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Meet our tribal ancestors The German Citizen •March - April 2024 • 7
by Martin Ederer Danube valley. Others through Italy and Sicily Middle Ages the duchy of Burgundy
t is a common American mis‐ took more direct routes before eventually land‐ had a good shot at becoming a ma‐
conception that only our indige‐ south out of what today ing in North Africa jor national monarchy.
Inous Americans and other is Denmark. (Carthage), where they Jutes: Migrated into Central
darker-skinned people from around Franks: Actually obstructed communi‐ Europe and Britain from what is to‐
the world have tribes, but white Eu‐ more of a confedera‐ cation and shipping in day Denmark. Island of Jutland (big
ropeans do not. The assumption is tion or nation of tribes the Mediterranean. naval battle there in World War I) is
that Europeans are somehow ex‐ spread over much of Some historians think named for them.
empt from the circles of kinship Western and Central they played a key role Angles: Scandinavian tribe
such as family, clan and tribe. They Europe. Somewhat in the breakup of the that ended up in Britain. They gave
have nation-states, after all. Con‐ analogous to the Six Roman Empire their name to England: Angle Land.
sider, though, that as the circles of N a t i o n s / H a u ‐ through their piracy Saxons: Some migrated into
relationships get wider, they also be‐ denosaunee (Iroquois operations. Vandals central Europe (there is still a Sax‐
come more artificial. That doesn’t Confederation—same were noted for their ony in Germany); others went to
mean we make less of those larger basic geographical brutality, which is why Britain: Think Anglo-Saxons.
entities. Quite the opposite is usu‐ spread too) in our part their name is still at‐ Marcomans: Settled in the cen‐
ally true, and those designations, ar‐ of the world. Politi‐ The Sack of Rome by the Vandals, Karl Briullov, 1833–1836 tached to people be‐ tral Danube Valley. Czech-Slo‐
tificial though they might be, usu‐ cally sophisticated enough to make having criminally. vakia-Austria.
ally take on lives of their own. Na‐ the confederation work. Some trogoths introduced trousers to Alans: Not originally Ger‐ Baiuvarii: A mashup of Celtic
tion-states may be a collection of Frankish tribes Romanized fairly Italy. By that time the Visigoths manic, but ended up unrecogniz‐ Boii and Germanic peoples. Ances‐
peoples who may have in common early, but others kept the Romans at (western Goths) under Alaric had ably intermixed with Germanic tors of Bavarians and some Austri‐
only an officially established lan‐ arm’s length for as long as possible. sacked the city of Rome in 410. By peoples after they migrated to Gaul. ans.
guage and the possibility of a big They also similarly held off Chris‐ the mid-400s the Visigoths estab‐ Burgunds: Ended up in south Lombards (later—600s): Elbe
economy and big armies to prevent tianization for as long as possible, lished a brilliant kingdom in Spain, central Gaul. We still have one of River to Danube Valley. Terrorized
being run over by other nearby na‐ but when they did, they finally went which existed from until the Mus‐ their early law codes: an interesting and occupied Italy after the Byzan‐
tion-states. The latter two are what all in, and that became a game- lims invaded the Iberian Peninsula read. Smothering in mire was a pop‐ tines toppled the Ostrogoths there.
make big nation-states desirable. changer for all western Europe. in 718. ular punishment. The Burgunds They were quite successful in unify‐
Even as modern and progres‐ These are the people who rebuilt the Vandals: Swooped down into have given their name to a region ing a nice piece of southern Italy.
sive a place as Central Europe has West after centralized Roman rule the East and then migrated west and noted for its wines. Ever hear of a There is still a region in Italy named
tribes, and that heritage still mat‐ collapsed in the West – albeit some south. They ravaged their way bottle of Burgundy? During the for them: Lombardy.
ters. So who are our German tribal 300-400 years later. Charlemagne
ancestors? Here is a short list, and and all the Carolingians were
there may be some surprises. Frankish. France, Frankfurt and St. Patrick's Day in München!
