Vidivarians
The Vidivarians ( Latin : Vidivarii ) were a mixed people who lived at the mouth of the Vistula in ancient times .
Lore
The vidivarians are only mentioned by the Gothic historian Jordanes . They were next to the Aesti and lived on the islands called Gepidoios ("Gebidenauen"), which were previously inhabited by the Gepids .
“Ad litus oceani, ubi tribus faucibus fluenta Vistulae fluminibus ebibuntur, Vidivarii resident ex diversis nationibus aggregati; post quos ripam oceani item Aesti tenent, pacatum hominum genus omnino. "
“On the coast of the sea, where the river Vistula flows into it in three mouths, settle the vidivarians, who are composed of different peoples; behind them also live by the sea, a very peace-loving people. "
"Nunc eam, ut fertur, insulam gens Vidivaria incolit ... Qui Vidivarii ex diversis nationibus ac si in unum asylum collecti sunt et gentem fecisse noscantur."
"Now, as is said, this island is inhabited by the vidivarians ... These vidivarians have gathered there from different peoples as if at a place of refuge and thus formed their own people."
Around 880, the Anglo-Saxon trader Wulfstan visited the trading town of Truso on the Frischen Haff , mentioning Witland, which is east of the Vistula:
"The Vistula (Wīsle) is a large river and it divides Witland from Weonodland, and Witland belongs to the branches (Ēstas)."
Early on, research established a connection between Witland and the Vidivarians.
Name and interpretation
The name is a typical Germanic formation on Germ. * -Warijôz "inhabitant", as it occurs in several Germanic tribal names ( Ampsivarians , Angrivarians , Bavarians , Chattuarians , Rätovarians ). The first part could be put to germ. * Widu "forest", but it is also conceivable that there is a non-Germanic element in the first part. Since the Vidivarians were a mixed people according to Jordanes, it is assumed that they were formed from Teutons and Balts or Aestians.
literature
- Friedrich E. Grünzweig , Herwig Wolfram : Vidivarians. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 35, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2007, ISBN 978-3-11-018784-7 , pp. 443-445.