. hunfr . . ella . . paldunc. heito aber . . . hitta
gerpurc de . . . uualtunc petrus . . . gerhart tenzil.
uualtram meginpert enginhart engin . . heripreht ermanhah
. . labrih.

motimira.
rodlorih
adaluni ezzol eliseus
hardradus.

Folio 6

bascilius luciana to . . .
ranpret. rotpric. otolft. [added in the 9th century]

leo diaconos miseriatur tibi deus et perducat te ad honorem
sacerdotalem amen.

serenus pbr
rengari. lub . . . stargai. gupa . . erhpold.
adelgiscls. relifredus diac.
huoto obiit
gotman. mlada. olamir. engisa. olamir. tnibesu . .

radozlau et ego indignus liuprih pbr. estemir. zizemir.
pensezi. moiselaica. ioliannes filius ip . . .

ato. ragenart cadrac.
cundpertus pbr
uincamera et filius eins lihamere.
liupricus p
brasclauo et uxor eius uuentescella

nepokor purcart. purchart heimpertus. nidhartus.
herchanhartus.

yrminsuind. helmker. anzo. heririb. salaho . . . . . .

Folio 6′

. . . . audeberte.
igo unaxegunt adelpret

adeluinus menedraga. trebelio. gomer. merisclafa. souuinnao.
rastisclao. pudaram. citamuscle gonimer. rasmene.
nitrabor. kasno. uuitamusclo. musclonna. negot. lala.
stranamer trebenna

petrus martinus audrisi.
gontrame mecneos emelda

kiummar. kepuni. folrat. sigimar. aato. deotrat. selpker.
imma. hiltigat. erchanhilt. faua. deotrat. zatto. benedicta. adalgilt. aefa

noe. rodi regnolf.
gitta
irminart
ercnil
stamer. audebertus. audalde.
ato adallinda lantbreht. deotere. irfinge

VIII. idus aprilis hoteihza hobiit. IIII. kal. iunias zidepor
hobiit netunsica hobiit. idus iun. histunsis hobiit.

domine miserere famulo tuo ratepoto et famule tue
emeldrut

crepuco uxor et trebe . . . . filius eius trebego . . . .
coseri. siguuich
tesina. slotiuenza
ratpirin.

doblisclaug godesclagua zelesclauua lich . . abraam teuderic
uualderaht. gonteraht soguigai ermescuent semia
presclauonte presclauonte ezamus qulo dabramusclo
romald gon . . .

tonasclauua
uuarimfred. altichari pbr
ludino soguasclaua
hodelart crimilt uuitgou
nesden. antonius. uuitmar. lutomer.
uitalis presb. pantaleo leolina dominicia margarita leo
kerpurc uualtrat.
srlben. sebeteh. primusl
ratari. adelarde. guiso. enderath.

felix pbr. billo. bernardus. sonderade. anna. ratperga.
sinderade

anto. rotcausus.
colotec . . . dego dehi . . . . bla camere oge capontemere [from the 8th century?]

Folio 7
[Here begins Matthew]

tuto. elismot.
zillizio . . enstabeda. nazamyr. brazena

capra. timocenda. ratpot. engelberte orsus. ag . . no.
cunigunda cop . . musclus. tordasclaue

Folio 7′

petrus clericus.
sicmar pbr. iltiricus pbr
sazona diac. casir pbr.

egilpert maco uualto keroch luza isinard cristina eilenrat
gauspert geroch teuterihc teutekher pepo teutoc isinardus
teutekher erhenrart

burhard spita eltifred balduin cristian

altuad. adual celernolt ot adlololt cosuolt odililt adolot.
te . . . gard. uuililm elepurga. dulun. megenelm. uuilipurg
regipurg. marto. olfrit. petro cartolf tetocin.
teutcarda.

Folio 8

heroc estolf rifont uualtrat ingloan gero frater esfilo elisuuint.
martinus pbr.

iohannes diac. donperte. tasa. dommelperte. deusdedi.
foscari sub. petro. guiselperto. rateperte. pergolfe.
liuperte.

gundalbreht . . . . ruodilt hincfrid pato kergoh hernuin erambalde toto
illtri. illtifrit

Folio 8′

peringer. amalbertus. not. uodelbertus. lantpertus. hildirat

iusirhc cofes. stioa. ilteric. siherad. zisola. engelbert, rotepert. trusing. keila.

sinteperto laiquo. frodeberga.
cultruda. liuttefredus. keroc. ingildeo. amelperga. popila. efrunus. kenet ellibertus. aaron. ricpolt. etisa. adelardus. machelt. rotecheri.

Folio 9

helidnui perehfraht. adalbreht. uodelbreht. lantpert. gapert.
anselmus. teudebal . . .

lantperga. digna.

irmiburg loutecard nortprect teutprect ermeng rambolf trosar uuitigau umfrede lantald

gausperte mumald grosman ualtrade pertine fritila lantald. sigini cosprect eginard rigilend egito pbr sigifrede gospret suanelda ricprict

ingeldeo stradosclauua habraham ingeldeo. engelscalquo filio eius ingeldeo engelperen dobrablaste. riheri. trudumund ingledeo. ilpegunt stradasclau.

iohanni aderouinus.

Folio 9′

cherad. orsus pbr. engelporg. recnard. elmegari.

lantaldt abraham. gauspertus et pater eins oberini et mater eius latu.

sigiurid p
engilsuuint gausperte

Folio 10

ricsuent. reginperte. rotfrit. ratichis. rafolt. erquomot. riccard. [9th or 10th century]

petrus pbr.
panco
domine miserere famulo tuo ingulani.

alnolfo. ota. teiiderico. albescenda. girarde. teuderic filiiis eius. erdielde uxor eius. ota. eluualde. sicpalde et filia eius et mater eius engelsenda . . . . oluualde. elengere. regeno. spen . . . lesclaua.

Folio 10′

regneri pbr. alprect. ilpung frater eius. ammo. uualilm. malelm. ernost. ingelsind. teutterih.

Folio 11

domenico. epo. audeberto. andrea. [9th century] gontperto pbr.

luitfrede. tamacano. kotedruc. erconfret. ita. anna uxor erconfret.

Folio 11′

madolind

aspertus. purgman. engilpero. gundbreht. cistei pbr. gotehilt. engilger

salamunt. isanhilt.

Folio 12

munialde. prectini. richald. rotheri

domno karolo imperatore. domno liuttuardo epo

rantecheri. et uxor eius gaiperga et rantheceri filius eius et paco filius eius. ildeberte.

salomon diac.

Folio 12′

domine miserere famulo tuo secundo diac.

Folio 13

cano. dragamer. genenta. nazisir. cano. ponete. seuemuscle. semina hobiit. nedauid. ceco cete.

Folio 13′

uuaniguo clo. rodone. ingelgarde adelberte cotaperte egildrude liutiscenda.

Folio 14

ioliannes pbr. benedictus clericus. reinarte pbr. ato. teupolt. adelperga. antric. reginolt. albini. soniilt. oluult cerult sounabrut.

arigait. siderda. felix.

oimuscle dabraua. dequodesca. misticlau. gohifred. cerna. quocili. priuuinna. gostidrago. semmemuscle. paridra. zidana. pilende. seuella seuella. millas. soidrago. randeco ceresulla sinata. soltin. premil. luban.

Folio 15

albericus. rihpald.

Folio 18

reginprete. quunigunda. odelardus pbr. teu …. tach.

Folio 20′

romult. frederich. heriprat. kadoloc. ce . . . .

Folio 21

olfrant …

Folio 21′

arabriccho

Folio 22′

euco. teuteric. sicharde. messorgo. lobane uxore eius.

engisuind. ualhardus. adalrih. contelmus. gondulft. kepardus. hermenerus. ualdman . . . cundffo persinnt.

iohannes uxor eins bedoslauua.

rotepert sygifrede igilpurge.

Folio 23

num … cozpertus diaconus ildigarius. cralo. ualo. uulcote. milo. uuitego. sighebult. eghelman. isinnere. iltimot. fredebod. adebrat.

presila. petrus filius domno tripemero.

otuuin suitschir.

Folio 26

uitalis clericus. leo clericus

Folio 29′

lubaset.

domine miserere famulo tuo olperto pbo

Folio 30

domine miserere famulo tuo orso diacono: domine miserere servo tuo iohanni clerico

leo.

Folio 32

ianelperga

ianelperga aledruda roteperga todelperga

Folio 38′

semna. uisegneo diac. cruben. uuilan. sedobra.

umberte ricpolte.

Folio 39

. . . uuilkari . zal . . . tridenna . . .

Folio 42

liutpaldus. quunigund

santpulc. isaac. uuiperte. fastpurch. astrapald bulicm . . . bochmir. conder alberihc uolfoch regensuuint.

Folio 42′

domine miserere servo tuo gaudioso diacono domine miserere servo tuo martino pbro

Folio 47

gostichai. sebusca.

Folio 49

presela. uuisseoi pbr.

Folio 51′

. . . . ran . . . ro

Folio 55

clomenicus petirus . iolianne . denna . romana . lannase . maria . marino . iohanne . etmanno et iohanne.

Folio 65

dannamir

Folio 71

erniprete elmite ellena . erceneta . ioltella . teuperte margate prunuare . gisinperga . odolperte asperte

Folio 79

stenedrago.

Folio 79′

* cheroc pero et alio pero pychil ratipir hirlumul ingelpir pirigint uertila urto leo pbr.

Folio 80′

. . . . . castemyr gherolt . iustin . teurat . teutpult.

Folio 94′

quonimant . teutperga . filii eorum fredebert kerat engelmot.

Folio 95

prisnata.

Folio 98′

 olodrag olomer pigimer cotes sitigoi mirogoi

vuerinolfus . sigifrid . diotpald . sigihart . adam . kerurid . arurid . zeizmunt . ionpert . engilrih . uuolfhart . ellinpert . ellinpert . kotapert . riginpata . engildrud . reginlind . liutuna . vualtpert . zeizmunt . adalrih . zeizpold . vuanpert . perahkart . liuphilt . kotapurc . adalruod . ratolt . keruualah . hiltimeri . pirihtilo . adalurid . vuillipurc . iohannes . perahkoz . hero . anthelm.

emeld . fredruna . adilinda . piligid . adelsinda . perold . soanegilda . teuderada.

teuto . euerarde . gonterammus . teuderic . teuderic . emild . agatha . toda . ualtechari .

[hereafter the entire Gospelof Mark is cut out; after folio 99 there follows the Gospel of Lucas]

Folio 99

stagai . ebo.

Folio 102′

zidizlau pbr . rihpert pbr . altrib pbr . paldmunt pbr . rodun pbr . zabau . liutisti . munemer . ratolf . altfrid . liutolt . sepino . sirnamus . mirona . dobrodei . priuuigor . zla . nazzeg.

brannimero comiti . mariosa cometissa.

elymburt . frederut . cherni.

Folio 106′

emmina . enchelsint . uuinburga . suaue . arbona . katila . leuderade . ualtila . ualtila . engelmot . arpana.

Folio 107

elymburga . alia elymburga . hequo . erchengeri . ricpret . odelbert . suapric . frouult . otepret . holtepret . rampret . ermouuit . karnenad . liutecheri . hengilburga . uualtila . emmina.

Folio 118′

domine miserere famulo tuogiselperto sub [ilu]* in bonum amen GVISELPERTO SUB ROTecauso gonteperga.

[*very unclear; maybe only an abbreviation for ‘deacon’]

[All written by one hand in the 9th century. On the next page the writing by the same hand and with same ink continues]

Folio 119

domine miserere famulo tuo guiselperto sub rotecauso gonteperga bertalde

domine miserere famulo tuo giselperto sub . domine miserere famulo tuo guiselperto sub. GISELPERTO SUB.

Folios 129′ & 130

deuto . guiselarde . ghero . ledi . xpiano . predeclao . adelric . liupari . altepret . tunisclaua . miltrut . ubisclaua . ermizenda . guernunt . ramilt . uilet . adelfret . ratolfe.

Folio 136

uuilermus . liccause ergefrede.

Folio 145

sedesclao . preuui . . . . . merulla . elemperte . elengeri . pertilt . ederam . liupilt.

Folio 151

isaac diac.

casinus teuderada . innila . suuy . iacob . berengarius.

Folios 162′ & 163

petri pbri . luponi . dominici . felicis . petri . uitaliani pbri . teudmari pontificis uenantii adoni pauli liuperti felicis audberti

[all written by one hand continuously 9th century with one ink on the upper and lower edge of Folios 162′ and 163]

Folio 167

ulfecheri . godesclaua . ratulfe . oltecheri. onnia . sclauica. encheldeo . et alius encheldeo . albegunda . stradesclaua . percot . riccoth . adelpret . liutichis pbr . teutilt . subimer.

Folios 178′ & 179

otelm iltrut extilis tetmot   artuin epis

[9th century, or perhaps 10th]

Folio 181′

stano pbr.

audalde diacones misereatur ei omnipotens deus amen deo gratias semper amen.

Folio 187

deusdedit

Folio 196

miserere domine deus omnipotens famulo tuo martino diacono et conserva cum semper in tua mia amen deo gratias amen; giselpert; gisabertalde teutepalde lobo adelperga liuperga arigaite aurosarateperga sonteperga audredaratecause gisa sinteperte adelberga beralde

[written by one hand continuously without separating words, 9th century]

Folio 196′

rambertus . hecquo . ata . rumolt pbr . gheresit . elimbur . alia elimbur . hesotf.

Folio 203

domine miserere famulo tuo olperto pbro. domine miserere famulo tuo iohanne diacono . ambo fratres. domine miserere famulo tuo audolfo clerico.

Folio 213′

prenenon . milei . pomego . dobrosisne . isaika . trehenta . deoste . sesite . trebenna . stram . semigir musclasete . sal . luca.

Folio 214

turdamere . zababerado neme ral . domamir . ciagrota . exumila . p mer . draineste sidesci nesir.

[8th or 9th century]

Folio 215

. . . . . . . . adoloc . rimfrit . erminad . adoloc . iste adoloc . ista nomina scribere rogavit.

[added in the 9th century]

Folio 219

irminrat.

Folio 221′

domine miserere famulo tuo iohanni clerico . domine miserere famulo tuo feli clerico.

Folio 236′ & 237

ratgoi et uxor eins reginsunda . patricus . bribislau . martinus . todoro kameraz . georgius . pacemira.

Folio 238

sebedrac

Folio 245

domine miserere famulo tuo baldoni subdiacono.

Folio 250′

irmilihit.

Folio 268′

degodelka . dallimere . bellica . fllius eius . minidrago . iohannes . cerelulla . filia eius . thesconna.

Folio 270′

nenadei . glauoz.

[The following folios are lost]

Copyright ©2020 jassa.org All Rights Reserved

February 26, 2020

Jasiels, Jasieńs, Jasions Gallore

Published Post author

We have talked about the various Iasions throughout Polish history and their connections to antiquity. But what about geography? As mentioned there may be an occasional Piorunowo, Strzybogi or even Swarozyn. Are these town names former worship places? Maybe or maybe not. But what about Jasion? A quick search of the map reveals a huge number of Jasion and related names that dwarfs any of the above. Are these all places owned by a “Jan” or places where the ash tree (jesion) grew aplenty? Or is there a more mystical reason for this topography?

These names along with few (I did not do a review outside of Poland) from Ukraine and Germany are on the map below (in red). The mountain peaks are also listed (in green)

There are also rivers and lakes (in blue) though I only included a few of those items in the list below.

All of this is far from complete and there are many more similar names if you are willing to spend time pouring over the map. 

Towns

  • Jasiel – near Slovakian border
  • Jasienica – (German Jasenitz, then Jasienice) part of Police, a town in Pomerania
    • site of the Jasenitz abbey
    • first mentioned: 1260 but village likely founded much earlier
    • Nowa Jasienica – a village next to Jasienica (Police)
  • Jasienica – a village in the administrative district of gmina Ziebice, within Zabkowice Slaskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship (south-west) (German Heinzendorf since?)
  • Jasienica – a village in the administrative district of gmina Dubienka, within Chelm County, Lublin Voivodeship (east)Jasienica – a village and seat of gmina Jasienica, Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodelship (south)
    • first mentioned circa 1305 in Liber foundations episcopates Vratislaviensis as “item in Gessenita decent ease XI) mansi solubiles” (German Heinzendorf, Czech Jasenice)
  • Jasienica – a village in the administrative district of gmina Myslenice, within Myslenice County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (south)
    • after 1335, probably named after the river Jasieniczanka that flows through the village
  • Jasienica – a village in the administrative district of gmina Łoniów, within Sandomierz County, Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship, (south-central)
  • Jasienica – a village in the administrative district of gmina Ostrow Mazowiecka, within Ostrow Mazowiecka County, Masovian Woivodeship (east-central)
    • also nearby Jasienica-Parcele
  • Jasienica – a village in the administrative district of gmina Tłuszcz, within Wolomin County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
    • first mentioned: in 1414
    • names used: Jassenicza, Jassyenyecz, Jassyenicza, Jaszenicza, Jaszenecz, Jasiennica, Jasszenicza, Jassyeniecz, Jaschenyecz, Jasyenyecz, Jassenycza, Jaschyenycze, Jasyenycza, Yassyennycza (Slownik historyczno-geograficzny ziem polskich w sredniowieczu)
  • Jasienica (German Jessnitz) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Brody, within Żary County, Lubusz Voivodeship (western)
    • first mentioned: in 1452 as Jessenitz
  • Jasienica Rosielna – a village in Brzozow County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (south-east)
    • was called just Jasienica and was a town as early as 1727
  • Jasienica Dolna – a village near near Nysa
  • Jasienica Gorna – a village near near Nysa on the Czech border
  • Jasienica Sufczynska – a village near near Przemysl
  • Jasienie (Geman Jaschine but the obvious Suavic name made the Nazis change it to Eschenwalde – which just means ash forest)
    • first mentioned: in the Liber foundations episcopates Vratislaviensis as “Cossine solvitur decima more polonico”  “combined with “Lippe Cossine
  • Jasienna – village in the administrative district of gmina Korzenna within Nowy Sacz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (south)
    • first mentioned: in 1372
  • Jasiennik Stary – southwest of Biłgoraj
  • Jasień (Cashubian Nënczi or Nënkòwë, German Nenkau) – an administrative part of Gdańsk; previously a separate village;
    • previously Nenkowe village which, however, was then acquired by a certain Jasiński a judge who bought the village in 1704
  • Jasień (German: Lichtenbach) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Tłuchowo, within Lipno County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-central)
  • Jasień (German: Gassen) – a town in Poland, within Żary County, Lubusz Voivodeship (west)
    • gmina seat
  • Jasień (German: Jassen; Kashubian Jaséń) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Czarna Dąbrówka, within Bytów County, Pomeranian Voivodeship (northern)
    • lies on Lake Jasień
  • Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Rogów, within Brzeziny County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
  • Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Kobiele Wielkie, within Radomsko County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
    • next to Jasień state park
  • Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Głuchów, within Skierniewice County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
    • near Rawa Mazowiecka
  • Jasień  is a village in the administrative district of gmina Lubochnia, within Tomaszów Mazowiecki County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
    • nearby also Nowy Jasień
  • Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Osjaków, within Wieluń County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
  • Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Brzesko, within Brzesko County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (southern)
  • Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Chmielnik, within Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (south-central)
  • Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Łopuszno, within Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (south-central)
  • Jasień – is a village in the administrative district of gmina Staszów, within Staszów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (south-central)
  • Jasień – a village in the administrative district of gmina Repki, within Sokołów County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
  • Jasień (German: Jasin) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Czempiń, within Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central)
  • Jasień – a hamlet part of the village Czarna Sędziszowska in the administrative district of gmina Sędziszów Małopolski, within Ropczyce-Sędziszów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (south-eastern)
    • also nearby Mały Jasień
  • Jasień – a part of the town Ustrzyki Dolne
  • Jasieniec – a town and a gmina seat near Grojec
  • Jasieniec Iłżecki Górny – between Ostrowiec and Radom
    • Jasieniec Iłżecki Dolny
    • Nowy Jasieniec Iłżecki
    • Jasieniec Nowy
    • Gajówka Jasieniec
    • Jasieniec-Maziarze
  • Jasieniec Solecki – a village near near Zwoleń
    • Jasieniec Kolonia
  • Jasion – a village in the administrative district of gmina Żarnów, within Opoczno County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
  • Jasionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Trzebownisko, within Rzeszów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (southeast)
  • Jasionka – a part of the village Krzywa in the administrative district of gmina Sękowa, within Gorlice County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (south)
  • Jasionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Zgierz, within Zgierz County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
    • first mentioned: 1396
  • Jasionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Parczew, within Parczew County, Lublin Voivodeship (eastern)
    • first mentioned: 19th century
  • Jasionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Zbuczyn, within Siedlce County, Masovian Voivodeship (east central)
  • Jasionka (German: Jassonke and Neu Jassonke) – settlement in the administrative district of gmina Kołczygłowy, within Bytów County, Pomeranian Voivodeship (north)
    • first mentioned: at least 1749
    • nearby also Nowa Jasionka
  • Jasionka (Ukrainian: Ясінка, Yasinka) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Dukla, within Krosno County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (southeast)
    • first mentioned: 14th century
    • other: through the village runs the river Jasionka a tributary of Jasiołka.
  • Jasionka – a part of the village Skórka in the administrative district of gmina Parzęczew, within Zgierz County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
  • Jasionka – a part of the village Blizne in the administrative district of gmina Jasienica Rosielna, within Brzozów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (southeast)
  • Jasionka – a part of the village Krzątka in the administrative district of gmina Majdan Królewski, Kolbuszowa County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (southeast)
  • Jasionka –  a part of the village Krzewata in the administrative district of gmina Olszówka, Koło County, Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central)
  • Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Piątek, within Łęczyca County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
  • Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Błaszki, within Sieradz County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
  • Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Bolimów, within Skierniewice County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
  • Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Głowno, within Zgierz County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
  • Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Jędrzejów, within Jędrzejów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (south-central)
  • Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Białobrzegi, within Białobrzegi County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
  • Jasionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Wronki, within Szamotuły County, Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central)
  • Jasionna (German: Jessen) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Jasień, within Żary County, Lubusz Voivodeship (western)
  • Jasionno – a village near near Elblag
  • Jasionowo – a village in the administrative district of gmina Lipsk, within Augustów County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-eastern)
  • Jasionowo – a village in the administrative district of gmina Rutka-Tartak, within Suwałki County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-eastern)
  • Jasionowo – a village in the administrative district of gmina Szypliszki, within Suwałki County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-eastern)
  • Jasionowo – a village in the administrative district of gmina Sztabin, within Suwałki County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-eastern)
  • Jasionowo Dębowskie – a village in the administrative district of gmina Sztabin, within Suwałki County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-eastern)
  • Jasionów – (Ukrainian: Ясенів, Yaseniv) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Haczów, within Brzozów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (south-eastern)
  • Jasionów (German: Jeßmenau) – a village in the administrative district of gmina Trzebiel, within Żary County, Lubusz Voivodeship (western)
  • Jasionów – a part of the village Huta Poręby in the administrative district of gmina Nozdrzec, within Brzozów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (southeast)
  • Jasionów – a hamlet of the village Olszówka in the administrative district of gmina Mszana Dolna, within Limanowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (south)
  • Jasło – (German: Jassel) – a county seat in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship (southeast)
  • Jastew – a village in the administrative district of gmina Dębno, within Brzesko County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (southern)
  • Jaświły – a village in Mońki County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-east)
    • it is the seat of the gmina Jaświły
  • Jesienicha – a settlement in the administrative district of gmina Czarna Białostocka, within Białystok County, Podlaskie Voivodeship (north-eastern)
  • Jesiona – a village  in the administrative district of gmina Kolsko, within Nowa Sól County, Lubusz Voivodeship (western
  • Jesionka – a part of the village Jesiona in the administrative district of gmina Kolsko, within Nowa Sól County, Lubusz Voivodeship (western)
  • Jesionka – a part of the village Szczecin in the administrative district of gmina Dmosin, within Brzezin County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)
  • Jesionka – a colony in the administrative district of gmina Ciechocin, within Golub-Dobrzyń County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-central)
  • Jesionka – a hamlet part of the village Nowa Wieś Szlachecka in the administrative district of gmina Czernichów within Kraków County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (south)
  • Jesionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Szczawin Kościelny, within Gostynin County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
  • Jesionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Baboszewo, within Płońsk County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
  • Jesionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Wiskitki, within Żyrardów County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
  • Jesionka – a village in the administrative district of gmina Czosnów, within Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki County, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central)
  • Jesionka –  a village in the administrative district of gmina Sompolno, within Konin County, Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central)
  • Jesionka –  a part of the village Sołtysy in the administrative district of gmina Praszka, within Olesno County, Opole Voivodeship (south-western)
  • Jesionka – a settlement in the administrative district of gmina Czerwionka-Leszczyny, within Rybnik County, Silesian Voivodeship (south)
  • Jesionna – a village in the administrative district of gmina Wodzierady, within Łask County, Łódź Voivodeship (central)

Mountain Peaks

(not shown on map)

  • Jasiennik – peak near Lubomierz in Beskid Sadecki
  • Jasiennik – peak at Przysietnica in Beskid Sadecki

Rivers/Streams/Lakes

(not shown on map except Lake Jasień)

  • Jasienica – a tributary of Ilownica
  • Jasienica – a tributary of Klodnica
  • Jasienica – a tributary of Wirowa
  • Jasienica – a tributary of Gunica
  • Jasienica – a tributary of Rega
  • Jasienica – a tributary of Grabowa
  • Jasienica – a tributary of Wieprza
  • Jasieniczanka – a small river flowing through Jasienica, a village in the administrative district of gmina Myslenice
  • Jasień – a river in the Polish city Łódź; a tributary of Ner 
  • Jasień  (Cashubian Jezero Jaséńsczé, German Jassener See) – a lake in the Bytów Lake District (Pojezierze Bytowskie, Cashubian, Bëtowsczé Pòjezerzé)
    • Bytów is the bigger town there (Cashubian, Bëtowò, German Bütow); its name may come (or vice versa) from the river Bytowa (Bytówka, Cashubian Bëtowa) 
    • a part of the Słupia Valley Landscape Park
  • Jasiołka – a river in SE Poland; a tributary of Wisłoka
  • Jasionka – a tributary of Jasiołka

Outside Poland

(these are just some examples – for a great list of all of these see the Allgemeines geographisch-statistisches Lexikon aller Laender, volume 3 pages 469-478, 486-487 (Ja-) and pages 506-514 (Je-))

Towns/Geographic Features

  • Jasionów – a village in the Brod region near Lviv, Ukraine
  • Jasienica Zamkowa – near Lviv, Ukraine
  • Jasenegg – a village in Austria
  • Jessen – a town in East Germany
  • Jasnitz – a town East Germany
  • Jassmund – Rugia, Germany
  • Jestetten – a town in Germany
  • Jesenwang – a village in Germany
  • Jesen – a village in Slovenia
  • Jesenice – a village in Slovenia
  • Jesenice – a village in the Czech Republic
  • Jesenik – a village in the Czech Republic
  • Jesenec – a village in the Czech Republic
  • Jesenské – a village in Slovakia
  • Jasenica – a village in Slovakia
  • Jasenie – a village in Slovakia
  • Jasenov – a village in Slovakia
  • Jasenovo – a village in Serbia
  • Jasenice – a village in Croatia
  • Jasenovac – a village in Croatia
  • Jasenovac – a village in Bosnia Herzegovina
  • Iesi – a town in Italy (hence the Codex Aesinas)
  • Jesolo – a part of Venice

Mountain Peaks

  • Jeseníky (Polish Jesioniki, German, Gesenke) – a mountain range of Eastern Sudetes in northern Moravia, Czech Silesia and partly in Poland.
    • the two main subranges are the Hrubý Jeseník and the Nízký Jeseník
    • Hrubý Jeseník – a mountain range of Eastern Sudetes in northern Moravia and Czech Silesia; the second highest mountain range in the Czech Republic
      • site of such sights as the Devil Stones (Čertovy kameny) and Peter’s Stones (Petrovy kameny)
      • its highest peak is the “Ur-Father” (literally Ur-Old Man or Praděd)  and other peaks include the Great Father (Velký Děd or Great Old Man) and Little Father (Malý Děd or Little Old Man) as well as the Velký Jezerník and Malý Jezerník
      • Velký Jezerník – a peak in the Hrubý Jeseník range
      • Malý Jezerník – a peak in the Hrubý Jeseník range
    • Nízký Jeseník – a peak in the Czech republic on the Polish border
  • Jesza – a mountain in Slovenia

Copyright jassa.org ©2019, All Rights Reserved

November 27, 2019

O’Dan & Diva, Adam & Eva

Published Post author

One of the interesting aspects of the Suavic language are its numbers.  I wrote about some of these quirks here but there are others. How about this:

  • “one” – Polish jeden, Russian один or odin
  • “two” – Polish dwa, Russian два or dva

That the word for the number one should refer to a God or, in the alternative, that a God should have been named using the word for “one” is interesting in and of itself. However, is this interpretation persuasive or is the above odin just coincidence?

Interestingly, the female may come to help (though, perhaps to the chagrin of feminists, literally in second place). How is that?

This, comes from Brueckner’s “The Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language” regarding the Polish dwa (“two”):

dwa: … Ancient word; ind. duwau, grec. dyō, łac. duō, ang. two, niem. zwei, lit. dudwi, prus. dwai.

And what do we know of the word “two” in English? This comes from the “Online Etymology Dictionary”:

“Old English twa “two,” fem. and neuter form of twegen “two” (see twain), from Proto-Germanic *twa (source also of Old Saxon and Old Frisian twenetwa, Old Norse tveirtvau, Dutch twee, Old High German zwenezwo, German zwei, Gothic twai), from PIE *duwo, variant of root *dwo- “two.”

Ok, so what?

Here is a hint:

dziewa, dziewicadziewkadziewczynadziewczę

All these mean a (young) woman, a girl or virgin.

Thus, we have one and two, jeden and dwa, the male and the female and the male Deity and the female Deity. This hearkens back to Iasion and Demeter.

The Polish dziewa is of the same root as the word diva which the same etymological dictionary derives as follows:

diva (n.) “distinguished woman singer, prima donna,” 1864, from Italian diva “goddess, fine lady,” from Latin diva”goddess,” fem. of divus “a god, divine (one),” related to deus “god, deity” (from PIE root *dyeu- “to shine,” in derivatives “sky, heaven, god”).

