Editing Carantania

{{Short description|Early medieval Slavic principality}}
{{Expand Slovenian|Karantanija|date=March 2012}}
{{stack begin}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Carantania
| common_name            = Carantania
| native_name            = ''*Korǫtanъ''|
| p1                     = Samo's Empire
| flag_p1                = Sámova říše.png
| year_start             = 658
| year_end               = 828
| s1                     = Francia
| flag_s1                = Karl der Große 800.jpg
| border_s1              = no|
| image_flag             = 
| image_coat             = |
| image_map              = Carantania 800 AD-en.PNG
| image_map_caption      = |
| capital                = [[Karnburg]]
| common_languages       = [[Proto-Slavic]]
| religion               = |
| government_type        = Monarchy
| title_leader           = 
| year_leader1           = 
| leader1                = |
| era                    = Early Middle Ages
| event_start            = [[Samo|Death of King Samo]]
| date_start             = 
| event1                 = Tributary to [[Franks]]
| date_event1            = 745
| event_end              = Integration to Franks
| date_end               = |
| currency               = |
| today                  = [[Austria]]<br />[[Slovenia]]
}}
{{History of Slovenia}}
{{History of Austria}}
{{stack end}}

'''Carantania''', also known as '''Carentania''' ({{langx|sl|Karantanija}}, {{langx|de|Karantanien}}, in [[Old Slavic language|Old Slavic]] ''{{lang|sla|*Korǫtanъ}}''), was a [[early Slavs|Slavic]] [[principality]] that emerged in the second half of the [[7th century]], in the territory of present-day southern [[Austria]] and north-eastern [[Slovenia]]. 
It was the predecessor of the [[March of Carinthia]], created within the [[Carolingian Empire]] in 889.

==Origin of the name==
The name ''Carantania'' is of proto-[[Slavic languages|Slavic]] origin. [[Paul the Deacon]] mentions Slavs in "[[Carnuntum]], which is erroneously called Carantanum" (''Carnuntum, quod corrupte vocitant Carantanum'').<ref>Simoniti, Vasko & Peter Štih (1996): ''Slovenska zgodovina do razsvetljenstva''. Klagenfurt: Mohorjeva družba and Korotan.</ref>

A possible etymological explanation is that it may have been formed from a toponymic base ''carant-'' which ultimately derives from pre-[[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] root *''karra'' meaning 'rock', or that it is of [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] origin and derived from *''karant-'' meaning 'friend, ally'. Its Slavic name ''{{lang|sla|*korǫtanъ}}'' was adopted from the [[Latin]] *''carantanum''. The toponym ''Carinthia'' (Slovene: {{lang|sl|Koroška}} < [[Proto-Slavic language|Proto-Slavic]] ''*korǫt’ьsko'') is also claimed to be etymologically related, deriving from pre-Slavic *''carantia''.<ref>France Bezlaj, ''Etimološki slovar slovenskega jezika'' (Slovenian [[Etymological dictionary|Etymological Dictionary]]). Vol. 2: K-O / edited by Bogomil Gerlanc. - 1982. p. 68. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, 1976–2005.</ref> In Slovene, ''Korotan'' remained a synonym for both Carinthia and Carantania well into the 19th and early 20th century.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sta.si/2803491/kaj-pomeni-korotan | title=STA: Kaj pomeni Korotan? }}</ref> Nowadays, ''Karantanija'' is used for the early medieval Slavic principality, while ''Koroška'' for the duchy and region that emerged from it from the 10th century onward.

