The Slavs are in some ways a mystery.
The largest ethnos in Europe, some claim that they appeared on the world stage suddenly, seemingly taking a huge swath of land previously occupied by “others” in a remarkably short period of time. These others disappeared, melded away or left for southern climes.
But is that really what happened?
Others have seen the Slavs as progeny of earlier tribes whose presence in Central Europe has been historically attested.
It is true that recent, though as yet limited, DNA data obtained from ancient skeletal remains also indicate that today’s inhabitants of some Slav lands are genetically indistinguishable from prior denizens of Slav countries. Studies of this type have been carried out in Poland and are likely to continue elsewhere.
So are Slavs simply a remnant of Celts, Vandals or Ostrogoths who have adopted the “Slavic” language of a conquering Hunnic, Alanic or Avar horde? Indeed, the few words that we know of Hunic appear to sound vaguely Slavic. Or is the case that none of these Celts, Vandals or Goths really lived in Slavic countries for any significant period of time?
Is the name “Slavs” (pronounced Suavs in western Slavic languages) simply a new designation for a people that are a straight-line continuation of earlier tribes known to ancient Greek and Roman geographers. Here the so-called Veneti come to mind in the East first and foremost but others such as the Suevi/Suavi in the West have been suggested (here check out the “Questions” page on this topic as well as Daniewski’s article on the similarity/identity of these two names). But if Suevi, a “Germanic” nation were in fact the ancestors of the Slavs then the whole picture of ancient Germania turns on its head. Or were the “Sarmatian” (meaning different geography, different language or different customs too?) Iazyges somehow involved in all this? Suevi had contacts with the Iazyges and the Veneti as well as Lupiones (same as Lugii/Legii? Or are these the mysterious Oueltae/Veltae?) who may or may not have been a Suevic tribe are called “Sarmatian” on the Tabula Peutingeriana. Were the Aesti part of the equqtion? And what of the Ossi?
Let us then start at the beginning or as close to the beginning as we can, so far, get and tell the story of our fathers and mothers, of our Tribe or our People… What do we mean by “our Tribe ” and “our People”? Just this – our physical ancestors (for those who don’t know what an ancestor is, see here) . These may include the “Slavs” but may also include those who were not yet referred to as Slavs, the Veneti – most likely – Suevi – possibly, and other curious tribes such as the Jazyges – maybe.
Not to exclude are the obvious physical similarities with the Balts (hence the Prussian “kails!” greeting).
Whatever their names, their own or those given them, whatever they may have thought of themselves or others, whatever their culture or lack thereof, whatever God, Goddess, Gods or Goddesses they believed in, if any, whether they were fair or foul, they were ours, with all the glory – but also with all the warts.
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Szanowna Pani/ Szanowny Panie, gratuluję strony! Co prawda jest po angielsku, ale jakoś daję radę! Ostatnio “zająłem” się Szwajcarią i jej miejscowosciami, zainspirowany Pani/Pana informacjami nt. Belgradu (nota bene już go nie można znaleźć na mapie) przy jez. Bodeńskim. Tam aż roi się od słowiańskich nazw!!! Być może Pani/Pan zna tą stronę: http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/index.php , a jeśli nie to tym lepiej. Są tam może nie w każdym przypadku, ale w większości podane stare/pierwotne nazwy tych miejscowości z datą ich występowania w dokumentach! TO SĄ SŁOWIAŃSKIE nazwy! Aż dziwne, że tamtejsi historycy się nawet nad tym nie zająkną?! Zawsze piszą o tzw. Alemanach! I tak końcówki -ikon to pozostałość po -chova! Podobnie jak na zachód od Łaby odkrył/a Pani/Pan, że końcówki -leben to stare -lovo. Odnośnie Jossipona – chyba jednak został spisany ok. 956 r. Ja też nie potrafię doszukać się domniemanych nazw (np. Ljachin!). Na koniec, odnośnie słowiańskości Saksonii (bomba z Cracowem, Rurą, Lipą, Padabornem, Soestem) – w roczniku kwedlinburskim pod rokiem 995 są jasno wymienieni OSTERLUDI (w wersji łacińskiej), chyba jako Ostfallowie (sic).!Jeszcze raz gratuluję! Pozdrawiam serdecznie!
I am currently intensely buried in research as I am writing a book, The Roots of Slavic Magic. Your history has been very instructive. I have some new theories that I would love to run by someone with your expertise. Plus I would like to ask your permission to quote some of your work. Please write to me at patwoodruff (at symbol) mac.com. Thanks.
Sorry but don’t have time for correspondence (g’luck w/project!) but sure quote away. Have an article translation coming up in English that should be of interest.
If you look at the left bank of the river Piave, at the left margin of the Blaeu map of Cadore, you see te village “Vas”. It is still there, after 300 years. How come this generic name in te middle of……
http/wwwkb.dk/maps/kortsa/2012/jul/kortatlas/object62489/en/
hello
im glad to see that you have passion for old history of the “barbaric peoples” ou suevis “souabes” and vandales vandalus..”
andalus..im portugues, with germanic mind, i have a suevic en vandale culture..
by my ancestors, in land of my father was the vandales tribes of south and suevics,”suevos” in land of my mother are suevics..i can help you about many informations, i speak spanish fluently, french fluently.. so in portugal and spain we have a lot of information about the suevos and vandalos of north and south tribes
the ideal is create a fundation with passionates peoples, because the information is not concentred, a i send you some olds books of spain where is concentred a big part of historia de los godos de espana or the history of the gods of spain “vandales, and suevis, i perhaps the vatican have more information about the suevis because they are the first people cristianised in europe..
best regards sebastian duarte
Please no link dumps