Note too the Suavic words for “day”:

  • dzień (Pol)
  • den/день (Rus)
  • den (Czech)
  • dan (Slovenian)
  • dan/дaн (Serbo-Croatian)
  • deň (Slovak)

What is interesting is that the Danube (and other river names) are derived from PIE *danu- “river.” The worship of rivers may have eventually led to the adoption of the word Don or Dan to mean as much as “Lord” such as Adonis (derived from the Canaanite ʼadōn which is probably the source, so to speak, too of, or at least related to, the Hebrew Adonai).

Interestingly, the River Don also appears in Aberdeenshire where its name is derived from the Celtic Devona “goddess.” Needless, to say that Devona sounds very much like the Polish Dziewanna.

Incidentally, the autocorrect feature changes, were you to attempt to type it, dva into eva. Take that for what you will.

Copyright ©2019 jassa.org All Rights Reserved

September 23, 2019

Bertha the Soon-To-Be Queen of the Franks and Her Muslim Diplomacy with Suavic Presents

Published Post author

Bertha (circa 863 – 868 – March 925) was the (second) illegitimate daughter of Lothair II, King of Lotharingia by his concubine Waldrada. Though born in suspect circumstances she landed on her feet and became countess of Arles by marriage to Theobald of Arles (who died in 895). After that she became margravine of the mark of Tuscany by marriage (sometime between 895 and 898) to Adalbert II (the Rich!) of Tuscany. After Adalbert’s death in the year 915, she then served as regent of Lucca and Tuscany until 916 (during the minority of her son Guy of Tuscany).

In 906 she appears to have written a letter (claiming to be the Queen of the Franks!), via a captured eunuch from the realm of the Aghlabids of Ifriqiyah, to Caliph al-Muktafi (the same whose army sacked Thessalonica in 904) while showering him with presents and, it seems though this is uncertain, asking to set her up (when Adalbert was still alive!?) with the Aghlabid Emir of Sicily. She was apparently convinced that al-Muktafi could make that happen notwithstanding the fact that the Abbasid Caliphate, though nominally in control, did not have much sway with the Aghlabids of Ifriqiyah (Tunisia) and who controlled Sicily at the time (they fell to the Fatimids soon after). In any event, the embassy reached the Caliph where the letter, after some heavy lifting, was translated by the Caliph’s folks (first from Latin into Greek with which the Moors were familiar and, it seems, only then, into Arabic).

We apparently had no knowledge of Bertha’s activities until the letter’s discovery in 1951 (in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey) and publication in 1953 by Muhammad Hamidullah (“An Embassy of Queen Bertha to the Caliph al-Muktafi billah”). The letter was part of a larger work Kitab al-dhakha’ir wa’l-tuhaf, written by Qadi al-Rashid ibn al-Zubayr (Zubayri) which was published by Hamidullah in 1959. That work, dealing mostly with treasures obtained in various ways by Muslim rulers also contains several interesting examples of Western-Eastern correspondence. Not much is known about Zubayr though he was not an eyewitness to these embassies as he was likely an official in Cairo much later the 1060s/1070s (as per the French Ukrainian historian/archeologist Oleg Grabar). (Though mention of Bertha’s correspondence is also made by ibn al-Nadim in the 10th century).

So what does this have to do with Suavs? Well, the letter itemizes Bertha’s presents for the Caliph in detail and among those we find both Suavic eunuchs and Suavic slave girls.

A bit of uncertainty prevails, however, regarding whether the gifts were ever actually sent for there is another version of the below letter from which we learn that the gifts may have stayed home since the eunuch feared being intercepted by the Ifriqiyahs, his former masters. This other version is found in “The Life of al-Muktafi” which also contains the Caliph’s response to Bertha (along the lines of “with all due respect, I know you are not any Queen of the Franks”) as well as information about the return of the eunuch’s embassy to Bertha – it seems that the eunuch did not survive the return journey. The Caliph al-Muktafi also did not live much longer. Bertha, apparently, outlasted them all. What happened to the Suavs and which Suavic tribe they belonged to we will likely never know.

Note that the letter somehow seems to have escaped Lewicki’s team’s notice and is not found in his compendium of Arab and Muslim sources on the Suavs.

Here is the letter:


“In the name of God the merciful and gracious. May God protect you from all your enemies, o’ king excellent in authority and powerful in lordship, secure your kingdom and you healthy in body and soul.

I Bertha, daughter of Lothar, queen of all the Franks (!), I salute you my lord king. There was friendship between me and the king of Ifriqiyah for until now I did not suspect that there was a greater king than him on Earth. My ships having gone out took the ships of the king of Ifriqiyah whose commander was a eunuch named Ali: I took him prisoner together with one hundred and fifty men who were with him on three ships and they remained held by me for seven years. I found him to be intelligent and a quick study and he informs me that you are king over all [Muslim] kings; and though many people had visited my kingdom, no one had told me the truth of you except this eunuch that [now] brings my letter to you. I have sent with him gifts of various things that are found my country to honor you and obtain your friendship; they consist of the following:

  •  fifty swords
  • fifty shields
  • fifty spears (of the type used by the Franks)
  • twenty gold-woven robes
  • twenty Suavic eunuchs
  • twenty beautiful and graceful Suavic slave girls– ten great dogs against which no other beasts can stand
  • seven hawks
  • seven sparrow hawks
  • a silk pavilion with the associated apparatus
  • twenty woolen garments produced from a shell extracted from the seabed in these parts, with iridescent colors like those of the rainbow, changing colors throughout the day
  • three birds (from the land of the Franks) who, if they see poisoned food and drink, throw a horrible scream and flap their wings, so that that circumstance becomes known
  • glass beads that painlessly draw arrows and spearheads, even if the flesh has grown around it.

He [the eunuch Ali] informed me that there is friendship between you and the king of the Byzantines who resides in Constantinople. But my rule is greater and my armies more numerous, for my lordship comprises twenty-four kingdoms, each of which has a different language from that of the kingdom that is near it, and in my kingdom is the city of Rome the Great. God be praised.

He told me about you and that your matters are proceeding well, filling my heart with satisfaction as I ask God to help me obtain your friendship and an agreement between us for however many years I remain alive: whether that happens depends on you. This agreement is a thing that no one in my family, in my clan or in my lineage has ever sought; no one had ever informed me about your armies and the splendor in which you find yourself until this eunuch that I sent to you so informed me.

Now then, oh Lord, by the grace of God, may great well-being be upon you. 

Write to me about your well-being and all that you need most from my kingdom and from my country through this eunuch All. Do not keep him by your side, so that he can [return and] bring me your answer. I await his arrival. I also entrusted him with a secret he will tell you when he sees your face and hears your words, so that this secret may remain between us, since I do not want anyone to know of it except for you, me and this here eunuch.

May God’s most great health be upon you and yours and may God humble your enemies and make your feet trample upon them.

Salutations!”

Copyright ©2019 jassa.org All Rights Reserved

May 3, 2019

Laonikos Chalkokondyles

Published Post author

Laonikos Chalkokondyles (circa 1430 – circa 1470) was a Byzantine Greek historian. His 10 volume history (The Histories) contains the following passages (dealing with the events of the Byzantine Civil war in 1350-1356) which give several potential sources for the origin of the Serbs:

“Süleyman [Pasha, son of Orhan Gazi] then attacked the Mysians [Moesians?]* and the Triballi.** This tribe – the oldest and largest of all of the world’s nations – took these lands either (1) by separating from the Illyrians*** or (2), as some people believe, from peoples on the other side of the Danube, at the ends of Europe, [by separating] from the Croats and Prussians on the Northern Ocean, or (3) it arrived from Sarmatia, which is now called Ruthenia. By reason of the insufferable cold they left those lands and, having crossed the Danube, they arrived in the country on the Ionian Gulf [Sea] and, having conquered them, took abode in the lands that belong to the Veneti. Perhaps it is better said that (4) they arrived from there in the land on the Ionian Sea and after crossing the Danube they found themselves on the other side of the oecumene, but we do not assert this with full certainty. But I do know that these tribes differ from one another by names but not by customs and using the same language they can understand each other even now. They spread out throughout Europe, lived in different places even in the Peloponessus, Laconia, in the mountains of the Taygetus, and on the Tainaron [Cape Matapan]. Here too lived a nation which stretched from Dacia to Pindos in Thessaly. Both of these are called the Vrachi.*** I cannot say which of these, were I to speak of them, [was the native and which] came to the other. In any event, I believe that the Triballi,** Mysians [Moesians?],* Illyrians,*** Croats, Polans and Sarmatians [that is Ruthenians as noted above] speak the same language.  Were anything worthwhile to be added to this, it is only that this is one tribe.”

* Bulgarians
** Serbs
*** Western Slavs or Slovenes.
*** Wallachians

Copyright ©2018 jassa.org All Rights Reserved

September 17, 2018

Iasion, Jason & the Obotrites

Published Post author

In English the name of this tribe is either Obotrites or Obodrites.  The Polish name is Obodryci, Obodrzycy, Obodrzyce.  In Czech the same name is written Obodrice or  Bodrice.  The same in Latin is spelled Abodriti.  They were the westernmost northern Slavic tribal confederation that had been recorded.

But where did the name come from and what does it mean?  A number of hypotheses are present:

Some say their name refers to the Oder river – Odra – and they were “people who lived at the Odra”.

A variation of this states that they had lived on “both” sides of the Odra. That is, the “obo” refers to “both” – as in “obie” (both) Odry – both Oders.

Another variation would say that they were the ones that lived “obok” that is “at the” or “by” the Oder.

Yet another variation would be to ask whether the “o” should not rather (like the Latinized version) have been an “a” – thus, for example, we can ask whether those were the people who “came from” the Oder. This would be a German etymology – that is it relies on the word “ab” or “from”. This would be a kind of an amalgam – Odra is a Slavic version (Oder being the German version) but the “ab” would seemingly be a Germanic addition.  In fact, perhaps the original name had been Od-odrites, that is “from the Oder”.

Or perhaps, consistent with some versions of their names, such as the Czech Bodrici, the name refers to the worshippers of the Polish Goddess Boda?

Their first mention seems to be in the Carolingian annals for the year 789 where we read that Charlemagne entered the territory of the Slavic Wilzi (Veleti) accompanied by Franks, Saxons, Frisians and Slavs “called Sorbs and the Obodrites, whose chieftain was Witzan.”

As was already mentioned previously, the Veleti – the Obodrites’ great Slavic competitors – who, by the way, also make their first acknowledged historical appearance in that exact same entry – strangely seem to make an (unacknowledged) appearance already in Ptolemy’s Geography where it is said, that “back from the Ocean, near the Venedicus bay, the Veltae dwell, above whom are the Ossi.”

Could the Obodrites have the same claim to fame? It seems the answer could be yes.  Ptolemy’s description of Germania says that: “below the Gabreta forest are the Marcomani, brow whom are the Sudini, then extending to the Danube river are the Adrabaecampi” (ὑπὸ δὲ τὴν Γαβρήταν Ὕλην Μαρκομανοὶ, ὑφ’ οὓς Σουδινοὶ, καὶ μέχρι τοῦ Δανουβίου ποταμοῦ οἱ Ἀδραβαικάμποι·).  Could the Adrabaecampi be a name for the Obodrites or Abotrites?  Curiously, we also have a few lines above the Parmaecampi – both Parma and Adra being, potentially, of northern Italian – and, in the case of the Adra, of Venetic origin.

But, it gets better.

There is a possibility that there were two different tribes of Obotrites.  In fact, the very same Carolingian Annals mention (under the entry for the year 824) that: “The emperor [Louis the Pious] also received the envoys of the Obodrites who are commonly called Praedenecenti and live in Dacia on the Danube as neighbors of the Bulgars, of whose arrival he had been informed.”  In the same annals, just two years earlier (in the year 822) we hear of the emperor receiving “embassies and presents from all the East Slavs, that is, Obodrites, Sorbs, Wilzi, Bohemians, Moravians, and the Praedenecenti” which further confuses the picture.

So were the “southern Obodrites” the same as Praedenecenti or was this simply a confusion on the part of the Frankish author who could not tell all these Slavs apart?

Obotrites in green shows why exactly they got swallowed up by stronger polities

There is something that suggests that the scribe got it right (for the year 824).

Abdera in the South

First, interestingly, there is another Odra river right by the Croatian capital of Zagreb (this, in addition to other places with the same name, including in India). This is not quite at the Danube but certainly closer to that river than the northern Obotrites were.

Second, there is another city whose name evokes the Obotrites or Abotrites.  This one is not in Dacia or Pannonia but in Thrace (not close to the Danube but close enough?).  This is the city of Abdera (Ἄβδηρα) of which Strabo (Book &, Chapter 7, section 44-49) says:

“after the strait of Thasos one comes to Abdera and the scene of the myths connected with Abderus. It was inhabited by the Bistonian Thracians over whom Diomedes ruled. The Nestus River does not always remain in the same bed, but oftentimes floods the country. Then come Dicaea, a city situated on a gulf, and a harbor. Above these lies the Bistonis, a lake which has a circuit of about two hundred stadia. It is said that, because this plain was altogether a hollow and lower than the sea, Heracles, since he was inferior in horse when he came to get the mares of Diomedes, dug a canal through the shore and let in the water of the sea upon the plain and thus mastered his adversaries.”

Strabo then goes on to say:

“After the Nestus River, towards the east, is the city Abdera, named after Abderus, whom the horses of Diomedes devoured; then, near by, the city Picaea, above which lies a great lake, Bistonis; then the city Maroneia. Thrace as a whole consists of twenty-two tribes. But although it has been devastated to an exceptional degree, it can send into the field fifteen thousand cavalry and also two hundred thousand infantry. After Maroneis one comes to the city Orthagoria and to the region about Serrhium (a rough coasting voyage) and to Tempyra, the little town of the Samothracians, and to Caracoma, another little town, off which lies the island Samothrace, and to Imbros, which is not very far from Samothrace; Thasos, however, is more than twice as far from Samothrace as Imbros is. … Now Paulus, who captured Perseus, annexed the Epeirotic tribes to Macedonia, divided the country into four parts for purposes of administration, and apportioned one part to Amphipolis, another to Thessaloniceia, another to Pella, and another to the Pelagonians. Along the Hebrus live the Corpili, and, still farther up the river, the Brenae, and then, farthermost of all, the Bessi, for the river is navigable thus far. All these tribes are given to brigandage, but most of all the Bessi, who, He says, are neighbors to the Odrysae and the Sapaei. Bizye was the royal residence of the Astae. The term “Odrysae” is applied by some to all the peoples living above the seaboard from the Hebrus and Cypsela as far as Odessus – the peoples over whom Amadocus, Cersobleptes, Berisades, Seuthes, and Cotys reigned as kings.

Then, a bit later:

Iasion and Dardanus, two brothers, used to live in Samothrace. But when Iasion was struck by a thunderbolt because of his sin against Demeter, Dardanus sailed away from Samothrace, went and took up his abode at the foot of Mount Ida, calling the city Dardania, and taught the Trojans the Samothracian Mysteries. In earlier times, however, Samothrace was called Samos.”

