Balts

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Baltic tribes in the 12th century

The Baltic tribes (derived from the Baltic Sea or Baltic Sea) are tribes in north-eastern Europe whose languages include : a. form a branch of the Indo-European language family alongside those of the Celts , Teutons , Slavs and Romans . This branch is divided into several individual languages , including those of the Latvians , Lithuanians , Prussians (Old Prussia) and Kuren as well as an idiom in the Narew region of the Sudauer-Jatvingers . With the exception of Latvian and Lithuanian, almost all Baltic languages ​​are now extinct.

In the north of the Baltic region live the Estonians who do not speak any Baltic language, but are counted with the Finns and Hungarians in the family of the Finno-Ugric language communities. Thus, Estonia only belongs geographically and politically, but not linguistically, to the Baltic States. When we speak of the Baltic states today, we mean Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The Baltic Germans were the German-speaking population of the Baltic region, who had settled here since the Middle Ages and formed the aristocratic and bourgeois upper class in the Baltic regions for several centuries.

Origin and Distribution

Eastern Europe 3rd – 4th Century. Baltic cultures (gray-purple) with the limits of frequent (double band) and sporadic (colon-dash band) occurrence of Baltic hydronyms . From west to east: West Baltic tumulus culture , line pottery culture , Dnepr-Dvina culture , Moschtschiny culture and Moscow culture (hatched). Green: Finno-Ugric cultures , ocher: Slavic early Prague-Korchak culture (lighter, according to recent research probably more widespread) and Kiev culture (darker ocher). Black writing: Iranian tribes , gray writing: other cultures and tribes with expansion of the Goths (gray) and Huns (brown arrow). Map of the Lomonosov University Linguarium project .

As with many early peoples, the origins of the Balts are obscure. There are various theories about how it came about. The influential Lithuanian scientist Marija Gimbutas assumed that the first Indo-Europeans entered the Baltic States around 3000 BC. Reached BC, although it does not necessarily have to be the ancestors of the Baltic, who the Baltic States at the latest by 2800 BC. With the Cord Ceramic Culture . The Balts then emerged from a mixture with the resident old Europeans.

Jerzy Okulicz-Kozary referred to the upper Dnepr region (central Belarus) as the original home of the Balts , as the oldest Baltic water names are located there. From there they gradually spread to other areas. Łucja Okulicz-Kozaryn takes up this thesis and, like Kazimierz Buga, assumes that the Baltic reached the Baltic Sea late. According to her, the West Baltic tribes only spread along the Memel towards Masuria and northern coastal areas such as Samland and Natangen were Balticized only at the beginning of the European migration. At the latest with the beginning of the Iron Age in the 5th century BC. In East Prussia and the Narew region, one can speak of a Baltic population. For Lithuania and Latvia no later than the birth of Christ. Both population surges may have come from the hypothetical urban Baltic Dnepr region.

Until the beginning of the migration , the Baltic settlement area extended over a huge area from the lower Vistula in the west to the Oka near Moscow in the east and the Pripet and the Sejm in the south. During the migration of peoples, however, there was a Slavization of further former Baltic areas. The exact circumstances of this conquest are not known. However, the archaeological findings speak for a peaceful process. There is no evidence of armed conflict, nor have buried valuables such as those that appear in troubled times have been found with a remarkable frequency. The Slavs appear to have settled in new places of settlement within the Baltic areas, while burial sites were used by both groups. After a period of peaceful coexistence, the Balts were absorbed in them by new techniques and the increased population of the Slavs. To what extent there were conflicts or resentments between the two peoples cannot be said. By war later in the 13th century, the West Baltic peoples ( Prussians , Sudauers , Galindians ) were almost exterminated by the Teutonic Order through crusades and finally assimilated in the course of the Middle Ages, leaving the last representatives of the Balts, today's Latvians and Lithuanians.

Inner division

The Balts are traditionally divided into the groups of Western Balts and Eastern Balts. Their cultural and linguistic differences grew over the course of history. In the 1980s, Valentin W. Sedow proposed a tripartite division of the Balts, which was divided into the Western Baltic, Central Baltic (Latvian and Lithuanian tribes) and Eastern Baltic (the unknown tribes of the Dnepr and Oka regions). In the end, this proposal has not been able to prevail, probably also because of the lack of linguistic support. In general, very little is known about the extinct East Baltic tribes because there are no written sources and only archaeological findings can be relied on. Overall, there is a certain traditionalism in the development of the Baltic cultures and the persistence of the settlement system. At the same time, there was a considerable cultural division and differentiation into small spaces.

Iron age

The iron reached the western Baltic region in the Halstatt D period (around 550 to 440 BC). At this time, the division between the West and East Balts begins, as the East Baltic region only took part in these developments later, around the time of the birth of Christ. With the introduction of iron and the presumed immigration of Baltic peoples, the West Baltic barrow culture emerged in East Prussia, in the Narew region and on the Lithuanian coast . Despite the introduction of iron, self-made iron objects did not appear in large quantities until the 2nd century AD. The western Baltic tumulus culture differs from the nearby Lausitz culture in that it has round-arched clay vessels and small fortified settlements instead of larger "castles". The iron brings about many changes in social and economic life. From grave goods it can be seen that the princes are gaining power and influence and that social differences are growing. In contrast, there is the East Baltic castle hill culture, which unites numerous related cultures up to the Oka area near Moscow. Only one urn field of this culture has so far been found. Little can therefore be said about their funeral customs and material culture.

Roman Iron Age (turn of the ages up to 400)

The representatives of the west Baltic tumulus culture lived on the very important Amber Road , via which the amber extracted from the Baltic Sea was transported to large parts of Europe and the Mediterranean. Through the amber trade, they were - at least indirectly - in contact with many peoples, including the Roman Empire. In addition to amber, the Baltic tribes also offered furs, honey and wax and received bronze and silver, often in the form of coins. Trade in the western Baltic region and in the western part of Lithuania and Latvia has given new impetus and a period of prosperity. Iron spreads more and more and a large bronze and gold jewelry production of rare quality emerges. These changes meant that the settlement structure shifted in favor of open settlements, which largely replaced the defensive settlements. This period also saw the first written mention of the Balts at falls Tacitus under the name Aestii ( aesti ), who later on Ugric Finno- Estonians passes. The later handed Baltic tribes of the Middle Ages there are probably already at this time, as the geographer Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. Chr. On his Atlas the trunks of Galindai and Soudinoi earned in the field, which later by the Galindern and Sudauern inhabited has been. To the east of the areas mentioned, these impulses are either absent or only received sporadically. Exceptions are the land around the Memel and the Lithuanian coastal areas, which are also involved in trade. In the East, material culture remains at the level of the ceramic line culture . More finds from barrows are known from this time, which is why we can say more about the living conditions at that time. The Lithuanian material differs significantly from the Prussian and Jatwings and shows significantly more local peculiarities that differ from the European style.

Migration period and East Baltic Middle Iron Age (400 - 800)

Eastern Europe 5-6 Century. Balten (violet), v. W. n. O .: Pruzzi-Yatvian tribes, Latvian-Lithuanian tribes, Tuschemlja culture and Moschtschiny culture. Light brown, pink and yellow: expanding Slavic groups, dark brown: Germanic residual groups, etc. Linguarium map.

The West Baltic culture suffered no major disturbances during the migration period . Instead, the western Balts are spreading on the Elbingen plateau and in the area of ​​the lower Vistula. The spread on the plateau seems to have been peaceful, while on the lower Vistula numerous buried precious metal finds speak for a violent invasion of the Prussians. Later the cures also spread northwards into the previously Livonian area.

The Slavic expansion begins in the south , as a result of which large parts of the east Baltic area are peacefully Slavicized. Linguistic and cultural echoes of the Balts can still be found in the Eastern Slavs . The Kriwitschen tribe adopted the Baltic tumulus as a burial rite, for example. Of these disappeared tribes, only the East Galindians around Smolensk appear in an old Russian chronicle of the 12th century. Because of this Slavic pressure, the Latvian tribes continue to advance west and north. With the exception of the Kurisch-Liv border, these borders have existed until the 13th century and in many cases to this day. In addition, the peoples that we know from the sources of the Crusaders are now also forming in the East Baltic region. The territorial communities consolidate and in the third quarter of the first millennium the territorial system emerges, the basis of which is formed by the castle districts in which the rulers reside. Old ramparts are being expanded and many new castles are being built. Among them now stand the free and unfree. At the same time, the first early city-like forms emerged, which in individual cases eventually became cities.

Late Eastern Baltic Iron Age (800 - 1200)

Eastern Europe 9. – 10. Century. Pink: Baltic tribes, including Golyad in the east , green: Slavic tribes, yellow: Finno-Ugric tribes, brown: Turkic tribes, red border: extension of the Kievan Rus . Linguarium card.

In the 9th and 10th centuries the development was so far that the Prussians might have established a state. However, it was during this period that the trade routes were restructured. The Dnepr is opened up and the main trade route now bypasses the Baltic regions. In addition, with the establishment of the Polish and Old Russian states, the political realities change. The Prussian trading cities of Truso and Wiskiauten are in decline. During this time there was also an accelerated development in the East Baltic area, which thus reached the level of the West Baltic region. The Aukschtaiten in particular now take on a leading role. At the beginning of the 2nd millennium, they also began to mint their own coins, which were based on old Russian models. Between 1201 and 1236, Lithuanian tribes invaded neighboring countries 40 times, taking much prey.