The name, like most toponyms beginning with *''Kar(n)-'' in this area of Europe, are in turn most likely linked to the pre-Roman tribe of the [[Carni]] that once populated the eastern Alps.{{Citation needed|date=March 2018}}

==Territory==
Carantania's capital was most likely [[Maria Saal|Karnburg]] ({{langx|sl|Krnski grad}}) in the [[Zollfeld|Zollfeld Field]] ({{langx|sl|Gosposvetsko polje}}), north of modern-day town of [[Klagenfurt]] ({{langx|sl|Celovec}}). The principality was centered in the area of modern [[Carinthia (state)|Carinthia]], and included territories of modern [[Styria]], most of today's [[East Tyrol]] and of the [[Puster Valley]], the [[Tamsweg (district)|Lungau]] and [[St. Johann im Pongau (district)|Ennspongau]] regions of [[Salzburg (state)|Salzburg]], and parts of southern [[Upper Austria]] and [[Lower Austria]]. It most probably also included the territory of the modern Slovenian province of [[Slovenian Carinthia|Carinthia]]. The few existing historical sources distinguish between two separate Slavic  principalities in the Eastern Alpine area: Carantania and [[Carniola]]. The latter, which appears in historical records dating from the late 8th century, was situated in the central part of modern Slovenia. It was (at least by name) the predecessor of the later [[Duchy of Carniola]].

The borders of the later Carantania state, which was under the feudal overlordship of the [[Carolingian dynasty|Carolingian]]s, and its successor (the [[March of Carinthia]], 826–976), as well as of the later [[Carinthia (duchy)|Duchy of Carinthia]] (from 976), extended beyond historical Carantania.

==History==
{{See also|Slavic settlement of the Eastern Alps}}
[[File:Frankish Empire 481 to 814-en.svg|thumb|left|Carantania within [[Francia|Frankish Empire]] (AD 788–843)]]

In the 4th century [[Chur]] became the seat of the first Christian bishopric north to the [[Alps]]. Despite a legend assigning its foundation to an alleged Briton king, St. Lucius, the first known bishop is one Asinio<ref>[http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/i/I8569-1-7.php Religious life in the Alps, Switzerland Historical Dictionary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090824062514/http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/i/I8569-1-7.php |date=2009-08-24 }} {{in lang|it}}</ref> in AD 451.

In the aftermath of the [[Gothic War (535–554)|Gothic War]] (535-554), the Byzantine Empire found itself unable to prevent the Germanic tribe of the [[Lombards]] from invading Italy and founding [[Kingdom of the Lombards|a kingdom there]]. The territory left behind by the Lombards in Pannonia was subsequently settled by Slavs (with the help of their [[Avars (Carpathians)|Avar]] overlords) in the last decades of the 6th century. In 588 they reached the area of the Upper [[Sava|Sava River]] and in 591 they arrived in the Upper [[Drava]] region, where they soon fought the Bavarians under Duke [[Tassilo I of Bavaria|Tassilo I]]. In 592 the Bavarians won, but three years later in 595 the Slavic-Avar army gained victory and thus consolidated the boundary between the [[Franks|Frankish]] and the [[Avars (Carpathians)|Avar]] territories.<ref name="Štih">[[Peter Štih]], ''Ozemlje Slovenije v zgodnjem srednjem veku: osnovne poteze zgodovinskega razvoja od začetka 6. stoletja do konca 9. stoletja'' [The territory of Slovenia during early Middle Ages: a basic outline of historical development from early 6th century to late 9th century], Ljubljana, 2001.</ref> By that time, today's East Tyrol and Carinthia came to be referred to in historical sources as ''Provincia Sclaborum'' (the Country of Slavs).<ref name="Luthar">Oto Luthar, ed., "The Land Between: A History of Slovenia". Frankfurt am Main [etc.]: [[Peter Lang (publishing company)|Peter Lang]], cop. 2008. {{ISBN|978-3-631-57011-1}}.</ref><ref>[[Paul the Deacon|Paulus Diaconus]], "Historia Langobardorum".</ref>

In the 6th century Chur was also conquered by the [[Franks]].<ref>[http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/i/I8249.php Franks, page at Switzerland Historical Dictionary]</ref>

Between the 9th and 10th centuries, the [[Alpine Slavs]], who are reckoned to be among the ancestors of present-day Slovenes, settled the eastern areas of the [[Friuli]] region. They settled in the easternmost mountainous areas of Friuli, known as the [[Friulian Slavia]], as well as the [[Karst Plateau]] and the area north and south from Gorizia. 