Celts: To begin with, it is Frankenland are both named for
worth noting that Celts inhabited then. By John Duke
much of Europe, both west and cen‐ Alemans: West central Europe. ach year the largest group of
tral, before Germanic tribes mi‐ Many Romans’ first encounters with Efriends and visitors to Germany
grated in from Scandinavia. Celts, Germans was this tribe, which is for Oktoberfest are the Irish! So it's
simply put, were everywhere from how so many Romance languages no wonder why Saint Patrick's Day
what today is Spain, France and into use this root word as a name for is such a large celebration in
central and Eastern Europe, not to Germans/Germany: Allemagne Bavaria!
mention the British Isles. It is safe to (French), Aleman (Spanish). A St. Patrick’s Day in Germany is
say that a good many Germans are a good number of Germanic tribes a lively celebration, and Munich, the
mashup of Celtic and Germanic shared Alemannic roots and ethnic‐ capital of Bavaria, hosts one of the
peoples. A good number of Central ity. largest gatherings on the European
European towns claim Celtic roots. Teutons: The Romans identi‐ continent. Here’s how the Emerald
Romans: Yup. They need to be fied the Teutones as a people who Isle’s Patron Saint is honored in
included. While Romans may not lived where amber washes up from Bavaria:
have managed to hold onto as much the sea, which would seem to place Munich’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade:
of Central Europe as they had them well to the east, at least east of Date: The parade typically takes A variety of German websites promote St. Patrick’s Day festivities
hoped, they were wandering around the Elbe. Today more generally, we place on the Sunday before March including www.stpatricksday.de/ (above) and www.munich.travel/en/
there, even in the north. The Ro‐ use “Teutonic” to refer to anything 17, which is the official St. Patrick’s pois/markets-festivals/st-patricks-day.
mans had a more lasting presence Germanic. The Italian “Tedeschi” Day. Parade and Music: On Sunday, dance groups like Rínce Tír na Nóg
and influence further south and to refer to Germans derives from Venue: The festivities center March 17, 2024, over 1000 partici‐ and the Emerald Dancers add to the
west, and were responsible for a this name. This is also the origin of around Odeonsplatz in Munich. pants will dance, sing, and make festive spirit.
good number of cities as far north as “Deutsch.” Pre-Party: On Saturday, March music along Ludwigstraße, starting Other Events: Besides the pa‐
Cologne and Trier. Suebi: Swabians: South-cen‐ 16, 2024, you can toast to the Irish- at Münchner Freiheit. The parade rade, there’s a suitable supporting
Huns: Despite the British us‐ tral northern Europe, they were Bavarian friendship at the pre-party. ends at Odeonsplatz, where an program throughout the city center.
ing this term on Germans during well-known to the Romans, and had Numerous street food stalls and a open-air festival takes place on two The Munich Irish Night 2024 invites
two world wars, they were not Ger‐ a long history with them. They had stage will be set up in front of the stages. Performers include ESC win‐ you to the Wirtshaus im
manic. They came from somewhere a lot of branch tribes. Feldherrnhalle on Odeonsplatz. En‐ ner Johnny Logan, Hair of the Dog, Schlachthof, and a traditional
in Central Asia. Attila the Hun Gepids: East Germanic tribe. joy music and dancing from various and the Munich Céili Band. Tradi‐ church service with Irish music
threatened the city of Rome in 425. Were known to be in the eastern bands, including The Hush, the tional dance performances by Rínce takes place at the Ludwigskirche.
Quick thinking by Pope Leo I and Danube valley. Ballinspittle Youth Céili Band, Tír na Nóg, the Emerald Dancers, Berlin’s Funkturm also partici‐
some good luck averted what ap‐ Heruls: Ended up in the Black Celtic Invasion, and the Augusta and the Irish Dance Company Sum‐ pates in the green illumination fes‐
peared inevitable. Needless to say, Sea region. Odovakar, the com‐ Céili Band. merstorm add to the festive atmos‐ tivities on March 17.
they became part of the local DNA. mander of Rome’s western armies in Parade Details: Thousands of phere. So, if you find yourself in
Then there are the tribes we 476 who ended the western half of Irish people, Ireland enthusiasts, Performers: Expect perfor‐ Bavaria during St. Patrick’s Day, join
identify as properly Germanic. the Roman Empire, was part Herul. and fans of the Irish day of remem‐ mances by artists like ESC winner the celebration, wear your green,
They followed complicated migra‐ Goths: Originally landed in brance gather dressed in green. The Johnny Logan, Hair of the Dog, and and raise a glass to Irish-Bavarian
tion routes from Scandinavia. Some East/Greece/Balkans. Eventually parade features lively music, danc‐ the Munich Céili Band. Traditional friendship!
migrated along a more eastern route some migrated west. The Ostro‐ ing, and a vibrant atmosphere.
(Sweden/Russia) to the south and goths (Eastern Goths) took over in
then looped westward up the Italy after Rome fell in 476. The Os‐