Bavarian Geographer

The Bavarian Geographer is anonymous medieval document prepared in ca. 850 probably in Regensburg and stored in the Munich library (both cities in Bavaria).

It is entitled a 'Description of Cities and Lands North of Danube' and it contains a list of the tribes in Central-Eastern Europe east of Elbe and north of Danube rivers (most of them of Slavonic origin). There are also some information about the number of strongholds (civitates) possesed by some of the tribes and other information.

Text of the document

(division into 2 parts, numbers and formatting according to the publisher: H. Łowmiański)
(Part 1)

Descriptio civitatum et regionum ad septentrionalem plagam Danubii.
(1) Isti sunt qui propinquiores resident finibus Danaorum, quos vocant Nortabtrezi, ubi regio, in qua sunt civitates LIII per duces suos partite.
(2) Uuilci, in qua civitates XCV et regiones IIII.
(3) Linaa est populus, qui habet civitates VII.
(4-6) Prope illis resident, quos vocant Bethenici et Smeldingon et Morizani, qui habent civitates XI.
(7) Iuxta illos sunt, qui vocantur Hehfeldi, qui habent civitates VIII.
(8) Iuxta illos est regio, que vocatur Surbi, in qua regione plures sunt, que habent civitates L.
(9) Iuxta illos sunt quos vocant Talaminzi, qui habent civitates XIII.
(10) Beheimare, in qua sunt civitates XV.
(11) Marharii habent civitates XL.
(12) Uulgarii regio est inmensa et populus multus habens civitates V, eo quod mutitudo magna ex eis sit et non sit eis opus civitates habere.
(13) Est populus quem vocant Merehanos, ipsi habent civitates XXX.
Iste sunt regiones, que terminant in finibus nostris.

(Part 2)

Isti sunt, qui iuxta istorum fines resident.
(14) Osterabtrezi, in qua civitates plus quam C sunt.
(15) Miloxi, in qua civitates LXVII.
(16) Phesnuzi habent civitates LXX.
(17) Thadesi plus quam CC urbes habent.
(18) Glopeani, in qua civitates CCCC aut eo amplius.
(19) Zuireani habent civitates CCCXXV.
(20) Busani habent civitates CCXXXI.
(21) Sittici regio inmensa populis et urbibus munitissimis.
(22) Stadici, in qua civitates DXVI populousque infinitus.
(23) Sebbirozi habent civitates XC.
(24) Unlizi populus multus civitates CCCCXVIII.
(25) Neriuani habent civitates LXXVIII.
(26) Attorozi habent civitates CXLVIII, populus ferocissimus.
(27) Eptaradici habent civitates CCLXIII.
(28) Uuilerozi habent civitates CLXXX.
(29) Zabrozi habent civitates CCXII.
(30) Znetalici habent civitates LXXIIII.
(31) Aturezani habent civitates CIIII.
(32) Chozirozi habent civitates CCL.
(33) Lendizi habent civitates XCVIII.
(34) Thafnezi habent civitates CCLVII.
(35) Zeriuani, quod tantum est regnum, ut ex eo cuncte genetes Sclauorum exorte sint et originem, sicut affirmant, ducant.
(36) Prissani civitates LXX.
(37) Uelunzani civitates LXX.
(38) Bruzi plus est undique quam de Enisa ad Rhenum
(39) Uuizunbeire
(40) Caziri civitates C.
(41) Ruzzi.
(42) Forsderen.
(43) Liudi.
(44) Fresiti.
(45) Serauici.
(46) Lucolane.
(47) Ungare.
(48) Uuislane.
(49) Sleenzane civitates XV.
(50) Lunsizi civitates XXX.
(51) Dadosesani civitates XX.
(52) Milzane civitates XXX.
(53) Besunzane civitates II.
(54) Uerizane civitates X.
(55) Fraganeo civitates XL.
(56) Lupiglaa civitates XXX.
(57) Opolini civitates XX.
(58) Golensizi civitates V.

Further reading

• Henryk Łowmiański, O pochodzeniu Geografa bawarskiego. O identyfikacji nazw Geografa bawarskiego, w: Studia nad dziejami Słowiańszczyzny, Polski i Rusi w wiekach średnich, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu im. Dama Mickiewicza, Poznań 1986, ISSN 0554-8217
• Henryk Łowmiański, O pochodzeniu Geografa bawarskiego, Roczniki Historyczne, R. 20, 1955, s.9-58
• Henryk Łowmiański, O identyfikacji nazw Geografa bawarskiego, Studia Źródłoznawcze, t. III: 1958, s.1-22
• Joachim Lelewel, Winulska Sławiańszczyzna z Geografa bawarskiego, Tygodnik Wileński, nr 47, z dn. 8 paźdzernika 1816, s. 333, i w nastęnych numerach 48-50
• Joachim Lelewel, Geographe du Moyen Age III, Bruxelles 1852, s.21-45
• V. von Keltsch, Der bairische Geograph, Alpreussische Monatsschr., 23 (1886), s. 507 n.
• A. Kralicek, Der s.g. bairische Geograph und Mahren, Zeitschr d. Vereins f. die Geschichte Mahrens u. Schlesiens II (1898), s. 216-235, 340-360
• S. Zakrzewski, Opis grodów i terytoriów z północnej strony Dunaju czyli tzw. Geograf bawarski, Lwów 1917
• E. Kucharski, Polska w zapisce karolińskiej zwanej niewłaściwie "Geografem bawarskim", [w:] Pamiętnik IV powszechnego Zjazdu historyków polskich, t. I, Lwów 1925, sekcja II, s. 111;
• E. Kucharski, Zapiska karolińska zwana niewłaściwie "Geografem bawarskim, Sprawozdania Tow. Nauk. we Lwowie, t. V (1925), s. 81-86
• W. Fritze, Die Datierung des Geographus Bavarus, Zschr f. Slavische Philologie, 21, Heft 2 (1952), s. 326-242