The Wolinians (, ) were a
Lechitic tribe in Early Middle Age Pomerania. They were first mentioned as "Velunzani" with 70 ''civitates'' by the
Bavarian Geographer The epithet "Bavarian Geographer" () is the conventional name for the anonymous author of a short Latin medieval text containing a list of the tribes in Central and Eastern Europe, headed .
The name "Bavarian Geographer" was first bestowed (in its ...
, ca. 845.
[Johannes Hoops, ]Herbert Jankuhn
Herbert Jankuhn (8 August 1905 – 30 April 1990) was a German archaeologist who specialized in the archaeology of Germanic peoples. He is best known for his excavations at the Viking Age site of Hedeby, and for his instrumental role in the publ ...
, Heinrich Beck, Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde Band 23, Walter de Gruyter, 2003, p.261, Associated with both the
Veleti
The Veleti, 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 kn ...
(later Lutici) and the
Pomeranians, they were based on the island of
Wolin
Wolin (; ) is a Polish island in the Baltic Sea, just off the Polish coast. Administratively, the island belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Wolin is separated from the island of Usedom (Uznam) by the Strait of Świna, and from mainla ...
and the adjacent mainland.
[Jan M Piskorski, Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten, p.30, ] Compared to other tribes of these groups, the Wolinians' territory was relatively small but densely settled: in the 11th century, there was one settlement per four square kilometers.
[Jan M Piskorski, Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten, p.31, ] The Wolinians are described by Jan Maria Piskorski as the most powerful Pomeranian tribe.
[ This position resulted from the multi-ethnic emporium at the site of the present-day town of Wolin (Wollin), then known as ]Jomsborg
Jomsborg or Jómsborg () was a semi-legendary Viking stronghold at the southern coast of the Baltic Sea (medieval Wendland, modern Pomerania), that existed between the 960s and 1043. Its inhabitants were known as Jomsvikings. Jomsborg's exact lo ...
, Jumne, Julin or Vineta
Vineta (sometimes ''Wineta'') is the name of a legendary city at the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. The legend evolved around traditions about the Medieval emporium called Jumne, Jomsborg, Julin or similar names by the chronicles, and with wh ...
.[
In the late 10th century, the Polish dukes ]Mieszko I
Mieszko I (; – 25 May 992) was Duchy of Poland (966–1025), Duke of Poland from 960 until his death in 992 and the founder of the first unified History of Poland, Polish state, the Civitas Schinesghe. A member of the Piast dynasty, he was t ...
and Bolesław I Chrobry
Bolesław or Boleslav may refer to:
People
* Bolesław (given name) (also ''Boleslav'' or ''Boleslaus''), including a list of people with this name
Geography
* Bolesław, Dąbrowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
* Bolesław, Olkusz Coun ...
subdued parts 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 ...
and also fought the Wolinians.[ Much of Wolin was destroyed in 1043 by Dano-Norwegian King ]Magnus the Good
Magnus Olafsson (; Norwegian and Danish: ''Magnus Olavsson''; – 25 October 1047), better known as Magnus the Good (; Norwegian and Danish: ''Magnus den gode''), was King of Norway from 1035 and King of Denmark from 1042 until his death in ...
, who however failed to conquer its center.[Filipowiak, Wladyslaw: Wollin - ein frühmittelalterliches Zentrum an der Ostsee, in Wieczorek, Alfried; Hinz, Hans (eds.): Europas Mitte um 1000, Stuttgart 2000, pp. 152–155; here p. 154-155.] Also in the mid-11th century, export and wealth were greatly reduced, in part due to the breakdown of the Polish market.[ Yet the Wolinians retained their independence and continued to house refugees from the Danish opposition, causing Danish king Erik I Evergood to mount another campaign in 1098.][
In 1121/22, the Polish duke ]Bolesław III Wrymouth
Bolesław III Wrymouth (; 20 August 1086 – 28 October 1138), also known as Boleslaus the Wry-mouthed, was the duke of Lesser Poland, Silesia and Sandomierz between 1102 and 1107 and over the whole of Poland between 1107 and 1138. He was the onl ...
conquered the area along with the Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania (; ; Latin: ''Ducatus Pomeraniae'') was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania (''Griffins''). The country existed in the Middle Ages between years 1121–11 ...
under Wartislaw I
Wartislaw I (''Warcisław I''; – August 9, 1135) was the first historical ruler of the Duchy of Pomerania and the founder of the Griffin Dynasty.
Most of the information about him comes from the writings on the life of Otto of Bamberg. He w ...
.[Jan M Piskorski, Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten, p.36, ] The inhabitants were subsequently Christianized
Christianization (or Christianisation) is a term for the specific type of change that occurs when someone or something has been or is being converted to Christianity. Christianization has, for the most part, spread through missions by individu ...
,[ and lost their tribal identity when they were integrated into the ]Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania (; ; Latin: ''Ducatus Pomeraniae'') was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania (''Griffins''). The country existed in the Middle Ages between years 1121–11 ...
. In 1173 and 1184, Wolin was finally destroyed by subsequent Danish campaigns,[ all of Pomerania was under Danish suzerainty for the next decades.
Today, the Wolinians together with the Polans and other Lechitic tribes, are regarded as one of the main tribes settled in an area of modern ]Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
.
See also
*List of Medieval Slavic tribes
This is a list of early Slavic peoples reported in Late Antiquity and in the Middle Ages, that is, before the year AD 1500.
Ancestors
*Proto-Indo-Europeans (Proto-Indo-European speakers)
** Proto-Balto-Slavs (common ancestors of Balts and Slav ...
*Pomerania during the Early Middle Ages
Pomerania during the Early Middle Ages covers the History of Pomerania from the 7th to the 11th centuries.
The southward movement of Germanic tribes during the migration period had left territory later called Pomerania largely depopulated by th ...
*Pomeranians (Slavic tribe)
The Pomeranians (; ; ), first mentioned as such in the 10th century, were a West Slavic tribe, which from the 5th to the 6th centuries had settled at the shore of the Baltic Sea between the mouths of the Oder and Vistula Rivers (the latter Far ...
*Veleti
The Veleti, 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 kn ...
*Prissani
The Prissani or Pyritzans () were a medieval tribe in Pomerania. They were first mentioned as "Prissani" with 70 civitas by the Bavarian Geographer, ca. 845.Johannes Hoops, Herbert Jankuhn, Heinrich Beck, Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskund ...
*Jomsvikings
The Jomsvikings were a legendary order of Viking mercenaries or conquerors of the 10th and 11th centuries. Though reputed to be staunchly dedicated to the worship of the Old Norse gods, they would allegedly fight for any lord who could pay t ...
*Niedamir
Niedamir (Latin: ''Nedamirus'') was a 12th-century merchant and magnate, from the tribe of Wolinians, who lived in the settlement of Wolin. He was described by Catholic monk , in his writings about the life of missionary Otto of Bamberg.Przemysław ...
References
{{Slavic ethnic groups (VII-XII century)
Lechites
History of Pomerania
West Slavic tribes