Bavarian Geographer

As Bavarian Geographer (also Geographus Bavarus, East Frankish Table of Nations or Descriptio civitatum ) is referred to a probably -built in the 9th century manuscript, lists the names of Slavic and other tribes east of the Frankish Empire. The text is only present in a single copy and is located in the Bavarian State Library in Munich for the signature Clm 560, fol. 149v - 150r. When and where the copy was made is just as controversial as the question of what the status quo they are again. The Bavarian Geographer is a major source for Slavic tribal history of the early Middle Ages. The heading Descriptio civitatum et regionum ad septentrionalem plagam Danubii refers only to the first part of the compilation. Controversial is the meaning of the concept of civitas used there, which actually means city or castle, but here apparently " Siedlungsgefilde. "

Text of the document stating the respective " tribes "

The division into two parts follows the edition of H. Łowmiański.

Part 1

Descriptio civitatum et regionum ad septentrionalem plagam Danubii.

Part 2

Isti sunt, qui iuxta istorum fines resident.

Interpretations

As the text for the majority of strains containing the first and often the only mention in this time, a mapping is often difficult. Names disappear and are replaced by new ones when changing political structures. Some previously mentioned tribal names as those of the choir Wading ( Croats and White Croats in eastern Poland and south adjacent areas ) can not be identified in the text, also the a short time later significantly expectant terms as the laughter, the Polans, Duleben and others.

On the other hand, there are a few names similarities, such as the Mariharii ( 11 ) and the Merehanos ( 13 ), both equate itself with the Moravians. A first list of tribal names from the middle of the 9th century, a few decades later obviously adds.

Should these supplements contain the repeated mention of a tribe already mentioned, many remained unclear names could be identified.

1 Nortabtrezi - ( Northern ) Abodrites to the castle in present-day Mecklenburg Mecklenburg and eastern Holstein (the distinction in northern and eastern Abodrites [ 14 ] may refer to a partly Danish supremacy ) 2 Uuilci - Wilzen, in eastern Mecklenburg, Vorpommern and Brandenburg in the north 3 Linaa - Linonen to the Burg Lenzen on the middle Elbe 4 Bethenici - Bethenzer between Goldberg and Plau 5 Smeldingon - Smeldinger in the area around Parchim in southwestern Mecklenburg 6 Morazani - on the middle Elbe Near Magdeburg 7 Hehfeldi - Hevelli around the castle in Brandenburg an der Havel in the western Brandenburg 8 Surbi - Sorbs, actually a generic term for the tribes between the Elbe and Saale, now a major part of Saxony and the southern East Saxony -Anhalt 9 Talaminzi - Daleminzer 10 Beheimare - Bohemia, actually Czechs 11 Marharii - Moravians in Great Moravia 12 Vulgarii - Bulgarians in the mighty Danube Bulgarian Empire from the lower Danube to the Dniester River in what is now eastern Hungary and Romania until well into the Western Ukraine 13 Merehanos - Moravians (such as 11 ), possibly from the independent Principality of Nitra to 833 (now western part of Slovakia ) 14 Osterabtrezi - Eastern Obodrites (such as 1 ), probably in eastern Mecklenburg 15 Miloxi - possibly Milzener (such as 52 ), in eastern Saxony and western Lower Silesia 18 Glopeani - Goplanen on Goplo Lake in what is now central Poland 20 Busani - Buschanen on the upper reaches of the Western Bug predominantly in today's western Ukraine 21 Sittici - possibly on the river Žitava in today's Slovakia ( Nitra principality? ) 24 Unlici - Ulitschen 27 Eptaradici - Greek hepta = seven, radikoi = roots, origins, so maybe seven castles ( country ), the castle would be possible Ektarod, domination midpoint of a county in niederpannonischen Principality at Lake Balaton / Hungary Balaton in today north of the Danube 33 Lendizi - Lendizen, the forerunner of the Polans in southeastern Poland 35 Zeriuani - probably Tscherwjanen around the castle Tscherwen im.heutigen eastern Poland, the kingdom ( regnum ) speaks for the 981 captured by the Kievan Rus, probably formerly independent Tscherwener Burgenland, as well as the situation in Lendizen ( 33 ) and Prissanen. ( 36 ) 36 Prissanen - Prussians are possible (such as 38 ), Pyritz to the castle of Pomerania in Polish Pomerania east of the Oder, or even a named after the Polish river San tribe in eastern Poland ( Slavic pri = on, at, ie at the San ) 37 Uuelunzanen - probably the important castle of Wolin on the now Polish part of the Baltic Sea island of Usedom, possible also the Volhynians in Western Ukraine to the castle Volyn 38 Bruzi - Old Prussians, a Baltic tribe on the Baltic coast in northern Poland today and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad ( without specifying the number castle, may therefore complement to 36 ) 40 Casiri - Khazars in the huge Khaganate of the eastern Black Sea to far to the east in present-day eastern Ukraine, southern Russia and western Kazakhstan 41 Ruzzi - residents of the Rus, the Slavic generally Russi, German correctly Ruthenians also Rusyns Hungary's 47 - Hungary, to 896 north of the Black Sea in what is now western Ukraine between the powerful empires of the Danube Bulgars and the Khazars, from 901 west of the Danube in Pannonia, today's western Hungary and neighboring regions 48 Uuislane - Vistulans on the Vistula / Wisła in Lesser Poland 49 Sleenzane - Slensanen in the western, now Polish Lower Silesia, forerunner of the Silesian 50th Lunsizi - Lusitzi on the upper Spree ( Lausitz), today Sorbs 51 Dadosesani - Dadosanen am Bober with the castle Ilva in today Polish western Lower Silesia 52 Milzane - Milzener on the upper Neisse in present-day eastern Saxony 53 Besunzane - Besunzane 55 Fraganeo - possibly Praga, so the Czechs to Prague 57 Opolini - Opolanen the later Upper Silesian castle of Opole in Poland today 58 Golensizi - Golensizen

Dating

The dating of the Bavarian geographer, ie the determination of the point in time at which the copy was made, has been the subject of scientific studies ever since the 1950s. Hopes of a true temporal classification of a copy of the research to answer the question of the terminus ante quem to narrow in this way, are for how long particular, the data of the first part to the geographical and political conditions of the Slavic tribes. Both objects of investigation are often mixed together. Paleographically the transcript is according to the current state of research probably erected in the late 9th century, with additions to the second part of the 10th century. In contrast, the question of the origin of the text is completely answered inconsistently. The beginning, the middle and the end of the 9th century are discussed. Since the text could have arisen both in several phases, as well as a compilation of older traditions from different times causes considerable difficulties its temporal limitation.