Society structure

Baltic society has seen some changes. Periods with a clearly structured hierarchy and egalitarian sections alternated. In the Iron Age, the lords of the castle ruled over the villages around them. The castle areas could in turn join together to form countries that formed a rule. At the beginning of the 13th century, Lamekins Castle Hill led many castle areas in Central Courland. The prince's claim to power could be hereditary or linked to his person. The elders played a very different role from one region to the next and made important decisions, especially in times of war. When it comes to political and economic questions, however, they too had to take into account the interests of the upper classes of the population. Particularly important decisions were made by a meeting of these leaders of an area in which all free residents were allowed to participate. The elders could also order the free residents to help build the fortress or to participate in looting.

Settlement

The Baltic peoples had different types of settlement. Early fortified settlements in the western Baltic area are divided into high-altitude fortified places and pile dwellings on or in the water. At that time, open settlements were very rare in the western Baltic region, while they were the rule in the eastern Baltic region until the Middle Iron Age. The fortified settlements were protected by palisades, which also applied to water settlements whose palisades were rammed into the lake bed. Later, in the entire Baltic area, open settlements were grouped around the castle hills, which were built in a natural defensive position near lakes, rivers or moors. The heavily walled castle hills develop into economic and administrative centers for the surrounding villages. With the increasing importance of the higher strata, the castle mountains also increase in importance and power. One example is the castle of the Austro-Hungarian lord in Nemenčinė, which in the 11th century had a rampart 24 m wide and 10 m high at the most accessible point. The inner courtyard was already surrounded by stone walls. The simple houses of the Balts were rectangular block buildings or post houses and had dimensions of up to 6 × 8 m. There were circular stone hearths in them.

nutrition

The Balts lived mainly from agriculture and animal husbandry, with animal husbandry predominating. Cattle and cows were the most important livestock, followed by sheep, goats, horses and lastly the pigs. In addition, the Baltic tribes grew grain and vegetables, the yields of which were stored in pit houses with a depth of 1 to 2 m. The high level of agriculture allowed for storage on a larger scale. Of the cereals, millet and barley appear to have been the most important, followed by wheat, oats and emmer. Rye was added later. Furthermore, remnants of beans, peas and raspberry fruits were often found. In addition, agricultural tools were occasionally found, such as an iron spade plow, which gives us information about farm work. So Kur and Semgallians used scythes, whereas the Selenium and Latgallians used sickles, which may indicate differences in agriculture, the extent of which we cannot yet say. Hunting and fishing also played a role. In general, it can be said that the importance of hunting increased from west to east and decreased overall over time. In the Bronze Age East Baltic castle hill culture, agriculture only played a subordinate role. Livestock and hunting were more important and vegetable food was mostly obtained through gathering. In the Iron Age east Baltic castle hill Ogres Ķenteskalns, the share of wild animal bones among the bone waste was only 14.1%, in the settlement 9.6%. Aurochs, roe deer, elk and beavers, among others, were hunted. Large fish such as sturgeon, salmon, catfish and pike were of particular economic importance. Beekeeping was also known to the Balts and grew in importance.

trade

Due to the extensive trade, the Baltic peoples showed an unusual level of prosperity for Europe. Many trade goods from all parts of Europe could be found in the graves, as the trade route between the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea ran through the Baltic regions. In the Middle Ages, multiethnic trading towns such as Truso and Wiskiauten with the Prussians and Grobiņa with the Kurds were formed there. The trade was carried out with seaworthy ships. However, the cures in particular also went on raids and were feared throughout the Baltic Sea region. According to Henry of Latvia , around 300 ships took part in such a raid around 1200. Later upheavals in the trade routes put an end to Turso's heyday, etc. Thereupon the Aukschtaites expanded their importance in trade, as they had easier access to the new trade centers such as Novgorod or Grodno .

Belief world

Funeral rites and, associated with them, the world of faith, were always influenced by changes among the Balts. With regard to the funeral rites, small areas can be identified that sometimes form a diffuse patchwork of different rites. On the whole, there are clear differences between women's and men's graves. Women were given jewelry to the grave, while men's graves contained weapons and were often accompanied by horse burials . At the beginning of the Middle Ages, social inequality increased, resulting in more graves with scarce grave goods.

language

The Baltic languages ​​are known for their high conservatism. So you have received numerous antiquities of the Indo-European original language. Before the Baltic languages ​​split up, there was an Urbaltic language that can be derived from some features that only the Baltic languages ​​have:

In contrast to the personal pronouns, the personal forms of the verbs do not differentiate between singular, dual and plural in the third person. In Lithuanian it says: jis yra (he is), juodu yra (they both are), jie yra (they are). There are numerous matching word formation types in the Baltic languages. Especially Baltic word creations are z. B. "Eiche" (lit. ažuolas, Lat. Ozols, old Pr. Ansonis), "Hirsch" (lit. and Lat. Briedis, old Pr. Braydis), "others" - (lit. kitas, Lat. Cits, old Pr. kits) or "the sea" (lit. and lett. jūra, old pr. jūris).

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Rainer Eckert, Elvira-Julia Bukevičiute, Friedhelm Hinze: The Baltic languages, an introduction. 5th edition. Langenscheidt, 1998, p. 15.
  2. ↑ In a slightly enlarged and modified version to be found here on the Linguarium website .
  3. ↑ Jan Jaskanis et al.: The Baltic, The northern neighbors of the Slavs. Karl Schillinger, Freiburg 1987, pp. 12-13.
  4. ↑ Jan Jaskanis et al.: The Baltic, The northern neighbors of the Slavs. Karl Schillinger, Freiburg 1987, p. 34.
  5. ↑ Jan Jaskanis et al.: The Baltic, The northern neighbors of the Slavs. Karl Schillinger, Freiburg 1987, p. 27.
  6. ↑ Jan Jaskanis et al.: The Baltic, The northern neighbors of the Slavs. Karl Schillinger, Freiburg 1987, p. 36.
  7. ↑ Jan Jaskanis et al.: The Baltic, The northern neighbors of the Slavs. Karl Schillinger, Freiburg 1987, p. 34.
  8. ^ Ptolemy, Geographike Hyphegesis 3,5,9
  9. ↑ Tarasov I. The balts in the Migration Period. PI Galindians, pp. 99-109.
  10. ↑ Jan Jaskanis et al.: The Baltic, The northern neighbors of the Slavs. Karl Schillinger, Freiburg 1987, p. 39.
  11. ↑ Jan Jaskanis et al.: The Baltic, The northern neighbors of the Slavs. Karl Schillinger, Freiburg 1987, p. 44.
  12. ^ Brandenburg State Office for Monument Preservation and State Archaeological Museum: Latvia's many peoples. Archeology of the Iron Age from the birth of Christ to the year 1200. Druckhaus, Köthen 2008, p. 31.
  13. ^ Brandenburg State Office for Monument Preservation and State Archaeological Museum: Latvia's many peoples. Archeology of the Iron Age from the birth of Christ to the year 1200. Druckhaus, Köthen 2008, p. 32.
  14. ^ Brandenburg State Office for Monument Preservation and State Archaeological Museum: Latvia's many peoples. Archeology of the Iron Age from the birth of Christ to the year 1200. Druckhaus, Köthen 2008, p. 39.
  15. ↑ Jan Jaskanis et al.: The Baltic, The northern neighbors of the Slavs. Karl Schillinger, Freiburg 1987, p. 25.
  16. ↑ Jan Jaskanis et al.: The Baltic, The northern neighbors of the Slavs. Karl Schillinger, Freiburg 1987, p. 50.
  17. ^ Brandenburg State Office for Monument Preservation and State Archaeological Museum: Latvia's many peoples. Archeology of the Iron Age from the birth of Christ to the year 1200. Druckhaus, Köthen 2008, p. 35.
  18. ^ Brandenburg State Office for Monument Preservation and State Archaeological Museum: Latvia's many peoples. Archeology of the Iron Age from the birth of Christ to the year 1200. Druckhaus, Köthen 2008, p. 35.
  19. ↑ Jan Jaskanis et al.: The Baltic, The northern neighbors of the Slavs. Karl Schillinger, Freiburg 1987, p. 47.

literature

  • Ernst Fraenkel : The Baltic languages . Carl Winter Verlag, Heidelberg 1950.
  • Rainer Eckert, Elvira-Julia Bukevičiūtė, Friedhelm Hinze : The Baltic languages. An introduction. Langenscheidt Verlag, Enzyklopädie Verlag, Leipzig / Berlin / Munich 1994, ISBN 3-324-00605-8 .
  • Wilhelm Gaerte: Prehistory of East Prussia . Gräfe and Unzer, Königsberg 1929.
  • Marija Gimbutas: The Baltic : History of a People in the Baltic Sea Region . Herbig, Munich 1983, ISBN 3-7766-1266-5 . (1963 English)
  • Jan Jaskanis among others: The Balts. The northern neighbors of the Slavs . Karl Schillinger, Freiburg 1987, DNB 880652489 .
  • Brandenburg State Office for Monument Preservation and State Archaeological Museum: Latvia's many peoples. Iron Age archeology from the birth of Christ to 1200 . Druckhaus, Köthen 2008.

Web links