Karantania
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Karantania (also Carantania, Carentania, in old Slovenian onomastics Korotan, or Karantanija) was a Slavic principality that emerged in the 7th century and was centered on the territory of contemporary Carinthia. Having lasted almost 300 years, it is considered one of the first Slavic state forms.
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[edit] Territory
Karantania's capital was most likely Karnburg (Slovenian Krnski grad) in the Zollfeld (Slovenian Gosposvetsko polje), north of modern Klagenfurt (Slovenian Celovec). Apart from the territory of modern Carinthia, it included parts of today's East Tyrol, Styria, the Lungau and Ennspongau regions of Salzburg, and parts of southern Upper Austria and Lower Austria. It is not certain whether it also included parts of modern Slovenia. The few existing historical sources distinguish two separate principalities: Karantania and Karniola. The latter appears in historical record in late 8th century and was situated in the central part of modern Slovenia. It was (at least by its name) the predecessor to the later Carniola (Slovenian Kranjska).
The borders of the later Karantania, which was under the feudal overlordship of the Carolingians and their successors as part of Bavaria (826-976), as well as of the later Duchy of Carinthia (from 976), extended beyond historical Karantania.
[edit] History
In 568, Langobards receded into Northern Italy. Subsequently, in the last decades of the 6th century, Slavs, with the help of their Avar overlords, gradually settled in the Eastern Alpine region. After 591 they conquered the area along the upper Drava river and fought with the Bavarian king Tassilo I.
In 623, Slavs joined Samo's Tribal Union (623-626), also known in historical sources as Marca Vinedorum. The Union was ruled by the duke Valuk (Wallux dux Winedorum). In 658, Samo died and his Tribal Union disintegrated. The name Karantania begins to appear after 660.
The claim of whether Karantania was the first Slavic state form is a topic of some controversy. According to some interpretations, that title should be attributed to Bulgarian Empire which was established in 681.
In 745, Karantania lost its independence and became part of the semifeudal Frankish empire (which was ruled by king Charlemagne (742-814) from 771 to 814), due to pressing danger of Avar tribes from the east.
In 828, following the rebellion of Ljudevit Posavski, Karantania became a margraviate of the Frankish empire. In 843 it passed into the hands of Louis the German (804-876). In 887 Arnulf of Carinthia (850-899) a grandson of Louis the German, assumed his title of King of the East Franks and became the first Duke of Carinthia.
[edit] The Ducal Coronation
The principality of Karantania is particularly notable for the ancient ritual of installing Karantanian princes, a practice that continued in the later Duchy of Carinthia. It was last performed in 1414, when the Habsburg Ernest the Iron was enthroned as Duke of Carinthia.
The ritual took place on the Prince's Stone (Slovenian Knežji kamen, German Fürstenstein), an Ancient Celtic column near Krnski grad (now Karnburg) and was performed in the Slovenian language by a free farmer selected by his peers. The farmer questioned the new Prince about his integrity.
After Karantania had been incorporated into the Duchy of Carinthia, this ancient ritual was continued. The Coronation of Carinthian Dukes consisted of three parts: first, a ritual in Slovenian language was performed at the Prince's Stone; then a mass was held at the cathedral of Maria Saal (Gospa Sveta); and subsequently, a ceremony took place at the Duke's Chair (Slovenian Vojvodski stol, German Herzogsstuhl), where the new Duke had to swear an oath in German and where he also received the homage of the estates. The Duke's Chair is located at Zollfeld (Slovenian Gosposvetsko polje), north of Klagenfurt (Slovenian Celovec) in modern Carinthia, Austria.
The Ducal Coronation is described in Jean Bodin's book Six livres de la Republique.
[edit] Mentionings in late medieval literature
Latin authors named Karantania as Carantanum. Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) mentions Karantania as Chiarentana. The same name was also used by Florentines, such as the poet Fazio degli Uberti (circa 1309-1367), the famous chronicler Giovanni Villani (c. 1275-1348), and Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375), who wrote that the Brenta River rises from the mountains of Karantania, a land in the Alps dividing Italy from Germany.
[edit] Origin of the name
The name Karantania is of pre-Slavic origin. There are two possible explanations. It may be derived from pre-Indo-European root *karra meaning 'rock' or it may be of Celtic origin and derived from *karantos meaning 'friend'.
Its Slavic name *korǫtanъ was adopted from Latin *carantanum. The name Carinthia (Slovenian Koroška < Proto-Slavic *korǫt’ьsko) is also etymologically related and derives from pre-Slavic *carantia.
[edit] Ethnic and social structure
The population of Karantania had a polyethnic structure. The upper classes of the state were Alpine Slavs, and, for a time, probably also Avars. The remaining population consisted of romanized Celts (Noricans) and descendants of Romans who had dwelt in the region earlier.
The people of Karantania are considered to have been among the precursors and ancestors of modern Slovenians.
[edit] References
- France Bezlaj, Etimološki slovar slovenskega jezika (Etymological Dictionary of Slovenian Language). Vol. 2: K-O / edited by Bogomil Gerlanc. - 1982. p. 68. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, 1976-2005.
- Hans-Dietrich Kahl, Der Staat der Karantanen: Fakten, Thesen und Fragen zu einer frühen slawischen Machtbildung im Ostalpenraum, Ljubljana, 2002.
