We continue a string of posts about various Slavic tribes, which are mentioned in our animated fantasy comic book series about the customs and beliefs of the ancient Slavic people.
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As it turns out, not all Polish scientists share the traditional view about the existence of the Polanian tribe (Polanie) and its contribution to the history of Poland. In general, the localization of the tribes mentioned in chronicles and confirmation of their settlement area by archaeological data is a special scientific topic. And in this case, scientists, looking into various contradictions in manuscripts and archaeological research, come to different conclusions. From denying the very fact of the existence of the Polanian tribe, to explaining it as a “term” for certain way of life of the noted community, which was different from the communities living in the neighborhood in the corresponding historical period. Some scholars question the term “tribe” itself and offer alternative designations like “ethnic group”, “territorial community”, “settlement group”, “chiefdom”, etc.
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The earliest mention of the term ‘Polans’ (Poland) is considered to occur in the “Life of St Adalbert” scripts, written at the turn of the X-XI centuries, in which Mieszko I (reigned in 960-992 AD) and Bolesław I the Brave (reigned in 992-1025 AD) are called the dukes of the “Polans” (Poland).
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To be continued…