Slavic settlement in the [[Eastern Alps]] region is assumed to be connected to the collapse of local dioceses in the late 6th century, a change in population and [[Archaeological culture|material culture]], and most importantly, in the establishment of a Slavic [[Language family|language group]] in the area. The territory settled by Slavs, however, was also inhabited by the remains of the indigenous Romanized population, which preserved Christianity.

Slavs in both the Eastern Alps and the Pannonian region are assumed to be originally subject to Avar rulers (''kagans''). After Avar rule weakened around 610, a relatively independent March of the Slavs (''marca Vinedorum''), governed by a [[duke]], emerged in southern Carinthia in the early 7th century. Historical sources mention [[Valuk (duke)|Valuk]] as the duke of Slavs (''Wallux dux Winedorum'').

The year 626 brought an end to Avar dominance over Slavs, as the Avars were defeated at [[Constantinople]].<ref name="Štih2">[[Peter Štih]]. "Slovenska zgodovina: Od prazgodovinskih kultur do konca srednjega veka". [Slovenian history: From prehistoric cultures to late Middle Ages] {{cite web |url=http://www.sistory.si/publikacije/pdf/zgodovina/Stih-Slovenska_zgodovina_od_prazgodovinskih_kultur_do_konca_srednjega_veka.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2008-06-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090319025304/http://www.sistory.si/publikacije/pdf/zgodovina/Stih-Slovenska_zgodovina_od_prazgodovinskih_kultur_do_konca_srednjega_veka.pdf |archive-date=2009-03-19 }}</ref> In 658 Samo died and his Tribal Union disintegrated. A smaller part of the original March of the Slavs, centred north of modern Klagenfurt, preserved independence and came to be known as ''Carantania''. The name ''Carantania'' itself begins to appear in historical sources soon after 660. The first clear indication of a specific [[Ethnic group|ethnic identity]] and [[political organisation]] may be recognised in the geographical term ''Carantanum'' which [[Paul the Deacon]] used in reference to the year 664, and in connection to which he also mentioned a specific Slavic people (''gens Sclavorum'') living there.<ref name="Luthar"/>

When about 740 Prince [[Boruth]] asked the Bavarian duke [[Odilo, Duke of Bavaria|Odilo]] for help against the pressing danger posed by [[Avars (Carpathians)|Avar]] tribes from the east, Carantania lost its independence. Boruth's successors had to accept the overlordship of [[Duchy of Bavaria|Bavaria]] and the semifeudal [[Francia|Frankish kingdom]], ruled by [[Charlemagne]] from 771 to 814. Charlemagne also put an end to the invasions undertaken by the Avars, who had regained eastern parts of Carantania between 745 and 795.

In 828, Carantania finally became a [[March (territorial entity)|margraviate]] of the [[Carolingian Empire]]. The local princes were deposed for following the [[Rebellion of Ljudevit|anti-Frankish rebellion]] of [[Ljudevit Posavski]], the prince of [[Slavs of Lower Pannonia]], and replaced by a [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] (primarily Bavarian) ascendancy. By the 843 [[Treaty of Verdun]], it passed into the hands of [[Louis the German]] (804–876) who, according to the ''[[Annales Fuldenses]]'' (863), gave the title of a "prefect of the Carantanians" (''praelatus Carantanis'') to his eldest son [[Carloman of Bavaria|Carloman]].<ref>Goldberg, Eric Joseph (2006). ''Struggle for Empire: Kingship and Conflict Under Louis the German, 817–876.'' Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press.</ref> In 887 [[Arnulf of Carinthia]] (850–899), a grandson of Louis the German, assumed his title of King of the [[East Francia|East Franks]] and became the first Duke of Carinthia.

The city of Chur suffered several invasions by the [[Magyars]] in 925-926, when the cathedral was destroyed.
In the area of Carantania 954–979 exist Slavic parish ''"pagus Crouuati"''([[Croats]]) which is mentioned in royal charters, ruled by count Hartwig in the name of the German king.<ref>[[Mate Božić]]; (2019) ''"Hrvat" i "Hrvati" – od toponima do etnonima'' ("Croat" and "Croats" - from toponyms to ethnonyms) p. 143-143; Pleter: Časopis udruge studenata povijesti, Vol. 3. No. 3 [https://hrcak.srce.hr/217870]</ref>

==The Ducal Inauguration==
[[File:Maria Saal Dom Suedansicht.jpg|upright|left|thumb|Church of [[Maria Saal]] (Gospa Sveta)]]
The principality of Carantania is particularly notable for the ancient ritual of installing Carantanian dukes (or princes, both an approximate translation of [[Knez (title)|Knez]]/[[Knyaz]]/[[Fürst]]), a practice that continued after Carantania was incorporated into the later [[Duchy of Carinthia]]. It was last performed in 1414, when the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]] [[Ernest, Duke of Austria|Ernest the Iron]] was enthroned as Duke of Carinthia. The ritual took place on the [[Prince's Stone]] (Slovene ''Knežji kamen'', German ''Fürstenstein''), an ancient [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] column capital near ''Krnski grad'' (now [[Maria Saal|Karnburg]]) and was performed in [[Slovene language|Slovene]] by a free peasant who, selected by his peers, in the name of the people of the land questioned the new Prince about his integrity and reminded him of his duties. Later, when the Duchy of Carinthia had fallen to the Habsburgs, the idea that it was actually the people from whom the Duke of Carinthia received his legitimation was the basis of the  Habsburgs' claim to the unique title of Archduke.

The coronation of Carinthian Dukes consisted of three parts: first, a ritual in Slovene was performed at the Prince's Stone; then a [[mass (liturgy)|mass]] was held at the cathedral of [[Maria Saal]] ({{lang|sl|Gospa Sveta}}); and subsequently, a ceremony took place at the ''[[Duke's Chair]]'' ({{lang|sl|Vojvodski stol}}, German: {{lang|de|Herzogsstuhl}}), where the new Duke swore an oath in [[German language|German]] and where he also received the homage of the [[Estates of the realm|estates]]. The Duke's Chair is located at ''Zollfeld'' valley, north of Klagenfurt in modern [[Carinthia (state)|Carinthia]], Austria.

The ceremony was first described by the chronicler [[John of Viktring]] on the occasion of the coronation of [[Meinhard, Duke of Carinthia|Meinhard II of Tyrol]] in 1286. It is also mentioned in [[Jean Bodin]]'s book ''Six livres de la République'' in 1576.

==Mentions in late medieval literature==
[[Chronicle of Fredegar]] mentions Carantania as ''Sclauvinia'', [[Dante Alighieri]] (1265–1321) mentions Carantania 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)|Brenta River]] rises from the mountains of Carantania, a land in the [[Alps]] dividing Italy from Germany.

==Ethnic and social structure==
{{main|Carantanians}}
The population of ancient Carantania had a polyethnic structure. The core stratum was represented by two groups of Slavs who had [[Slavic settlement of the Eastern Alps|settled in the Eastern Alps region]] in 6th century and are the ancestors of the present-day [[Slovenes]] and partially also [[Austrians]]. Other ethnic strong element included the descendants of the Romanised [[Indigenous peoples|aboriginal peoples]] ([[Noricum|Norican]]s),  which is attestable on the basis of a recent DNA  analysis and a number of place names.  It is also possible that traces of [[Dulebes]], [[Avars (Carpathians)|Avars]], [[Bulgars]], [[Theories on the origin of Croats|Croats]] and the [[Germanic peoples]] were present among [[Carantanians]].<ref name="Štih"/><ref name="Štih2"/>

