"Polish tribes" is a term used sometimes to describe the tribes that lived from around the mid-6th century in the territories that became Polish with the creation of the Polish state by the Piast dynasty. The territory on which they lived became a part of the first Polish state created by duke Mieszko I and expanded at the end of the 10th century, enlarged further by conquests of king Bolesław I at the beginning of the 11th century.
In about 850 AD a list of peoples was written down by the Bavarian Geographer. Absent on the list are Polans, Pomeranians and Masovians, who became known later and were written about by Nestor the Chronicler in his Primary Chronicle (11th/12th century).
The most important tribes who were conquered by Polans were the Masovians, Vistulans, Silesians and Pomeranians.Raymond Breton, National Survival in Dependent Societies: Social Change in Canada and Poland, McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, 1990, p. 106, Google Books These five tribes "shared fundamentally common culture and language and were considerably more closely related to one another than were the Germanic tribes."John Blacking, Anna Czekanowska, Polish Folk Music: Slavonic Heritage - Polish Tradition - Contemporary Trends, Cambridge University Press, 2006, p. 3, Google Books
Tribes
Listed by the Bavarian Geographer (c. 845) The following tribes today identified as Polish are listed by the anonymous Bavarian Geographer, who wrote in the mid-9th century:
Latin name Polish name English name (if separate) Amount of civitates Glopeani Goplanie Goplans 400 Lendizi Lędzianie Lendians 98 Prissani Pyrzyczanie 70 Velunzani Wolinianie Wolinians 70 Sleenzane Ślężanie Silesians 15 Dadosesani Dziadoszanie or Dziadoszyce 20 Besunzane 2 (uncertain) 30 Opolini Opolanie Opolans 20 Golensizi Gołęszycy 5
Listed in the Prague document (1086) The lists the following tribes, located in Silesia:
Latin name Polish name English name (if separate) Zlasane Ślężanie Silesians Trebouane Poborane Bobrzanie or Poobranie Bobrans Dedosize Dziadoszanie or Dziadoszyce
Other sources and tribes Other sources include Thietmar's Chronicle, which mentions the Diedesisi or Diedesi (identified with the Dadosesani or Dziadoszanie), and the Cilensi or Silensi (identified with the Silesians). Widukind of Corvey mentions a tribe called in his work, The Deeds of the Saxons, thought to be the , or possibly the Lendians or Pomeranians. Furthermore, the following tribes have been identified through other sources or inference:
Polans – mentioned in the Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum and Chronica Slavorum Masovians – mentioned in the Primary Chronicle Pomeranians – mentioned in the Primary Chronicle
See also Lechitic languages Polish language
References
Further reading
External links West Slavic tribes between 800 and 950, Polish tribes marked in pink