Germanic tribal constitution

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The Germanic mythology indeed knows a sort of hierarchy among the gods , headed by Odin stands, but in particular are Saxony a good example of a Germanic people that despite frequent wars with neighboring tribes to the time of Charlemagne on an inside kingless Constitution held Has.

Nevertheless, the historical finding is clear that most of the Germanic peoples changed to a monarchical constitution during the time of contact with the Roman Empire or the migration of peoples , possibly with a view to the Roman model with its Caesars . This becomes tangible, for example, with the Cheruscans , who apparently only made the transition to kingship with Arminius , who was familiar with the Roman state. This was not always hereditary. Often the king had to prove his ability to fight with neighboring peoples and could be deposed if he failed. In any case, the role of leader of a people's army (army kingship) dominated, whereby there is also a tendency towards sacralization : the construction of a genealogical connection to gods and heroes of Germanic mythology or, for example, with the Merovingians to the Trojan kings, as well as the idea of ​​a royal salvation served to legitimize royal rule.

Depending on the social differentiation of the people concerned, the election was made by a general people's (army) assembly or by the nobility . It should be noted, however, that ethnogenesis was a complex process, especially in the centuries before the Great Migration : individual tribes united to be better armed against neighbors Franks , Alamanni ; other tribes separated in the course of further migrations: Sweben in North German and Spanish Sweben, Goths in Ostrogoths and Visigoths . This had an impact on the organization of the top of these peoples. The function as judge is also of particular importance ; around 500 it was z. B. the kings of the Franks, West and Ostrogoths, who had the respective popular rights codified.

During the time of the late ancient migration of the peoples, we usually experience a firm hereditary kingship among the great tribes , which by the way also decisively determined the religion of the people. The Goths held fast to the Arianism of their leaders for a long time , while the Franks followed this act in mass baptisms after the Catholic baptism of Clovis I. With the formation of states on formerly Roman soil we experience relatively stable dynasties that last for several generations ; but sometimes rivals from the nobility can also prevail. The extent to which the claim to the Germanic royal title had asserted itself during this time is shown in 369 in the meeting between the king of the Visigoths Athanarich and the Eastern Roman emperor Valens on the Danube , when the Gothic king was addressed with the Latin rex and outraged the low rank of the Germanic reiks understood.

After the end of late antiquity, the Germanic societies went through a development from tribal warfare to a feudal union state , which is evident in the development of fiefdom and which was accompanied by an increasing stratification of society. This process also began with a delay in the northern and eastern fringe peoples, for example in the small Anglo-Saxon kingdoms . Only in the case of the Saxons of what is now northern Germany is the special feature mentioned. Although there was a nobility here too, the peasant warriors were hardly less important. In the conflict with the Franconian Empire, a kind of army king emerged in Widukind , but the Frankish conquest soon ensured integration into the existing feudal structure.

As the last group of Teutons, the Vikings moved into the light of history; we lack the sources for its early period. The type of warfare - plundering campaigns through naval attacks - encouraged the development of army and sea kings who were able to organize and finance the construction and use of such ships. Viking society also knew petty kings who ruled over relatively limited areas.

Regarding the terminology , it can be said that it is often quite fuzzy. In Roman usage, the terms Caesar and Imperator were reserved for their own empire, while the leaders of the “ barbarians ” were called Dux or Rex . The former (literally “ Führer ”, cf. “ Duce ”) was the name given to army leaders of mostly smaller tribes. Historically, the title " Herzog " (aengl .: heritogo , aengl .: heretoga ) developed from this designation , cf. also the English "Duke" and " Dukat ". Rex, on the other hand, was the designation of the heads of the larger peoples and thus corresponded to the later term "king". It should be noted, however, that there were also intermediate levels and flowing transitions, such as “sub-kings” for partial realms.

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