Tuath

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tuath , also túath [ tuaθ ] ( Old Irish ), tud ( Cymrian ), * toutā or * teutā ( West Indo-European ), all meaning “people”, was the name for the tribal association formed by a king (Celtic * rig-s , Irish , Gaulish rīx ) was ruled. In the early Middle Ages there are said to have been around 150 such tuatha in Ireland and 60 in Gaul . An estimated head number of each of these associations is assumed to be around 3,000 people, so it was limited to a few villages or housing developments. According to today's administrative understanding, such a “kingdom” roughly corresponded to a German district , an Austrian district authority or a Swiss valley community .

A combination of * toutā and rīx can be found in the god name ( Apollon ) Toutiorix , a variation of Teutates. In the name of the Túatha Dé Danann ("people of the Danu "), one of the invading peoples of Ireland (see Lebor Gabála Érenn ), the term túath is also preserved. The tuath in the Gaelic name of many counties and unitary authorities in Scotland is not related and means "North" (example: North Uist , Scottish Gaelic: Uibhist a Tuath ).

Several tuaithe often united and were ruled by a ruirí ("upper king"), who in turn was subordinate to a rí rúrech ("king of upper kings, provincial king"). He ruled one of Ireland's five historic provinces, Ulster , Connacht , Leinster , Munster and Meath (or Mide).

The Old High German form diot , adjective diutse , later assumed the meaning "German".

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. a b c Bernhard Maier: Lexicon of the Celtic religion and culture. P. 321.
  2. ^ Francis John Byrne: Early Irish society (1st – 9th century) . In: Theodore W. Moody, Francis Xavier Martin (eds.): The course of Irish history . Mercier Press, Cork, 17th ed. 1987, pp. 43-60, here p. 55.
  3. Wolfgang Meid: The Celts. P. 102 f.