Slavs today are the largest ethno-linguistic community in Europe. They inhabit vast territories and number about 300-350 million people. In this article, we will consider what branches the Slavic peoples are divided into, we will talk about the history of their formation and division. We will also touch a little on the modern stage of the spread of Slavic culture and those religious beliefs that the tribes adhered to in the course of their development and formation.
Origin theories
Further in the article we will consider what branches the Slavic peoples are divided into. But now it is worth understanding where this ethnic group comes from.
So, according to medieval chroniclers, our peoples come from a common ancestor. It was Japheth, the son of Noah. This character, according to the chronicles, gave life to such tribes as the Medes, Sarmatians, Scythians, Thracians, Illyrians, Slavs, British and others. European nations.
The Arabs knew the Slavs as part of the community of the peoples of the West, which included the Turks, Ugrians and Slavs of Eastern Europe. In their military records, historians associate this conglomerate with the word "Sakalib". Later, deserters from the Byzantine army who converted to Islam began to be called that.
The ancient Greeks and Romans called the Slavs "Sklavins" and correlated them with one of the Scythian tribes - the Skolots. Also, sometimes the ethnonyms Wends and Slavs are brought together.
Thus, the three branches of the Slavic peoples, the scheme of which is given below, have a common ancestor. But later, their development paths diverged significantly, due to the vast territory of settlement and the influence of neighboring cultures and beliefs.
We will talk about this later.
History of settling
Later we will touch on each group of tribes separately, now we should figure out which branches the Slavic peoples are divided into and how the settlement process took place. So, for the first time these tribes are mentioned by Tacitus and Pliny the Elder. These ancient Roman historians in their records spoke of the Wends who inhabited the B altic territories. Judging by the period of life of these statesmen, the Slavs already existed in the second century AD.
The next who spoke about these same tribes were Procopius of Caesarea and Prisk, Byzantine writer and scientist. But the most complete information that relates to the pre-chronic period is available from the Gothic historian Jordanes.
He reports that the Sclaveni arean independent tribe that separated from the Veneti. In the territories north of the Vistula River (modern Vistula), he mentions "a numerous people of the Veneti", which are divided into Antes and Sclaveni. The first lived along the Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea) from the Danastre (Dniester) to the Danapra (Dnieper). The Sclavens lived from Novietun (the city of Iskach on the Danube) to Danastra and Vistula in the north.
Thus, in the sixth century AD, the ancestors of the Slavs - the Sclaves already lived on the lands from the Dniester to the Vistula and the Danube. Later, various chroniclers will mention a much larger area of settlement of these tribes. It covered the lands of Central and Eastern Europe.
How did the three branches of the Slavic peoples split? The diagram we have given above shows that the movement went north, south and east.
In the beginning, the tribes moved towards the Black and B altic Seas. Just this period is described by the Gothic historian Jordanes. Further, the Avars invade these lands and split the single area of the tribes into parts.
For two centuries (from the sixth to the eighth) they inhabit the Eastern foothills of the Alps and fall under the rule of Emperor Justinian II. We know this from references in the annals, which spoke of the campaign of the Byzantine army against the Arabs. Sclaveni are also mentioned as part of the army.
In the eighth century, these tribes reach the Balkan Peninsula in the south and Lake Ladoga in the north.
South Slavs
Western and southern Slavs, as we see, were formed at different times. At first, the Antes separated from the conglomerate of tribes, who went east, towards the Blacksea and the Dnieper. It was not until the eighth century that this people began settling the Balkan Peninsula.
The process was as follows. Some Eastern and Western Slavic tribes moved in search of better lands to the southwest, towards the Adriatic Sea.
Historians identify the following groups in this migration: encouraged (in European chronicles they are known as predenicents), northerners (possible connection with northerners), Serbs, Croats and others. Basically, these are the tribes that lived along the Danube.
Thus, the ancient Slavic peoples became a powerful force that assimilated small groups of local residents and subsequently created states in the Balkans and the Adriatic coast.
But the move to the southwest was not a one-time campaign. Different genera moved at their own speed and not quite in the same direction. Thus, the researchers distinguish three groups that were formed during the migration: northwestern (Slovenes were formed from it in the future), eastern (modern Bulgarians and Macedonians) and western (Croats and Serbs).
Western tribes
The common ancestors of the Slavic peoples, whom the Romans knew as Wends, originally inhabited the lands of modern Poland and partly Germany. Subsequently, it was on this territory that a large group of tribes formed.
It included lands from the Elbe to the Oder and from the B altic Sea to the Ore Mountains. Researchers divide this conglomeration into three groups according to their place of residence.
Norththe western tribes were called the Bodrichi (Reregs and Obodrites), the southern tribes were called the Lusatians (this also included part of the Serbs), and the central group was the Lyutichi (or Velets). The three peoples named were originally military-tribal alliances. Sometimes they speak separately of the fourth community. Its representatives called themselves Pomors and lived on the B altic coast.
Polish, Silesian, Czech, Pomeranian and Lechitic tribes are gradually being formed on unoccupied lands as a result of the migration of the Polabian Slavs.
Thus, the western and southern Slavs differ in that the former were originally the indigenous inhabitants of these territories, and the latter came from the Danube to the Adriatic coast.
Eastern Slavs
According to Western European chronicles, the works of historians of the Roman Empire and the works of the Byzantines, the territory of the Eastern Slavs has always been associated with the tribal association of the Antes.
As we know from the testimony of the Gothic historian Jordanes, they settled the lands to the east of the Carpathian Mountains. Moreover, the Byzantines say that the area of settlement reached the banks of the Dnieper.
Archaeological evidence is consistent with this view. From the second to the fourth century AD, between the Dnieper and the Dniester there was the so-called Chernyakhov culture.
