Researching early Slavic tribal names and histories is a rather difficult task for the simple reason that outside of Fredegar, Einhard, Paul the Deacon (and, possibly, Porphyrogenetus) or the various Carolingian annals’ mentions, very few sources regarding the same exist prior to the late 10th century. What the above contain, in turn, is very little. Therefore, speculation about Slavic tribal polities is necessarily mostly that – speculation. One example of an exhaustive, though rather skimpy, source is the so-called Note of the Bavarian Geographer. Discovered in 1772 in the Bavarian Prince Elector’s library by the nosy Louis-Gabriel Du Buat-Nançay (the French ambassador to the Saxon Court), it dates to the 9th century (probably the first half of it) and was published in 1796 by Jan Potocki the Polish archeologist (and, if this may not prove redundant, eccentric). It was Potocki that called it a note of the “Bavarian” geographer although it is unlikely that the writer was Bavarian (more likely Frankish) and even less likely that he was a geographer (most likely a spy or scout). So the French spy found a note by his predecessor-in-trade.
What is interesting about this note is that it lists not just the nearby Polabian Slavic tribes that we know from the much later writings of Thietmar, Adam of Bremen, Helmold and Saxo Grammaticus but it also lists tribes populating portions of Poland, the Czech lands and, more generally, contains a “Description of cities and lands north of the Danube” (Descriptio civitatum et regionum ad septentrionalem plagam Danubii). Although the note says nothing other than the name of the tribe and a measure of its relative strength expressed by the number of “civitates”, i.e., cities/towns that such tribe possesses, of some of these tribes it is the only witness to their existence.
Looking at this from the viewpoint of Polish historiography, it contains no mention of any Polans or Mazovians (though does contain Vislans and the Slenzans of Silesia). Neither does it mention Croats anywhere nor, probably, any Eastern Slav tribes. On the other hand, it does mention the Sorbs, what appear to be Bohemian tribes and the Prussians. Some of these names are obvious, the others’ association with known tribal entities is more tentative and yet others only leave us scratching our heads. Also note that researchers believe that there were perhaps two different source documents – therefore, we break up the piece below into two separate parts roughly corresponding to the two (proposed) pieces.
Without further ado here is the Bavarian Geographer:
Part I
“Description of cities and lands north of the Danube. These are they who reside closer to the borders of Denmark. who are called Nortabtrezi, where the region has 53 cities divided among their dukes. Vuilci who have 95 cities and 4 regions. Linaa are people who have 7 cities. Near them reside those whom they call Bethenici and Smeldingon and Morizani, who have 11 cities. And next to them are those who are called Hehfeldi, who have 8 cities. And next to them is the country called [of the ] Surbi, [in] which country there are many [people], and they have 50 cities. And next to them are the ones who are called Talaminzi who have 14 cities. Beheimare who have 15 cities. Marharii have 11 cities. The country of the Vulgarii is immense and the people plenty [and] they have 5 cities, because there is a great multitude of them and it is not [the work] of the cities to have them [?] There is a people who are called Merehanos, they have 30 cities. These are the countries that terminate/end at our borders.”
(Descriptio civitatum et regionum ad septentrionalem plagam Danubii. Isti sunt qui propinquiores resident finibus Danaorum, quos uocant Nortabtrezi, ubi regio, in qua sunt civitates LIII, per duces suos partite. Vuilci in qua civitates XCV et regiones IIII. Linaa est populus, qui habet civitates VII. Prope illis resident, quos vocant Bethenici et Smeldingon et Morizani, qui habent civitates XI. Juxta illos sunt, qui vocantur Hehfeldi, qui habent civitates VIII. Juxta illos est regio, quae uocatur Surbi, in qua regione plures sunt, quae habent ciuitates L. Juxta illos sunt quos uocantur Talaminzi qui habent ciuitates XIIII. Beheimare in qua sunt ciuitates XV. Marharii habent ciuitates XI. Vulgarii regio est inmensa et populus multus habens ciuitates V, eo quod mutitudo magna ex eis sit et non sit eis opus ciuitates habere. Est populus quem uocant Merehanos, ipsi habent ciuitates XXX. Iste sunt regiones, que terminant in finibus nostris.)
