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1 GERMANIC PEOPLES
"Germani" first attested in Roman inscription at 222 BCE, DE
GALLEIS INSVBRIBVS ET GERM (aneis) making reference to
GAULS.
The writer who apparently introduced the name "Germani" into
classical literature is Julius Caesar. He uses Germani in two
different ways:
Germania = a geographical area of land on the east bank of
the Rhine from Gaul, and outside Roman control. This usage
of the word is the origin of the modern concept of Germanic
languages.
o It includes Celtic peoples living east of the Rhine and
north of the Alps. Caesar, Tacitus and others did note
differences of culture that this was a wild and
dangerous region, less civilised than Gaul, and
requiring of military vigilance in Rome and Gaul.
Caesar uses the term Germani, for a very specific tribal
grouping in northeastern Belgic Gaul who called themselves
Germanic in order not to be associated with Gaulish
indolence.
I
GERMANIC
LANGUAGE
SPREAD
II
GERMANIC
LANGUAGE
SPREAD
Latin writers from the 10th century onwards used the learned adjective
teutonicus (originally derived from the Teutonos) to refer to East
Francia ("Regnum Teutonicum") and its inhabitants, to identify a
contemporary vernacular term and the associated nation with a
classical name. This usage is still partly present in modern English;
hence the English use of "Teutons" in reference to the Germanic
peoples.
The early Germanic tribes spoke mutually intelligible dialects, Germanic languages derive from a single earlier parent language
o No written records of such a parent language exist
o Some evidence point to a common pantheon made up of
several different chronological layers
o
The pre-Migration Age distribution of the Germanic tribes in ProtoGermanic times, and stages of their expansion up to 50 BCE, 100 CE
and 300 CE. The extent of the Roman Empire in 68 BCE and 117 CE is
also shown.
o By the late 2nd century BCE, Gaul, Italy and Hispania were invaded
by migrating Germanic tribes
o As Rome expanded to the Rhine and Danube rivers, it incorporated
many Celtic societies into the Empire.
o Caesar's wars helped establish the term Germania
Migration Period
Mediterranean
Northern Africa
The wandering tribes then began staking out permanent homes as a means of
protection, resulting in fixed settlements which expanded outwards
Role in the Fall of Rome
Staring from 1950 historians and archeologists shifted their interpretations
that the Germanic peoples are no longer seen as invading a decaying empire
but as being co-opted into helping defend territory the central government
could no longer adequately administer so as the Roman government passed
into the hands of Germanic leaders.
The Gothic settlers have turned into legitimate successor to the rule of
Rome
Early Middle Ages
The transition of the Migration period to the Middle Ages is marked by:
the Christianization of the Germanic peoples and
the formation of stable kingdoms replacing the mostly tribal
structures of the Migration period
GERMANIC SOCIETY
A main element uniting Germanic societies is Kingship (a
sacral institution combining the functions of military leader,
high priest, lawmaker and judge).
Germanic monarchy was elective; the king was elected by the
free men from among eligible candidates of a family tracing
their ancestry to the tribe's divine or semi-divine founder.
the free men of property each ruled their own estate and were
subject to the king directly, without any intermediate
hierarchy as in later feudalism. Free men without landed
property could swear fealty to a man of property who as their
lord would then be responsible for their upkeep, including
generous feasts and gifts. This system of sworn retainers was
central to early Germanic society, and the loyalty of the
retainer to his lord was taken to replace his family ties.
Early Germanic Law reflects a hierarchy of worth within the
society of free men
Free women did not have a political station of their own but
inherited the rank of their father if unmarried, or their
husband if married
Traditional Germanic society was gradually replaced by the
system of estates and feudalism characteristic of the High
Middle Ages.
Material culture
Germanic settlements:
o
o
German
- Germany,
- Austria,
- Lichtenstein, the
- East Cantons of Belgium
- Switzerland (including the northeast areas bordering on Germany
and Austria)
There are several groups of German dialects:
-
o
o
Low Franconian
Dutch dialects (Netherlands)
northern Belgium,
Nord Pas de Calais region of France and
around Dusseldorf in Germany
o In Belgian and French contexts, the language is sometimes
referred to as Flemish.
North Germanic
- Scandinavian countries (Danish, Denmark, Greenland, Faroe
Island), - Norwegian (Noerway),
Native speakers
Global distribution of native speakers of the German language:
Country
Country
USA
5,000,000
Mexico
100,000 (Mennonites)
Brasil
3,000,000
South
Africa
Russian
2,000,000
Belgium
66,000
Raraguay
56,000
Chile
40,000
Namibia
Denmark
20,000
Romania
15,000
Poland
Argentina
Canada
Italy
Peru
Hungary
800,000
500,000
450,000 620,000
250,000
240,000
220,000
Venezuela 10,000
Australian 110,000