==Language==
[[File:Kaernten herzogeinsetzung.jpg|thumb|The installation of the Dukes of Carinthia according to a Medieval chronicle]]

In its early stages, the language of [[Carantanians|Carantanian Slavs]] was essentially [[Proto-Slavic language|Proto-Slavic]]. In Slovenian linguistic literature and reference books it is sometimes provisionally termed ''Alpine Slavic'' (''alpska slovanščina''). Its Proto-Slavic character can be deduced from language contacts of Alpine Slavs with the remainders of the Romanised aboriginal population, later also with [[Bavarians]]. The adopted Pre-Slavic placenames and river names and their subsequent phonetic development in Alpine Slavic, as well as Bavarian records of Alpine Slavic names, shed light on the characteristics of the Alpine Slavic language.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/bitstream/handle/1808/10467/Snoj-Greenberg.pdf |title=O jeziku slovanskih prebivalcev med Donavo in Jadranom v srednjem veku (pogled jezikoslovcev) |first1=Marko |last1=Snoj |first2=Marc |last2=Greenberg |journal=Zgodovinski časopis [Historical Review] |language=sl|trans-title=On the Language of the Medieval Slavic Population in the Area between the Danube and the Adriatic (from a Linguistic Perspective) |volume=66 |issue=3–4 |year=2012}}</ref>

From the 9th century onwards, Alpine Slavic underwent a series of gradual changes and innovations which were characteristic of [[South Slavic languages]]. By roughly the 13th century, these developments gave rise to the [[Slovene language]].<ref>[[Tine Logar]], "Pregled zgodovine slovenskega jezika" (An Outline of the History of Slovene Language). In: ''Slovenski jezik, literatura in kultura''. Ed.: Matjaž Kmecl et al. Ljubljana: Seminar slovenskega jezika, literature in kulture pri Oddelku za slovanske jezike in književnosti Filozofske fakultete Univerze, 1974, p. [103]-113.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Prince's Stone]]
* [[Duke's Chair]]
* [[Modestus (Apostle of Carantania)]]
* [[Black panther (symbol)]]
* [[Timeline of Slovenian history]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further sources==
* Rajko Bratož, ur., ''Slovenija in sosednje dežele med antiko in karolinško dobo : začetki slovenske etnogeneze = Slowenien und die Nachbarländer zwischen Antike und karolingischer Epoche : Anfänge der slowenischen Ethnogenese'', 2 zv. Ljubljana, 2000.
* Paul Gleirscher, ''Karantanien - das slawische Kärnten''. Klagenfurt, 2000. {{ISBN|3-85378-511-5}}.
* Bogo Grafenauer, ''Ustoličevanje koroških vojvod in država karantanskih Slovencev : Die Kärntner Herzogseinsetzung und der Staat der Karantanerslawen.'' Ljubljana, 1952.
* Hans-Dietrich Kahl, ''Der Staat der Karantanen: Fakten, Thesen und Fragen zu einer frühen slawischen Machtbildung im Ostalpenraum'', Ljubljana, 2002.
* Peter Štih, »Karantanci - zgodnjesrednjeveško ljudstvo med Vzhodom in Zahodom«, ''Zgodovinski časopis'' 61 (2007), s. 47-58.

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.aeiou.at/aeiou.encyclop.h/h541237.htm;internal&action=_setlanguage.action?LANGUAGE=en The Ducal Coronation]

{{Early Germanic Kingdoms}}
{{Slovenia topics}}

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[[Category:Carantania| ]]
[[Category:Medieval history of Slovenia]]
[[Category:Medieval history of Austria]]
[[Category:Former countries in Europe]]
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[[Category:828 disestablishments]]
[[Category:States and territories established in the 650s]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in the 820s]]
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