Bavarii
Encyclopedia
The Bavarii were a Germanic tribe whose name emerged late in Teutonic
tribal times. The full name originally was the Germanic
*baio-warioz. This name has been handed down as Baiwaren, Baioaren, Bioras, latinised Bavarii, Baioarii. or Bavarii, Bavarians, Bajuwaren, Bajuvarii, Bajuwaren and Baiern. It is assumed that this is an endonym. The first part "baio" refers to the name of the Celt
ic Boii
tribe, which also resolved into the regional name Bohemia
(Germanic latinised boio-hemum = home of the Boier tribe). Bavaria is geographically the same region as the Böhmer Wald
(forested hill slopes). With the arrival of northern Gothic people, particularly the Sciri
in the then Roman province of Pannonia
by 493 a soundshift changed Boi to Bai (Bajuwari). The land remained under the name of Bohemia and part of the Holy Roman Empire
even when centuries later Czech people moved to the area.
The name of the Bavarian
s is said to mean "men from Bohemia". The Bavarii defeated the central European Germanic Rugian tribe in 487 AD.
In the Middle Age
s the Bavarians were considered the descendants of the Celtic Boii tribe. Later, the Marcomanni
were believed to be the "men of Bohemia", after whom the Bavarians were named. They have also been identified with an East Germanic group, whose remains have mostly been found in the North of modern day Bavaria. In the Bavarian region the origins are very mixed. Over the last half of the 20th century, historical and archaeological research has increasingly supported the theory that the remnants of the Celtic Boii were absorbed into the Roman Empire
and later intermingled with other Germanic peoples who chose to stay (or were stationed by the Romans
) in the area. By the 6th century AD there is evidence of the foundation of a Bavarian stem duchy
whose leadership was related to the ruling Frankish
(and possibly Alemannic/Swabia
n) houses. However, there is no longer any real evidence that the rulers of Bavaria belonged to a people called the Bavarii. It is in fact likely that, after the region took on the name of its early inhabitants, later settlers were also known by the accepted geographical name.
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
tribal times. The full name originally was the Germanic
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
*baio-warioz. This name has been handed down as Baiwaren, Baioaren, Bioras, latinised Bavarii, Baioarii. or Bavarii, Bavarians, Bajuwaren, Bajuvarii, Bajuwaren and Baiern. It is assumed that this is an endonym. The first part "baio" refers to the name of the Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic Boii
Boii
The Boii were one of the most prominent ancient Celtic tribes of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul , Pannonia , in and around Bohemia, and Transalpine Gaul...
tribe, which also resolved into the regional name Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
(Germanic latinised boio-hemum = home of the Boier tribe). Bavaria is geographically the same region as the Böhmer Wald
Bohemian Forest
The Bohemian Forest, also known in Czech as Šumava , is a low mountain range in Central Europe. Geographically, the mountains extend from South Bohemia in the Czech Republic to Austria and Bavaria in Germany...
(forested hill slopes). With the arrival of northern Gothic people, particularly the Sciri
Sciri
Sciri may refer to:*Scirii, people*SCIRI, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq...
in the then Roman province of Pannonia
Pannonia
Pannonia was an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia....
by 493 a soundshift changed Boi to Bai (Bajuwari). The land remained under the name of Bohemia and part of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
even when centuries later Czech people moved to the area.
The name of the Bavarian
Bavarian
Bavarian is the adjective form of the German state of Bavaria, and refers to people of ancestry from Bavaria. Bavarian may also refer to:* Austro-Bavarian, a group of closely related dialects of German, spoken in parts of Bavaria, most of Austria and the Alto Adige/Südtirol* Bavarian cream, a...
s is said to mean "men from Bohemia". The Bavarii defeated the central European Germanic Rugian tribe in 487 AD.
In the Middle Age
Middle age
Middle age is the period of age beyond young adulthood but before the onset of old age. Various attempts have been made to define this age, which is around the third quarter of the average life span of human beings....
s the Bavarians were considered the descendants of the Celtic Boii tribe. Later, the Marcomanni
Marcomanni
The Marcomanni were a Germanic tribe, probably related to the Buri, Suebi or Suevi.-Origin:Scholars believe their name derives possibly from Proto-Germanic forms of "march" and "men"....
were believed to be the "men of Bohemia", after whom the Bavarians were named. They have also been identified with an East Germanic group, whose remains have mostly been found in the North of modern day Bavaria. In the Bavarian region the origins are very mixed. Over the last half of the 20th century, historical and archaeological research has increasingly supported the theory that the remnants of the Celtic Boii were absorbed into the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and later intermingled with other Germanic peoples who chose to stay (or were stationed by the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
) in the area. By the 6th century AD there is evidence of the foundation of a Bavarian stem duchy
Stem duchy
Stem duchies were essentially the domains of the old German tribes of the area, associated with the Frankish Kingdom, especially the East, in the Early Middle Ages. These tribes were originally the Franks, the Saxons, the Alamanni, the Burgundians, the Thuringii, and the Rugii...
whose leadership was related to the ruling Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
(and possibly Alemannic/Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n) houses. However, there is no longer any real evidence that the rulers of Bavaria belonged to a people called the Bavarii. It is in fact likely that, after the region took on the name of its early inhabitants, later settlers were also known by the accepted geographical name.
External links
- This article incorporates some information taken from http://www.hostkingdom.net/ with permission.
- http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/08/ajb/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Bavarii.html