According to experts, approximately at the beginning of our era, all existing Slavic peoples were divided into three branches: eastern, southern and western. In this article, we will take a closer look at the last of them.
So, the Western Slavs in those days inhabited the territory up to the banks of the Elbe. Over time, the area of their settlement gradually increased: the B altic coast, the interfluve of the Oder and the Elbe. Who belonged to these peoples? What was their main difference? These are modern Poles, Czechs and Slovaks.
It is noteworthy that the history of the formation of the western branch of the Slavs has much in common with the eastern. Just like our ancestors, the Western Slavs preferred to unite in small tribal unions. Such tribes were conditionally subdivided into groups: Czech, Polabsko-B altic and Polish.
By the time of the direct division of the entire Slavic people, for example, the Western Slavs already had a clearly defined tribal system. So, they lived in small settlements that remotely resembled farms. Over time, the Western Slavs strengthened their habitats, as more and more oftenthere was a threat from outside. Thus, the settlements grew and were carefully fortified. And so the first cities began to form.
It is important to note that the Western Slavs could not boast of a well-developed culture at that time. Of course, they already knew how to make their own tools, but crafts were not popular. We can say that their development remained at a rather primitive level. However, scientists note that the Western Slavs very quickly and skillfully learned to process metals.
There is evidence that in those territories where the tribes bordered on the Celtic or Germanic lands, the level of culture was quite high due to the interaction between peoples. The thing is that the tribes very quickly adopted experience, including culture, thereby assimilating quite successfully, but retaining their original appearance.
The mythology and religion of these peoples in many ways found similarities with the beliefs of the Eastern Slavs, in particular, when it came to the gods. Even their names were consonant, of course, adjusted for certain features of the so-called West Slavic group of languages. For example, you can see the consonance in the names Perun and Perkunas.
The Slavs, whose origin is still shrouded in unthinkable mystery, began to gradually engage in the formation of the state (approximately the seventh century AD). According to scientists, this happened for the first time on the territory of the modern Czech Republic. The main purpose of his education was, first of all, to defend againstnomadic barbarians, who brought a lot of losses. It is known that the first state was headed by the we althy merchant Samo, who quite successfully led it for several years.
Today Slavic countries are literally scattered all over the world. Their territory corresponds to Northern Asia, Eastern and Central Europe.
