Pohinawa

One of the more interesting Carolingian documents regarding Slavic presence in what is today Germany and Austria is a notice from the early 9th century setting a borderline between the parish lands of Puchenau (aka Buchenau near Linz, in today’s Austria, first mentioned in 807) by the mountain of Chestinperc/Caestinincperc (Pöstlingberg?) and the neighboring Slavic landholdings.

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The bishop of Freising and Wilhelm, the count of Traungau (Travensko) on the river Traun decided to settle the matter and in order to achieve this, they brought the local elders from the Bavarian and Slavic side.  Thirty-two Bavarian witnesses and twenty-one Slavic ones testified to where the old boundary ran between the church lands of Puchenau and the lands of clan Techolin (the Slavic count above apparently not including Techolin himself and maybe not his sons either).  Based on the common understanding among them, the bishop and the count laid out and confirmed the boundary line.

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At Chestinperc, August 21, 827

Notice of the agreement respecting Puchenau that the Bishop Hitto and Count Wilhelm made with the Slavs

“The venerable men Bishop Hitto and Count Wilhelm came to that place that is called Pohinawa and in that field that is so-called Caestinincperc* [Pöstlingberg?] and how many other nobles came correctly defining and deciding the boundaries between the House of God [i.e., the church parish] at Pohinava and the Slavs remaining there almost until no arguments were left.  But then count Wilhelm accompanied by Gerold commanded the Bavarian and Slav elders [to tell them] where the correct boundary was.  And so he brought agreement amongst the both of these groups: that the boundary ought to run to the House of God [i.e., the church] from that stream that is called Deozinbach [Sagbach?] where that [stream] empties into the Danube and then traveling to the old rocks and to Chestinperc; then on the east side until the border’s end as it runs to Linz and in the middle of which there are three green faunas;** and from the marks etched in them to the other boundaries.  This convention and agreement was made between the venerable Bishop Hitto and Techolin and his sons.  In the presence of count Wilhelm and others.  Altmar. Otperht.  Uolchuni.  Azzo.  Otuni.  Cozperht.  Adaluuart.  Booso.  Cozhelm.  Solih.  Emheri.  Pilicrim.  Uuillipato.  Oadalrih.  Uro.  Aliuuich.  Cozolt.  Alprih.  Cotafrid.  Irminfrid.  Emicho.  Tutti.  Fritilo.  Oaio.  Sigiuole.  Karaheri.  Adalker.  Salakrim.  Toto.  Hrodperht.  Drudolt.  Aaron. isti Sclauanii ibi presentes erant.  Egilolf.  Uualdrat.  Liupisco.  Zanto.  Traninh.  Tal.  Zemilo.  Liupnic.  Trepigo.  Liupin.  Uuelan.  Uuittan.  Uuento.  Tagazino.  Tesco.  Ocatino.  Zebon.  Zenasit.  Zinacho.  Dabramis.  Medilim.  This was done at Chestinperc on the 12th of [September] [Julian calendar].  In the 14th year of  emperor Louis the Pious, the 5th indiction.”

Caestinincperc may (like Puochinawa) be of Slavic origin referring to the tree Aesculus.  Both the Slavic kasztanowiec and the German Kastanienbaum/Kastanie come froom (or are cognate with?) the Latin castanea but the -ninc suffix suggests a Slavic origin.  The -perc probably is a German add-on suffix referring to a mountain (Berg).   

** Faunas has been seen as referring to the Fagus trees, i.e., the beeches or Buchen that seem to have given the name to the municipality of Puchenau (earlier Buchenau).  willi1

ad Chestinperc, August 21, 827

Notitia de illo placito ad Puochinauua quod Hitto episcopus et Uuillihelm habuerunt cum Sclauis.

“Conuenientibus uenerabilibus uiris Hitto episcopus et Uuillihelm comis ad illo loco quae dicitur Pohinauua et in illum campum qui sic dictum est caestinincperc et alii quam plurimi nobiles recte difiniendum et dirimendum terminum illum inter ipsa casa dei ad Pochinauua inter Sclauanis ibidem prope comanentibus ut nulla contentio inde eleuaretur.  tunc uero Uuillihelm comis secundum Keroldi iussionem quesiuit inter uetustissimis uiris Baiouuariis et Sclauaniis ubi rectissimum terminum inuenire potuissent.  et ita se concordantes inter ambobus.  ut ipsa marca ad casa dei pertinere deberet de illo riuolo qui dicitur Deozinbach ubi ipse fluxit in Danubium et deinde circumiens ad ueteranis petris usque ad Chestinperc.  deinde ad orientalem partem ad illo termino, quae marchit ad Linza et in medietatem fauas iii uirentes.  et illae signas in eis habent usque ad aliis terminis.  ista conuenientia et conplacitatio factum fuit inter ipso uenerabili episcopo Hittone et Techolino et filiis eius.  Uuillihelmo comite presente et aliis.  Altmar. Otperht.  Uolchuni.  Azzo.  Otuni.  Cozperht.  Adaluuart.  Booso.  Cozhelm.  Solih.  Emheri.  Pilicrim.  Uuillipato.  Oadalrih.  Uro.  Aliuuich.  Cozolt.  Alprih.  Cotafrid.  Irminfrid.  Emicho.  Tutti.  Fritilo.  Oaio.  Sigiuole.  Karaheri.  Adalker.  Salakrim.  Toto.  Hrodperht.  Drudolt.  Aaron. isti Sclauanii ibi presentes erant.  Egilolf.  Uualdrat.  Liupisco.  Zanto.  Traninh.  Tal.  Zemilo.  Liupnic.  Trepigo.  Liupin.  Uuelan.  Uuittan.  Uuento.  Tagazino.  Tesco.  Ocatino.  Zebon.  Zenasit.  Zinacho.  Dabramis.  Medilim.  Aetum est ad Chestinperc in xii. kalend.  Septembris.  anno Hludouuici imperatoris sui.  xiiii.  indictione v.”  

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What’s fascinating about these names is the fact that most would not be identified as Slavic were they to appear out of context.  With the exception of Dabramis and Liupnic the other names are either ambiguous (Zemilo, Zenasit, Zinacho, Liupin, Uuelan and Uuittan) or maybe Germanic (Egilolf certainly, Uualdrat).  

On the other hand, a number of the other names may or may not be Germanic.  Note that the non-Slavs are not specifically identified as Bavarians nor as something else.  Thus, we have Uolchuni, Solih, Pilicrim, Salakrim (!?) not to mention Aaron.

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September 13, 2016

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