Germanic Civilization

Whereas the French historiographic tradition confines the Germanic Peuples with unknown tribes taken refuge in wet forests beyond the Files into Germanic (until the late Antiquité), then with the use systematized of the term Barbare at the time of the Early middle ages, it is possible to describe a Civilization Germanique unifying the features of the former people of Northern Europe preceding to them Christianisation.

This description thus has direction only in the situation of the age of Germanic iron, former to the age of the Vikings according to cuttings of the Anglo-Saxon Historiographie. Taking into account the ways of the people, the Germains of the North Sea emanate from a Scandinavian culture as from the 2nd century, identical to that of the future conquerors Viking S.

Recent discoveries realized for the fifty last years and taken of load by universities German in the archaeological sections have made it possible to reveal the features of them, which hustles the way in which this civilization was presented hitherto starting from the chronicles written by those that these people had invaded.

Contextualisation

The context of this article is thus chronologically of IIe in Ve; it starts with the arrival of people into Germanic coming from Scandinavia or hypothetically original islands (Bornholm, Gotland) located in the Baltic. Geographically, it includes/understands the known Germanie Romans extended until Poland and the primitive limits of historical Russia (Novgorod was known Svear S, even was developed by them.)

Their sites in Germanie are today reconstituted by the statement of the archaeological Cultures, rather difficult work waited until the traces of a hut out of wooden and stones does not make it possible to distinguish if it were built by Burgondes or Alamans. One can possibly speak about Protohistoire to describe their establishments preceding their contact with the Roman civilization, insofar as after 325 the annalists of Rome do not have any more elements to report them in their writings.

The dynamics of expansion of the Latin world under the aegis of the Empire did not function for these people, where it had gone for the Celtibères and the Gaulois, to quote only them; the provinces cut beyond the natural borders that form the the Rhine and the the Danube such as the Rhétie were not stabilized and were regularly devastated.

This article thus gives opportunity of developing the specific features to these people, apart from the scope of Latin and the manner of considering them (to read the ideological article Barbare on this subject).

Identification

Description of Germanic civilization

Government

It is specific to each people. There is no administration, possibly a council of wise on the Scandinavian mode, but this assertion comes more than one deduction suitable for the origin of some from the people.

The manner of electing the chiefs of the tribes and people is very different from that resulting from the Roman Empire, and forms the base of the future monarchical structures and the aristocracy in experiment at the time of the Early middle ages which will open. The hereditary transmission of a title is absolutely not a feature identified at this time, this probably raising of a later construction by diverting of the titles of the Roman administration.

There are not strictly speaking of king before the existence of the first sedentary kingdoms, except context of this article.

The chiefs lead their people (to read Dux) because they are most suited (Brave men) to do it, and recognized by the dominant Aristocratie of these people.

Germanic culture

August 1st

Germanic right

It is a right of oral tradition on the mode Scandinavian, suitable for the identity of each people.

Germanic right: bibliography

See: Jori, Alberto, Hermann Conring (1606-1681): Der Begründer DER deutschen Rechtsgeschichte , Tübingen, 2006. ISBN 3935625596.

Social structure

The Germanic companies were not foreign with slavery. Indeed, they distinguished the free, semi-free people (conquered people) and the slaves. This social structure perdure in the first kingdoms; the subject of the slaves in escape leads even the last of them to legislate hard right before its fall: the Royaume Visigoth in Ibérie probably could not obtain a sufficient civil peace to offer resistance in 711.

In top of the social pyramid the warriors resulting from the tribe entitled are to make the election of the new kings. This mode of organization is clear in the Gothic Société with the reiks which are the " princes" , not kings, in spite of the similarity of the word), as example, but absent from the Frank saliens which them applies the Salic law to a mode of successional division between brothers.

Warlike practices

To read armament of German the.

Agriculture

a description of a sedentary Germain on an establishment found and studied by the archaeological Cultures comes to shock the idea that is made a reading of the cruel invasions, which would let think of a wandering lifestyle identical to the horde of the hunnic Empire moving.

It of it is nothing. The German ones settle, fight between them, form leagues or federations of people, and practice food agriculture on their respective storage areas.

The agriculture of German is of type Pastoral E. they practice the fallow one year out of two.

Primitive Germanic religion

Mythology

If required to distinguish from the Scandinavian Mythology by the figure of Nerthus (fertility).

See too

Posterity

In contact with the Romans, they become federate Peuples with the favor of a military victory. Their history after 406 puts an end to the unit features characteristic object of this article. Its description is that of the kingdoms of the Early middle ages in Western Europe.

References

Random links: