Vandals

The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century and created a state in North Africa, centered on the city of Carthage. The Vandals may have given their name to the province of Andalusia (originally, Vandalusia, then Al-Andalus), in modern Spain, where they temporarily settled before pushing on to Africa.

Origins

The Vandals were identified with Przeworsk culture in the 19th century. Controversy surrounds potential connections between the Vandals and another possibly Germanic tribe, the Lugii (Lygier, Lugier or Lygians). Some academics believe that either Lugii was an earlier name of the Vandals, or the Vandals were part of the Lugian federation.

Related Topics:
Przeworsk culture - 19th century - Germanic tribe - Lugii

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Similarity of names have suggested homelands for the Vandals in Norway (Hallingdal) Sweden (Vendel) or Denmark (Vendsyssel). The Vandals are assumed to have crossed the Baltic into what is today Poland somewhere in the 2nd century BC, and have settled in Silesia from around 120 BC. Tacitus recorded their presence between the Oder and Vistula rivers in Germania (AD 98) corroborated by later historians. According to Jordanes, they and the Rugians were displaced by the arrival of the Goths. This tradition supports the identification of the Vandals with the Przeworsk culture, since the Gothic Wielbark culture seems to have replaced a branch of that culture.

Related Topics:
Norway - Sweden - Vendel - Denmark - Vendsyssel - 2nd century BC - Silesia - 120 BC - Tacitus - Oder - Vistula - AD 98 - Jordanes - Rugians - Goths - Przeworsk culture - Wielbark culture

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In medieval times, there was a popular belief that

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Vandals were ancestors of Poles. That belief originated probably because of two facts: first, confusion of the Venedes with Vandals and secondly, because both Venedes and Vandals in ancient times lived in areas later settled by Poles. In 796, in the Annales Alamanici, one can find an excerpt saying, "Pipinus ... perrexit in regionem Wandalorum, et ipsi Wandali venerunt obvium" ("Pepin went to region of the Vandals, which Vandals did come out to oppose him"). In Annales Sangallenses, the same raid (however, put in 795) is summarised in one short message, "Wandali conquisiti sunt" ("The Vandals were destroyed"). This means that early medieval writers gave the name of Vandals to Avars.

Related Topics:
Vandals were ancestors of Poles - Venedes - 796 - Annales Alamanici - Pepin - Annales Sangallenses - 795 - Avars

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~