The Goplans or Goplanes (, ) was an early
West Slavic tribe that inhabited the central parts of the
Kuyavia
Kuyavia (; ), also referred to as Cuyavia, is a historical region in north-central Poland, situated on the left bank of Vistula, as well as east from Noteć River and Lake Gopło. It is divided into three traditional parts: north-western (with th ...
(''Kujawy'') region, with their probable seat at
Kruszwica
Kruszwica () is a town in central Poland, in the Inowrocław County in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. It has a population of 9,161 (2010). Initially founded in the 6th century, Kruszwica is the oldest town in the region and features a medieva ...
.
They might have been named after the
Lake Gopło; Kmietowicz believes the
Bavarian Geographer (845) overheard it and recorded it (as ''Glopeani''). Many remnants of small strongholds have been unearthed around the lake. The tribe was absorbed by the
Polans in the 10th century.
Bavarian Geographer
The medieval chronicle claims that Glopeani controlled 400
gords (fortified wooden settlements), as if the tribe was dominant in the area; however, the archeological research in Kruszwica has failed to uncover the fortress, although it does indicate the presence of a large settlement. A possible resolution has been offered by
Gerard Labuda
Gerard Labuda (; 28 December 1916 – 1 October 2010) was a Polish historian whose main fields of interest were the Middle Ages and the Western Slavs. He was born in Kashubia. He lived and died in Poznań, Poland.
Life
Labuda was born in N ...
who hypothesized that the "Goplanie" were the same as, or a part of, the
Polans, whose main center was located at
Gniezno
Gniezno (; ; ) is a city in central-western Poland, about east of Poznań. Its population in 2021 was 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. The city is the administrative seat of Gniezno County (''powiat'') ...
.
The chronicle doesn't indicate the location of the tribe; however, it can be inferred from the list of neighboring tribes and their known locations: #14 Osterabtrezi (identified as Eastern
Obodrites), #15 Miloxi, #16 Phesnuzi, #17 Thadesi, #18 ''Glopeani'', #19 Zuireani, #20 Busani (identified as
Buzhans on the
Bug river
The Bug or Western Bug is a major river in Central Europe that flows through Belarus (border), Poland, and Ukraine, with a total length of .[Pomerania
Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian Voivod ...]
,
Great Poland or
Masovia
Mazovia or Masovia ( ) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the largest city and Płock being the capital of the region . Throughout the ...
.
See also
*
List of medieval Slavic tribes
References
Sources
*
{{Slavic ethnic groups (VII-XII century)
Poland in the Early Middle Ages
West Slavic tribes
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship