Silingi

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The Silings or Silingi (Latin: Silingae, Greek Σιλίγγαι - Silingai) were an East Germanic tribe probably part of the larger Vandal group. According to most scholars, the Silingi lived in Lower Silesia , the term "Silesia" itself perhaps being derived from "Silingi" - from Silingi tribe the near river was named Silingula.The rivers name was borrowed by Slavs after their invasion in V-VI a.d. as Sьlęža or Sьlędza>Sьlęza (from Silingja or Silinga ) - today Ślęza. The Slavic tribe that lived near the Sьlędza (or Sьlęža) river was named Sьlędz-jane which later evolved into Sьlęžane, then the Modern Polish Ślężanie. The land of Sьlęžane was named Sьlęžьsko, which evolved into Old Polish Ślążsko, now Modern Polish Śląsk, Czech Slezsko, Latin Silesia, West-Germanic-Proto-Old High German Slesia, Modern High German Schlesien.

During the reign of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, (A.D. 161 - 180) the Silingi lived in the "[1]Vandal mountains", later part of the former Sudetenland which now is part of the Czech republic.[1]

Claudius Ptolemaeus wrote that they had lived south of the Suebi-Semnone tribe. The Silingi were part of the migratory movements of the Vandals, into the Iberian peninsula and later on to North Africa.

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[edit] The region Silesia

The name of the territory Silesia either derives from the Sleza River, or from Mount Sleza. The hill was a religious center of the Silingi, and derives its name from them.[2] The hill that was the Silingi religious groove and which possibly lent the entire region the name Silesia, is situated south-south-east of modern day Wroclaw (Breslau).[3] The Silingi lived north of the Carpathian Mountains, in what now is Silesia, the name of which can be traced back to the Silingi from the regional name "Schlesien" through intermediate Slavic forms.[4]

The Silingi are the earliest known inhabitants of Silesia, however they moved westwards by the 5th century and were slowly replaced in the sixth century by a trickle of Slavic populations (people of the plain").[5] With the exception of upper Silesia Germanic peoples returned to recolonize the area in the 10th century, but Silesia was conquered by the Polish kingdom just before the year 1000, although Germans continued to move there also under Polish rule.[6]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ John Hugo Wolfgang, Gideon Liebeschuetz "Decline and Change in Late Antiquity", 2006, Ashgate Publishing, ISBN:086078990X p.61 (google Books)
  2. ^ Adrian Room "Placenames of the World", McFarland 2004m ISBN 0786418141 p.333 (Google books)
  3. ^ Anthony Richard Birley, "Agricola and Germany" 1999, Oxford University Press, ISBN:0192833006 p.130 (Notes to pages 56-60) (Google books)
  4. ^ Andrew H. Merrills, "Vandals, Romans and Berbers: New Perspectives on Late Antique North Africa", 2004, Ashgate Publishing, ISBN:0754641457 p.34, (Google Books)
  5. ^ T. Hunt Tooley "National Identity and Weimar Germany: Upper Silesia and the Eastern Border", 1997 University of Nebraska Press, ISBN:0803244290 p.6 (Google Books)
  6. ^ T. Hunt Tooley "National Identity and Weimar Germany: Upper Silesia and the Eastern Border", 1997 University of Nebraska Press, ISBN:0803244290 p.7 (Google Books)

[edit] Ancient sources

Claudius Ptolemaeus, 'Geography' wrote: Back below the Semnones the Silingae have their seat ... and below the Silingae the Calucones and the Camavi up to Mt. Melibocus, from whom to the east near the Albis river and above them, below Mt. Asciburgius, the Corconti

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