Abderan coins

Strabo then returns to Abdera in Book 11 (chapter 14, sections 13-15):

“There is an ancient story of the Armenian race to this effect: that Armenus of Armenium, a Thessalian city, which lies between Pherae and Larisa on Lake Boebe, as I have already said,26 accompanied Jason into Armenia; and Cyrsilus the Pharsalian and Medius the Larisaean, who accompanied Alexander, say that Armenia was named after him, and that, of the followers of Armenus, some took up their abode in Acilisene, which in earlier times was subject to the Sopheni, whereas others took up their abode in Syspiritis, as far as Calachene and Adiabene, outside the Armenian mountains. They also say that the clothing of the Armenians is Thessalian, for example, the long tunics, which in tragedies are called Thessalian and are girded round the breast; and also the cloaks that are fastened on with clasps, another way in which the tragedians imitated the Thessalians, for the tragedians had to have some alien decoration of this kind; and since the Thessalians in particular wore long robes, probably because they of all the Greeks lived in the most northerly and coldest region, they were the most suitable objects of imitation for actors in their theatrical make-ups. And they say that their style of horsemanship is Thessalian, both theirs and alike that of the Medes. To this the expedition of Jason and the Jasonian monuments bear witness, some of which were built by the sovereigns of the country, just as the temple of Jason at Abdera was built by Parmenion.  It is thought that the Araxes was given the same name as the Peneius by Armenus and his followers because of its similarity to that river, for that river too, they say, was called Araxes because of the fact that it “cleft” Ossa from Olympus, the cleft called Tempe. And it is said that in ancient times the Araxes in Armenia, after descending from the mountains, spread out and formed a sea in the plains below, since it had no outlet, but that Jason, to make it like Tempe, made the cleft through which the water now precipitates itself into the Caspian Sea, and that in consequence of this the Araxene Plain, through which the river flows to its precipitate descent, was relieved of the sea. Now this account of the Araxes contains some plausibility, but that of Herodotus not at all; for he says that after flowing out of the country of the Matieni it splits into forty rivers and separates the Scythians from the Bactrians. Callisthenes, also, follows Herodotus. It is also said of certain of the Aenianes that some of them took up their abode in Vitia and others above the Armenians beyond the Abus and the Nibarus. These two mountains are parts of the Taurus, and of these the Abus is near the road that leads into Ecbatana past the temple of Baris. It is also said that certain of the Thracians, those called “Saraparae,” that is “Decapitators,” took up their abode beyond Armenia near the Guranii and the Medes, a fierce and intractable people, mountaineers, scalpers, and beheaders, for this last is the meaning of “Saraparae.” I have already discussed Medeia in my account of the Medes; and therefore, from all this, it is supposed that both the Medes and the Armenians are in a way kinsmen to the Thessalians and the descendants of Jason and Medeia.” 

And Then There Were More

Curiously, there is another Abdera – appearing as abdrt on its oldest coins.  This one is Andalusia and appears to have been a Phoenician colony. Its modern name is Adra.

This Abdera, we are told, was founded by the Phonicians.  Yet, adra type names are generally understood to be Indo-European which immediately raises several questions. For example, recall the Adriatic or the various Odras – the explanation here was that these may have been “Veneti” names.

Copyright ©2018 jassa.org All Rights Reserved

February 9, 2018

The Astronomer’s Slavs

Published Post author

One of the principal sources for the times of Louis the Pious is the so-called Astronomer‘s “The Life of Emperor Louis” or Vita Hludovici (the others include Thegan as well as Ermoldus Nigellus that is Ermold or Ermoald the Black).  It was written sometime after 840.

Here are the Slavic excerpts from that work.  The translation is that of Thomas Noble (and the notes are his).  (Note that we do not include references to place names that might have an etymology suspiciously resembling Slavic such as Triburi, that is, “three forests” (Drevergau) not necessarily “drei Höfe”; Vlatten (“probably of Celtic origin” as in Vlatos = the ruler… but certainly not from Wladyka); or the River Cisse flowing into the Loire; or monastery at Vadala (San Salvador de la Valeda in Berga near Barcelona? Or Vandala? Or Veleda?).

Chapter 25

“…The emperor then ordered the Saxon counts and the Abotrits, who had formerly submitted themselves to the lord Charles, to give aid to Harald, so that he could be restored to his own kingdom.  Baldric was deputized to carry this message.  When they had crossed the Eider River, they entered the land of the Northmen in a place called Sinlendi.  Although the sons of Godfred had abundant forces and two hundred ships, they did not wish to come close and give battle.  Both forces withdrew, and our men destroyed and burned everything they encountered, and what is more, they received forty hostages from that same people.  Having done this, they returned to the emperor in a place called Paderborm, where he had gathered all his people in a general assembly [July 815] .  To that same place came the princes of the eastern Slavs and all their most important men*…”

[* note: “Other sources specify Abotrits, Sorbs, Wilzi, Bohemians, and Moravians.” The wording used is Quo in loco principes Sclavorum orientalium omnes primoresque venerunt]

Chapter 26

“After the emperor spent the harsh winter in restful health and calm success, and with the approach of summer’s most welcome charms, those who are called the eastern Franks and the counts of the Saxon people were sent by him against the Slavic Sorbs, who were said to have withdrawn from his authority.  With Christ’s help their attempt was suppressed very quickly and easily…”

Chapter 27

“…While he was staying in that palace [Aachen], he also received the envoy of Emperor Leo of Constantinople, whose name was Nicephorus.  Apart from friendship and alliance, the legation treated the boundaries of the Dalmatians, Romans, and Slavs.  But because they [the Slavs] were not present, nor was Cadalo [margrave of Friuli], the prefect of those border regions, and because without them affairs could not be brought into order, Albgar was sent to Dalmatia to pacify and organize the situation, along with Chadalo, the prince of those very same borderlands…”

Chapter 29

“…With these things already properly ordered, the emperor then, in that assembly, wished for his firstborn son Lothar, to be, and to be called, co-emperor, and he sent forth two of his sons, Pippin into Aquitaine and Louis into Bavaria, so that people might know whose authority they ought to obey.  Immediately, a defection of the Abotrits was announced to him.  They had come to an understanding with the sons of Godfred and were disturbing Saxony beyond the river Elbe.  The emperor sent adequate forces against them, and with God’s favor their movement was stopped…”

Chapter 30

“…The emperor, for the purpose of avenging their [the Bretons’] insolence, assembled a military force from all sides and headed for the Breton frontier.  He held a general assembly at Vannes [August or September 818], entered the province, an with little time or effort devastated everything until Murman [Breton leader], while he was attacking the baggage train, was killed by a certain keeper of the royal horses named Coslus [see Ermoldus Nigellus for more].  All of Brittany was conquered with him, gave up, and surrendered to whatever conditions the emperor might wish to impose, in the end, future servitude..  The Bretons gave and accepted hostages – who they were and hoe many, he decided – and he organized the whole land according to his will.”

Chapter 31

“…Meanwhile, the envoys of other peoples were there too, that is, of the Abotrits, Goduscani, and Timotani,* who had recently renounced an alliance with the Bulgars and associated themselves with us.  And the envoys of Liudewit [Croat leader rebelled in 819 and was murdered in 823], the commander of lower Pannonia, were there also accusing Cadalo [margrave of Friuli], falsely as it turned out, of being unbearably cruel to them.  All these were heard, dealt with, and dismissed, and the emperor moved on to that very palace where he planned to spend the winter.   While he was there, King Slaomir of the Abotrits was paraded before him by the Saxon leaders.  Since he was accused of defection and could not answer the charge, he was sent into exile, and his kingdom was given to Ceadrag, a son of Thrasco.**”

[* note: These are the south Abotrits “who lived on the north bank of the middle Danube.  The Goduscani lived on the Croatian-Dalmatian coast.  The Timotiani lived along the Serbian-Bulgarian frontier.  These people were pressured by the recent expansion of Bulgaria.”]

[** “Slaomir had mirdered Thrasco in 809 or 810 and the, from about 816 or 817, shared rule over the Abotrits with Ceadrag”]

Chapter 32

“…In the following summer [819], his people came to him in the palace of Ingelheim.  There he received the messengers from his army that had been sent to suppress the open treachery of Liudewit, but that affair remained more or less unresolved.  Indeed, puffed up by arrogance on account of his actions, Liudewit, through his envoys, laid before the emperor certain demands that, if the emperor were prepared to fulfill them, would lead him to return to his former obedience to Louis’ commands.  But these seemed pointless to him, and so he tossed them aside and did not accept them.  Liudewit decided to remain disloyal, and he associated with himself in perfidy whomever he could.  Indeed, after the return of the army from the frontiers of Pannonia, and while Liudwit was still in opposition, Duke Cadalo of the Friuli succumbed to fever and lived his last day.  Baldric took his place. When he first came into the provide and entered the lands of the Carinthians, he put the forces of Liudewit to flight near the river Drava with only a few men.  Harrying the rest, he compelled them all to leave his territory.  Chased out by Baldric, Liudewit confronted Borna, the duke of Dalmatia, who was camped on the Kupa River.  Borna had been deserted because of the treater or the fear of the Goduscani – it is not clear which – and he escaped the impending reckoning of accounts safe and sound only by using a force of personal bodyguards.  Later on he dealt with those who had deserted him.”

“Meanwhile Liudewit entered Dalmatia again, in the following winter. and he tried to destroy everything by cutting down with the sword every living thing and by setting fire to every inanimate thing.  Since Borna was unable to meet his attack, he looked for a way to harm him by cunning.  He did no declare open war on him but harassed him and his army with sneak attacks such that Liudewit was ashamed and sorry that he haas undertaken such things.  With three thousand of his soldiers killed and many horses and lots of equipment of various kinds destroyed, he was forced by Borna to leave the region.  The emperor, who was them at Aachen, heard all these things most joyfully…”

Chapter 33

“In that same palace, with winter [January 820] coming on, the emperor gather together an assembly of his people.  At that time Borna, who complained bitterly about the attack of Liudewit, received form the emperor substantial forces to help him grind down Liudewit’s land.  The forces were int he first place divided into three, and they devastated almost all the land under his authority by fire and sword, but Liudewit protected himself by the heights of a certain fortress and would not come forth to fight or to talk.  After these forces returned home, the people of Carniola and certain of the Carinthians who had give over to Liudewit surrendered to our duke Baldric…”

Chapter 34

“In this year the lord emperor spent the winter [820/821] season in Aachen.  In that same winter, im February, an assembly was held at Aachen, and three armed bands were dispatched to lay waste the land of Liudewit…In the midst of these things, Borna lost his life, and the emperor made his nephew Ladasclao his successor…”

Chapter 35

“…At the same time, he sent an army from Italy into Pannonia against Liudewit, Since he was unable to maintain himself there, he left his own city [Sisak as per the Carolingian Annals] and went to a certain chieftain of Dalmatia and was admitted to his city.  Then, however, he turned the gables on his host, brought him grief, and subjected the city to his own domination.  And although he would neither fight nor talk with our men, nevertheless he sent envoys to say that he had made a mistake and he promised that he would come to the lord emperor…”

“…With these things taken care of, he spent the autumn, hunting in the way of the kings of the Franks, and to pass winter, he sought out a place across the Rhine whose name is Frankfurt.  There he ordered an assembly of the neighboring peoples to come together, of all of those, that is, who lived beyond the Rhine and who obeyed the command of the Franks.  He discussed with them everything that appeared to contribute to the public good, while he took thought suitably for the affairs of each.  In that same meeting, a legation of the Avars appeared bearing gifts*…”

[* note: apparently last ever contemporaneous mention of the Avars]

Chapter 36

“In that same estate, that is, Frankfurt, after winter had ended, the emperor in May held an assembly of the eastern Franks, the Saxons, and of the other peoples who bordered on them.  There he brought to a fitting end a struggle between two brothers who were fiercely contending for the kingship.  They were WIlzi by birth, sons of King Liubi, and their names were Milegast and Celeadrag.  When their father, Liubi, declared war on the Abotrits, he was killed by them, and the kingdom was conveyed to the firstborn,  But when he showed himself to be more sluggish in the administration of the kingdom than the situation demanded, the favor of the people shifted on behalf  of the younger son.  They came into the emperor’s presence on account of this altercation.  He investigated, discovered the will of the people, and declared the younger to be chief.  The emperor endowed both with ample gifts, bound them by oaths, and dismissed them as friends, both to himself and to each other…”

“…In that same assembly the death of the tyrant Liudewit was announced.  He was killed by some trickery.  The emperor dissolved this assembly and called for another one at Compiegne in the autumn [of 823].”

Chapter 39

“Later the emperor ordered an assembly to be celebrated by his people in May [of 825] at Aachen.  While it was meeting, a legation from the Bulgarians, who had for a long time lived in Bavaria according to his instructions, was brought in to be heard.  They were especially concerned about the boundaries to be observed between the Bulgarians and the Franks after the establishment of the peace.  Present as well, and promising submission and obedience with many words, were not a few leaders of the Bretons, among whom was Wiomarc’h, who seemed to exceed the others in authority, the very one who had by reckless boldness and stupid audacity gone so far as to provoke the emperor to send a expedition into those regions to suppress his insolence.  Therefore, when he said that he regretted his deeds and that he would commit himself loyally to the emperor, he was received mercifully by him in his usual fashion – for he was always accustomed to bestow clemency – and he, along with totters of his countrymen, was endowed with gifts.  He was allowed to go home. But later, not unmindful of his customary perfidy yet forgetful of all that he had promised an dog the good things that he ha experienced, he did not miss a chance to complain about his neighbors, the emperor’s faithful men, and to harass them with persistent harm.  So it happened that, overwhelmed by the men of Lambert, he met the end of all his evils and the term of his life in his own house.”

“So, having dismissed the envoys of the Bulgarians and of the Bretons, the emperor went off hunting in the wilds of the Vosges, believing that he could do that until the month of August, when he would return to Aachen to hold an assembly, as he had planned.  At that time he ordered that the peace which the Northmen were seeking be confirmed in October…”

“…When the envoys of the Bulgarians returned from that assembly bearing the emperor’s letters, their king received what was written with little pleasure, because he had not obtained what he had sought.  With a certain irritation he sent back that same messenger and demanded that either a common boundary be established or he would, with whatever force he could muster, see to his own frontiers.  But then the rumor spread that the king who had made such demands had lost his kingdom, so the emperor retained the envoy for a bit, until he could send Bertric, the count of the palace, who learned that what was going around was false.  Having learned the truth he dismissed the envoy with that affair still unfinished.”

Chapter 40

“…On the first of June [of 826] the emperor came to Ingelheim and an assembly pif his people met him there, just as he had instructed…  Moreover, two dukes, Ceadrag of the Abotrits and Tunglo of the Sorbs, when they were accused and the verdict did not appear clear enough, were chastised and sent home…”

Chapter 42

“In February of the following winter [in 828], there was a public assembly at Aachen… Also a charge was lodged and investigated against Duke Baldric of the Friuliu, that on account of his laxity and carelessness the Bulgarians had wasted our land.  He was expelled from his duchy, and his power was divided among four of his counts.  But, then, the spirit of the emperor was most mild by nature, and he was always eager to request mercy for those who had sinned…”

Copyright ©2017 jassa.org All Rights Reserved

June 6, 2017