Map of the Roman empire and surrounding peoples in AD 125. The map shows two possible locations of the Fenni, based on possible readings of Tacitus (Livonia) and Ptolemy (upper Vistula river). Another location given by Ptolemy, in northern Scandinavia, is not shown as the map does not cover that region
The Fenni are first mentioned by Cornelius Tacitus in Germania in 98 A.D. Their location is uncertain, due to the vagueness of Tacitus' account: "The Venedi overrun in their predatory excursions all the woody and mountainous tracts between the Peucini and the Fenni".[1][2] The Greco-Roman geographer Ptolemy, who produced his Geographia in ca. 150 AD, mentions a people called the Phinnoi (Φιννοι), generally believed to be synonymous with the Fenni. He locates them in two different areas: a northern group in northern Scandia (Scandinavia), then believed to be an island; and a southern group, apparently dwelling to the East of the upper Vistula river (SE Poland).[3] It remains unclear what was the relationship between the two groups.
The next ancient mention of the Fenni/Finni is in the Getica of 6th-century chronicler Jordanes. In his description of the island of Scandza (Scandinavia), he mentions three groups with names similar to Ptolemy's Phinnoi, the Screrefennae, Finnaithae and mitissimi Finni ("softest Finns").[4] The Screrefennae is believed to mean the "skiing Finns" and are generally identified with Ptolemy's northern Phinnoi and today's Finns.[5] The Finnaithae have been identified with the Finnveden of southern Sweden. It is unclear who the mitissimi Finni was.
Ethno-linguistic affiliationedit
Tacitus was unsure whether to classify the Fenni as Germanic or Sarmatian.[1] The vagueness of his account has left the identification of the Fenni open to a variety of theories. It has been suggested that the Romans may have used Fenni as a generic name, to denote the various non-Germanic (i.e., Balto-Slavic and Finnic) tribes of north-eastern Europe.[6] Against this argument is the fact that Tacitus distinguishes the Fenni from other probably non-Germanic peoples of the region, such as the Aestii and the Veneti.[7]
It has also been suggested that Tacitus' Fenni could be the ancestors of the modern Finnish people.[8][9]Juha Pentikäinen writes that Tacitus may well have been describing the Sami or the proto-Finns when referring to the Fenni, noting some archeologists have identified these people as indigenous to Fennoscandia.[10] The context of Fenni has also included the Finnic Estonians throughout different interpretations.[11] Nevertheless, according to some linguists, certain linguistic evidence may be interpreted supporting the idea of an archaic Indo-European dialect and unknown Paleo-European languages existing in north-eastern Baltic Sea region before the spread of Finno-Ugric languages like Proto-Sami and Proto-Finnic in the early Bronze Age around 1800 BC. However, in Tacitus's time (1st century AD) Finno-Ugric languages (Proto-Sami and Proto-Finnic) were the main languages in northern Fennoscandia.[12][13]
Another theory is that Tacitus' Fenni and Ptolemy's northern Phinnoi were the same people and constituted the original Sami people of northern Fennoscandia, making Tacitus' description the first historical record of them, and the mention of two different "Phinnoi" groups may suggest that there was already a division between Finns and Sami.[14][15][16] But while this may seem a plausible identification for the Phinnoi of northern Scandinavia, it is dubious for Tacitus' Fenni.[17] Tacitus' Fenni (and Ptolemy's southern Phinnoi) were clearly based in continental Europe, not in the Scandinavian peninsula, and were thus outside the modern range of the Sami.[citation needed] Against this, there is some archaeological evidence that the Sami range may have been wider in antiquity.[6][18] Sami toponyms are found as far as Southern Finland and Karelia[19]
The uncertainties have led some scholars to conclude that Tacitus' Fenni is a meaningless label, impossible to ascribe to any particular region or ethnic group.[17] But Tacitus appears to relate the Fenni geographically to the Peucini and the Venedi, albeit imprecisely, stating that the latter habitually raided the "forests and mountains" between the other two. He also gives a relatively detailed description of the Fenni's lifestyle.[1]
Material cultureedit
Fenni seems to have been a form of the proto-Germanic word *fanþian-, denoting "wanderers" or "hunting folk",[20] although Vladimir Orel viewed its etymology as unclear and listed a couple of alternative proposals (i.e. a derivation from Proto-Celtic *þenn- "hill").[21] Tacitus describes the Fenni as follows:[1]
In wonderful savageness live the nation of the Fenni, and in beastly poverty, destitute of arms, of horses, and of homes; their food, the common herbs; their apparel, skins; their bed, the earth; their only hope in their arrows, which for want of iron they point with bones. Their common support they have from the chase, women as well as men; for with these the former wander up and down, and crave a portion of the prey. Nor other shelter have they even for their babes, against the violence of tempests and ravening beasts, than to cover them with the branches of trees twisted together; this a reception for the old men, and hither resort the young. Such a condition they judge happier than the painful occupation of cultivating the ground, than the labour of rearing houses than the agitations of hope and fear attending the defense of their own property or the seizing that of others. Secure against the designs of men, secure against the malignity of the Gods, they have accomplished a thing of infinite difficulty; that to them nothing remains even to be wished.
This description is of a lifestyle much more primitive than that of the medieval Sami, who were pastoralists living off herds of reindeer and inhabiting sophisticated tents of deer hide. But the archaeological evidence suggests that the proto-Sami and Proto-Finns had a lifestyle more akin to Tacitus' description.[10]
^Mikko Heikkilä: Bidrag till Fennoskandiens språkliga Förhistoria i tid och rum. University of Helsinki. 2014. tps://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/135714/bidragti.pdf - Abstract in English pp. 7-8
^Ante Aikio 2006: On Germanic-Saami contacts and Saami prehistory
Anderson, J.G.D. (1958) Textual note to Tacitus' Germania
Bosi, Roberto (1960): The Lapps
Hansen, L.I. & Olsen, B. (2004): Samenes Historie fram til 1750
Kinsten, Silje Bergum (2000): (The Norway Post, 19 August 2000)
Pirinen, Kauko The settlement of Finland begins in Eino Jutikkala (ed.) A History of Finland (trans. Paul Sjoblom)
Tägil, Sven (1995): Ethnicity and nation building in the Nordic world, ISBN1-85065-239-2
Whitaker, Ian (1980). "Tacitus' Fenni and Ptolemy's Phinnoi". The Classical Journal. 75 (3): 215–224. JSTOR 3297154.
November 27, 2023
fenni, this, article, about, ancient, people, europe, welsh, town, called, abergavenny, other, uses, fenny, disambiguation, were, ancient, people, northeastern, europe, first, described, cornelius, tacitus, germania, roman, empire, surrounding, peoples, shows,. This article is about ancient people of Europe For the Welsh town called Y Fenni see Abergavenny For other uses see Fenny disambiguation The Fenni were an ancient people of northeastern Europe first described by Cornelius Tacitus in Germania in AD 98 Map of the Roman empire and surrounding peoples in AD 125 The map shows two possible locations of the Fenni based on possible readings of Tacitus Livonia and Ptolemy upper Vistula river Another location given by Ptolemy in northern Scandinavia is not shown as the map does not cover that region Contents 1 Ancient accounts 2 Ethno linguistic affiliation 3 Material culture 4 See also 5 Citations 6 References 6 1 Ancient 6 2 ModernAncient accounts editThe Fenni are first mentioned by Cornelius Tacitus in Germania in 98 A D Their location is uncertain due to the vagueness of Tacitus account The Venedi overrun in their predatory excursions all the woody and mountainous tracts between the Peucini and the Fenni 1 2 The Greco Roman geographer Ptolemy who produced his Geographia in ca 150 AD mentions a people called the Phinnoi Finnoi generally believed to be synonymous with the Fenni He locates them in two different areas a northern group in northern Scandia Scandinavia then believed to be an island and a southern group apparently dwelling to the East of the upper Vistula river SE Poland 3 It remains unclear what was the relationship between the two groups The next ancient mention of the Fenni Finni is in the Getica of 6th century chronicler Jordanes In his description of the island of Scandza Scandinavia he mentions three groups with names similar to Ptolemy s Phinnoi the Screrefennae Finnaithae and mitissimi Finni softest Finns 4 The Screrefennae is believed to mean the skiing Finns and are generally identified with Ptolemy s northern Phinnoi and today s Finns 5 The Finnaithae have been identified with the Finnveden of southern Sweden It is unclear who the mitissimi Finni was Ethno linguistic affiliation editTacitus was unsure whether to classify the Fenni as Germanic or Sarmatian 1 The vagueness of his account has left the identification of the Fenni open to a variety of theories It has been suggested that the Romans may have used Fenni as a generic name to denote the various non Germanic i e Balto Slavic and Finnic tribes of north eastern Europe 6 Against this argument is the fact that Tacitus distinguishes the Fenni from other probably non Germanic peoples of the region such as the Aestii and the Veneti 7 It has also been suggested that Tacitus Fenni could be the ancestors of the modern Finnish people 8 9 Juha Pentikainen writes that Tacitus may well have been describing the Sami or the proto Finns when referring to the Fenni noting some archeologists have identified these people as indigenous to Fennoscandia 10 The context of Fenni has also included the Finnic Estonians throughout different interpretations 11 Nevertheless according to some linguists certain linguistic evidence may be interpreted supporting the idea of an archaic Indo European dialect and unknown Paleo European languages existing in north eastern Baltic Sea region before the spread of Finno Ugric languages like Proto Sami and Proto Finnic in the early Bronze Age around 1800 BC However in Tacitus s time 1st century AD Finno Ugric languages Proto Sami and Proto Finnic were the main languages in northern Fennoscandia 12 13 Another theory is that Tacitus Fenni and Ptolemy s northern Phinnoi were the same people and constituted the original Sami people of northern Fennoscandia making Tacitus description the first historical record of them and the mention of two different Phinnoi groups may suggest that there was already a division between Finns and Sami 14 15 16 But while this may seem a plausible identification for the Phinnoi of northern Scandinavia it is dubious for Tacitus Fenni 17 Tacitus Fenni and Ptolemy s southern Phinnoi were clearly based in continental Europe not in the Scandinavian peninsula and were thus outside the modern range of the Sami citation needed Against this there is some archaeological evidence that the Sami range may have been wider in antiquity 6 18 Sami toponyms are found as far as Southern Finland and Karelia 19 The uncertainties have led some scholars to conclude that Tacitus Fenni is a meaningless label impossible to ascribe to any particular region or ethnic group 17 But Tacitus appears to relate the Fenni geographically to the Peucini and the Venedi albeit imprecisely stating that the latter habitually raided the forests and mountains between the other two He also gives a relatively detailed description of the Fenni s lifestyle 1 Material culture editFenni seems to have been a form of the proto Germanic word fanthian denoting wanderers or hunting folk 20 although Vladimir Orel viewed its etymology as unclear and listed a couple of alternative proposals i e a derivation from Proto Celtic thenn hill 21 Tacitus describes the Fenni as follows 1 In wonderful savageness live the nation of the Fenni and in beastly poverty destitute of arms of horses and of homes their food the common herbs their apparel skins their bed the earth their only hope in their arrows which for want of iron they point with bones Their common support they have from the chase women as well as men for with these the former wander up and down and crave a portion of the prey Nor other shelter have they even for their babes against the violence of tempests and ravening beasts than to cover them with the branches of trees twisted together this a reception for the old men and hither resort the young Such a condition they judge happier than the painful occupation of cultivating the ground than the labour of rearing houses than the agitations of hope and fear attending the defense of their own property or the seizing that of others Secure against the designs of men secure against the malignity of the Gods they have accomplished a thing of infinite difficulty that to them nothing remains even to be wished This description is of a lifestyle much more primitive than that of the medieval Sami who were pastoralists living off herds of reindeer and inhabiting sophisticated tents of deer hide But the archaeological evidence suggests that the proto Sami and Proto Finns had a lifestyle more akin to Tacitus description 10 See also editFinnic Sitones FinningiaCitations edit a b c d Tacitus G 46 Mattingly 1970 Ptolemy II 11 and III 5 Jordanes G III Olaus Magnus 1658 1555 The Description of Scricfinnia Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus Rome Archived from the original on 18 July 2011 Retrieved 6 March 2009 a b R Bosi The Lapps 1960 pp44 7 Tacitus G 45 6 Anderson 1958 217 Pirinen 9 a b Juha Pentikainen Kalevala Mythology Indiana University Press 1999 p226 Spilling Michael 1999 Estonia ISBN 9780761409519 Mikko Heikkila Bidrag till Fennoskandiens sprakliga Forhistoria i tid och rum University of Helsinki 2014 tps helda helsinki fi bitstream handle 10138 135714 bidragti pdf Abstract in English pp 7 8 Ante Aikio 2006 On Germanic Saami contacts and Saami prehistory Tagil 1995 118 Kinsten 2000 Doug Simms The University of Texas The Early Period of Sami History from the Beginnings to the 16th Century a b Whitaker 1980 Hansen amp Olsen 2004 Ante Aikio 2007 The study of Saami substrate toponyms in Finland Onomastica Uralica http mnytud arts klte hu onomural kotetek ou4 08aikio pdf Svensk Etymologisk Ordbok online Vladimir E Orel 2003 A Handbook of Germanic Etymology References editAncient edit Jordanes Getica ca 550 AD Ptolemy Geographia ca 150 AD Tacitus Germania ca 100 AD Modern edit Anderson J G D 1958 Textual note to Tacitus Germania Bosi Roberto 1960 The Lapps Hansen L I amp Olsen B 2004 Samenes Historie fram til 1750 Kinsten Silje Bergum 2000 The Northern Sami People The Norway Post 19 August 2000 Pirinen Kauko The settlement of Finland begins in Eino Jutikkala ed A History of Finland trans Paul Sjoblom Tagil Sven 1995 Ethnicity and nation building in the Nordic world ISBN 1 85065 239 2 Whitaker Ian 1980 Tacitus Fenni and Ptolemy s Phinnoi The Classical Journal 75 3 215 224 JSTOR 3297154 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fenni amp oldid 1155102081, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