Later it was replaced by the Penkovskaya archaeological community. There is a gap of two centuries between these cultures, but it is believed that such a gap is caused by the assimilation of some tribes with others.
Sothe origin of the Slavic peoples was the result of the authentic formation of larger communities from a number of small tribal associations. Later, the chroniclers of Kievan Rus would give names to these groups: Polyany, Drevlyane, Dregovichi, Vyatichi and other tribes.
According to the ancient Russian chronicles, as a result of the unification of fifteen groups of Eastern Slavs, such a powerful medieval power as Kievan Rus was formed.
Current situation
So, we discussed with you what branches the Slavic peoples are divided into. In addition, we talked about exactly how the process of settling the tribes to the south and east went on.
Modern Slavic peoples are slightly different from their direct ancestors. In their culture, they combine the imprints of influences from both neighboring peoples and many alien conquerors.
For example, the main part of the regions of the west of the Russian Federation and Ukraine, once part of Kievan Rus, were under the Mongol-Tatar yoke for several centuries. Therefore, many borrowings from the Turkic languages are included in the dialects. Also, some traditional ornaments and rituals bear the imprints of the culture of the oppressors.
South Slavs were more influenced by the Greeks and Turks. Therefore, at the end of the article, we will have to talk about religious issues. Once pagan tribes today are adherents of different confessions of Abrahamic religions.
Descendants may not know exactly what branches the Slavic peoples are divided into, but, as a rule, everyone easily recognizes their "countryman". South Slavs are traditionally darker, andin their dialect, specific phonemes that are characteristic only for this region slip through. A similar situation exists with the descendants of the western and eastern tribal associations.
So, what countries today became the homeland for different branches of the Slavic people?
States of the South Slavs
Modern Slavic peoples are settled in most of Eastern and Central Europe. However, in the context of globalization, their representatives can be found in almost any country in the world. Moreover, the peculiarity of our mentality is such that after a short time the neighbors begin to understand the Slavic languages. The Slavs have always sought to introduce foreigners to their culture, while little succumbing to the process of their own assimilation.
Modern South Slavs include Slovenes and Montenegrins, Macedonians and Bulgarians, Croats, Bosnians and Serbs. Basically, these peoples live on the territory of their national states, which include Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Serbia and Croatia.
That is, in fact, this is the territory of the Balkan Peninsula and the northeastern part of the Adriatic Sea coast.
Southern Slavic peoples today are increasingly moving away from the idea of a community of these peoples, merging into the new family of the European Union. True, several decades ago there was an attempt to create one common country with a population consisting only of southern Slavs, but it failed. Once this state was called Yugoslavia.
Outside the nation-states of this branchSlavic peoples, according to official statistics, live quite a lot in Italy, Hungary, Austria, Romania, Turkey, Albania, Greece and Moldova.
Countries of Western Slavs
Since the ethnogenesis of the Slavic peoples mainly took place initially on the territory of modern Poland and Germany, representatives of Western tribes practically did not leave their homes.
Today their descendants live in Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Traditionally, ethnologists distinguish five peoples that belong to the West Slavic branch. These are Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Kashubians and Lusatians.
The first three ethnic groups live mainly in states with the corresponding names, and the last two - in separate areas. Lusatian Serbs, to which the Wends, Lugii and Sorbs also belong, inhabit Lusatia. This territory is divided into the Upper and Lower parts, which are located in Saxony and Brandenburg, respectively.
Kashubians live on the land called Kashubia. It is part of the modern Polish People's Republic. The unofficial capital of this people is the city of Kartuzy. Also, many representatives of this nationality are found in Gdynia.
Kashubians consider themselves an ethnic group, but Polish citizenship is recognized. In their environment, they are divided into several formations depending on the place of residence, the characteristics of the national costume, activities and class differences. So, among them there are fences, parcha gentry, gburs, taverns, gokhs and other groups.
Thus, it is possible withto say with confidence that for the most part the Western Slavic peoples have preserved their customs to the maximum. Some of them are even still engaged in traditional trades and crafts, however, more to attract tourists.
East Slavic powers
The modern territory of the Eastern Slavs refers to such countries as Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Today, these states, one might say, are at a crossroads. Their peoples are faced with a choice: to remain adherents of traditional ways or to follow the path of their southern brethren, accepting Western European values.
Once a powerful state - Kievan Rus eventually transformed into three countries. Moscow was formed around Moscow, and then the Russian Empire. Kyiv united around itself the lands of many tribes from the Carpathians to the Don. And Belarus was formed in the forests of Polissya. Based on the name of the territory, the main part of the country is inhabited by the descendants of Poleshchuks and Pinchuks.
Religions of different branches of the Slavs
The Russian Federation, Ukraine and Belarus - the modern territory of the Eastern Slavs. Here, the majority of the population belongs to Orthodox Christians.
In principle, the official departure from paganism occurred in the tenth century, when Kyiv Prince Vladimir the Great baptized Russia. But in 1054 there was a great schism, when separate Orthodox and Catholic faiths appeared in Christianity. The eastern and southeastern tribes remained loyal to the Patriarch of Constantinople, while the western and southwestern became supporters ofRoman Catholic Church.
At a certain stage in history, certain groups of southern Slavs convert to Islam. This is explained by the fact that their lands were under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire. For fellow believers, the Turks did a lot of concessions. Today, Muslims include Gorani, Bosniaks, Pomaks, Kuchis and Torbeshis.
Thus, in this article we studied the ethnogenesis of the Slavic peoples, and also talked about their division into three branches. In addition, we figured out which modern countries belong to the territory of settlement of the southern, western and eastern tribes.
