Lehitic ethnic group that formed around the 6th century
The
Veleti
,
[b]
also known as
Veletians
,
Wilzi
,
Wielzians
, and
Wiltzes
, were a group of medieval
Lechitic
tribes within the territory of
Western Pomerania
, related to
Polabian Slavs
. They had formed together the
Confederation of the Veleti
, also known as the
Union of the Veleti
,
[c]
a loose
monarchic
confederation
of the tribes.
[1]
Said state existed between the 6th and 10th centuries, after which, it was succeeded by the
Lutician Federation
.
[2]
Name
[
edit
]
The name
Veleti
stems from the root
vel-
('high, tall'). The Veleti were called by other names, probably given by their neighbours, such as
Lutices
,
Ljutici
, or
Volki
,
Vol?ki
. The latter means 'wolf', and the former probably 'fierce creature' based upon the comparison with the belarusian definition
lyutyj zv?r
.
[3]
In common with other Slavic groups between the
Elbe
and
Oder
Rivers, they were often described by Germanic sources as
Wends
. In the late 10th century, they were continued by the
Lutici
. In
Einhard
's
Vita Karoli Magni
, the Wilzi are said to refer to themselves as
Welatabians
.
[4]
Veleti tribes
[
edit
]
Wikisource
has original text related to this article:
The first mention of a tribe named Veltae is found in
Ptolemy's second-century Geography
, Book III, chapter V: "Back from the Ocean, near the Venedicus Bay [Baltic Sea], the Veltae dwell, above whom are the Ossi." The
Bavarian Geographer
's anonymous medieval document compiled in
Regensburg
in 830 contains a list of the tribes in Central Europe east of the Elbe. Among other tribes it also lists the
Uuilci
(Veleti), featuring 95
civitates
.
The Veleti did not remain a unified tribe for long: local tribes developed, the most important being: the Kissini (
Kessiner
,
Chizzinen
,
Kyzziner
) along the lower
Warnow
and
Rostock
, named after their capital
Kessin
; the Circipani (
Zirzipanen
) along the
Trebel
and
Peene
Rivers, with their capital believed to be
Teterow
and strongholds in
Demmin
and probably even
Gustrow
; the Tollenser east and south of the Peene along the
Tollense
River; and the Redarier south and east of the
Tollensesee
on the upper
Havel
. The
Hevelli
living in the
Havel
area and, though more unlikely, the
Rujanes
of Rugia might once have been part of the Veletians. Even the
Leitha
region of Lower Austria may have been named for a tribe of Veleti, the
Leithi
.
This political splitting of the Veleti probably occurred due to the size of the inhabited area, with settlements grouped around rivers and forts and separated by large strips of woodlands. Also, the Veletian king
Dragowit
had been defeated and made a vassal by
Charlemagne
in the only expedition into Slavic territory led by Charlemagne himself, in 789, causing the central Veletian rule to collapse. The Veleti were invaded by the
Franks
during their continuous expeditions into
Obodrite
lands, with the Obodrites being allies of the Franks against the
Saxons
.
Einhard
made these claims in "
Vita Karoli Magni
" (
Life of Charles the Great
), a biography of Charlemagne,
King of the Franks
.
After the 10th century, the Veleti disappeared from written records, and were replaced by the
Lutici
who at least in part continued the Veleti tradition.
Known leaders
[
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]
See also
[
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]
Notes
[
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]
- ^
Compared to the original old
Slavic religion
, the pagan religion of
Polabian Slavs
was "reformed" (improved) by wooden temples and priesthood as a high social class with political influence. Almost every Polabian tribe had its own pagan cult of a deity of military function or some version of the supreme god, whose high priests had sometimes military retinue and were equal to the chiefs or politically stronger. This made a pagan cults more organized and the
Polabian Slavs
more resistant to
Christianization
than other Slavic peoples who had less organized paganism and was practiced as a
folk religion
. It also caused the creation of a local
theocracies
.
- ^
German
:
Wilzen
,
Wilsen
,
Wilciken
,
Welataben
;
Polish
:
Wieleci
,
Wieletowie
,
Wilcy
- ^
German
:
Wilzener Bund
;
Polish
:
Zwi?zek Wielecki
References
[
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]
Bibliography
[
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]
External links
[
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]
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Peoples
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Major demographic events
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Languages and dialects
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Treaties
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1200–1500
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1500–1700
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1700–present
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The tribes are listed according to the original names and order
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