Part 2
“These are the ones that reside next to them. Osterabtrezi in whose [country] there are more than 100 cities. Miloxi who have 67 cities. Phesnuzi have 70 cities. Thadesi more than 200 towns. Glopeaniwho have 400 cities or even more. Busani have 231 cities. Sittici country is immense with many towns and people. Stadici have 516 cities an infinite people. Sebbirozi have 90 cities. Unlizi a populous people have 318 cities. Neriuani have 78 cities. Attorozi have 148, a very fierce people. Eptaradici have 263 cities. Vuillerozi have 180 cities. Zabrozi have 212 cities. Znetalici have 74 cities. Aturezani have 104 cities. Chozirozi have 250 cities. Lendizi have 98 cities. Thafnezi have 257 cities. Zeriuani, that is the only kingdom, to have arisen from all of the nations of the Slavs, and the origin, as they claim, they lead. Prissani, 70 cities. Velunzani, 70 cities. Bruzi are many on all sides from the Enisa [Ems? Neisse? Enns (Danube tributary)?] to the Rhine. Vuizunbeire. Caziri 100 cities. Ruzzi. Forsderen. Liudi. Fresiti. Serauici. Lucolane. Ungare. Vuislane. Sleenzane, 15 cities. Lunsici 30 cities. Dadosesani 20 cities. Milzane, 30 cities. Besunzane, 2 cities. Verizane, 10 cities. Fraganeo 40 cities. Lupiglaa 30 cities. Opolini 20 cities. Golensizi 5 cities.”
[we conclude with the note at the bottom of the page]
“Sueui are not born but sown [?]. Beire are not called Bavarians, but Boiarii from the river Boia.”
(Isti sunt, qui iuxta istorum fines resident. Osterabtrezi in qua ciuitates plus quam C sunt. Miloxi, in qua ciuitates LXVII. Phesnuzi habent ciuitates LXX. Thadesi plus quam CC urbes habent. Glopeani, in qua ciuitates CCCC aut eo amplius. Zuireani habent civitates CCCXXV. Busani habent ciuitates CCXXXI. Sittici regio inmensa, populis et urbibus munitissimis. Stadici in qua ciuitates DXVI populusque infinitus. Sebbirozi habent ciuitates XC. Unlizi populus multus, ciuitates CCCXVIII. Neriuani habent ciuitates LXXVIII. Attorozi habent CXLVIII, populus ferocissimus. Eptaradici habent ciuitates CCLXIII. Vuillerozi habent ciuitates CLXXX. Zabrozi habent ciuitates CCXII. Znetalici habent ciuitates LXXIIII. Aturezani habent ciuitates CIIII. Chozirozi habent ciuitates CCL. Lendizi habent ciuitates XCVIII. Thafnezi habent ciuitates CCLVII. Zeriuani, quod tantum est regnum, ut ex eo cuncte gentes Sclauorum exorte sint, et originem, sicut affirmant, ducant. Prissani, ciuitates LXX. Velunzani, ciuitates LXX. Bruzi plus est undique, quam de Enisa ad Rhenum. Vuizunbeire. Caziri, ciuitates C. Ruzzi. Forsderen. Liudi. Fresiti. Serauici. Lucolane. Ungare. Vuislane. Sleenzane, ciuitates XV. Lunsici ciuitates XXX. Dadosesani ciuitates XX. Milzane, ciuitates XXX. Besunzane, ciuitates II. Verizane, ciuitates X. Fraganeo ciuitates XL. Lupiglaa ciuitates XXX. Opolini ciuitates XX. Golensiz ciuitates V. Sueui n[on] s[unt] nati s[ed] seminati. Beire non dicuntur Bauarii, s[ed] Boiarii a Boia fluvio.)
A few interesting things to note:
1) Zeriuani, “that is the only kingdom, to have arisen from all of the nations of the Slavs, and the origin, as they claim, they lead.” Who are these? Serbs (Surbi) have already been listed above so they do not really fit this role (though repeats of some of these tribes are possible). Perhaps Severians but which ones (in Russia or on the Danube – there were two)?
Or perhaps, this has something to do with the man that the Armenian historian Mosis Chorenensis aka Moses Khorenatsi’s (Moses of Khoren) wrote about as Zerovanus (Moses wrote many interesting things – we will be back to him), a Bactrian king who was by others (Berosus) seen as the same as Zoroaster.
2) Bruzi “are many on all sides from the Enisa [Ems? Neisse? Enns (Danube tributary)?] to the Rhine.” This makes little sense unless either Rhine means something else than the Rhine or we are placing Prussians, if that is who they are, between the Enns and the Rhine, i.e., basically in today’s Netherlands.
3) Sometimes German names are used while at other times Slavic but Osterabtrezi is in a “Slavic section” – does it mean Eastern Abotrites? Or those Abotrites who worship Oster?
4) And then there is the below little note (written by?):
“Sueui are not born but sown [?]. Beire are not called Bavarians, but Boiarii from the river Boia.”
which brings us to the Suevi… but we will not tackle them yet.
BTW the above is the only known existing copy of this listing.
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