Could someone enlight me about Slavs?

[Trifna]

Well the title says it all. Slavs seems to have some importance, as a civilisation. They are stil there, and are alive since quite some time. I woundered if anyone could make me profit of his knowledge? I was also woundering if they were distinct enough and all to consider as a Civ III civ. But maybe not since no one put out the subject really, even if Slavs are well known.

Anyone can teach me?

[krzysiek]

Slavs were east european tribes. From those tribes in 8 to 10-th century Czech, Slovakia, Poland, Rus, Bulgaria, Romania, etc. originated.

Follow the link:

http://victorian.fortunecity.com/wooton/34/halecki/2.htm

[KaiserIsak]

I dont think romenians are slavic (the name says it all)

[pithorr]

Don't forget Serbs, Croatians, Slovenians...

[shum00]

Originally posted by pithorr
Don't forget Serbs, Croatians, Slovenians...

Can't forget Ukrainians either!

[Dinner]

Originally posted by shum00


Can't forget Ukrainians either!

or Bulgars, White Russians, and Macedonians....

Socially, Romanians aren't Slavs (though they must contain a great deal of slavic blood) and neither are Vlaks. Both of those groups have at least a tenuos connection to Latinic groups

[Roman]

A little about the Slavs:


Slovakia is s "Slavic" country, so I will summarize what I have learned in our history classes about the early history of the Slavs.

The location of the proto-homeland of Slavs is not entirely certain, but most historians think it covered roughly the area of the Piptine Marshes between the river Visla and Dneper in modern day Ukraine (and possibly stretching into Poland and Belorussia too).

At the dusk of the Western Roman Empire during the movement of peoples, the Slavs, probably under pressure from some invading groups (this is uncertain, though), moved out in three main thrusts from their 'original' homeland. Thus came the separation of the Slavs into the three main groups: 1) The Western Slavs, 2) The Southern Slavs and 3) The Eastern Slavs.

Now to cut the long story short, each of these "streams" consisted of numerous tribes that gradually coalesced into the Slavic nations we see today.

The situation nowadays:

Western Slavs: Czechs, Polish, Slovaks and (Luzite) Sorbs [the latter make up an ethnic group currently in Germany with only approx. 50,000 members);

Southern Slavs: Bosniaks/Herzegovinians, Bulgarians*, Croatians, Macedonians, Montenegrins (torn identity - many consider themselves Serbs), Serbs and Slovenes;

Eastern Slavs: Belorussians, Russians and Ukrainians (and possibly some groups that are more difficult to define, such as the Cossacs);

* These were originally a turkic tribe, but have been assimilated into the Slavic culture.


Note: It is important to remember that the "Slavic identity" has lost much of it's relevance and there is little enthusiasm for it in most Slavic countries, though it does exist. Many Slavic nations hate each other utterly (I am generalizing now). For example many Poles despise the Russians and we all know the affinity that the Serbs, the Croats and the Bosniaks (popularly reffered to as Bosnian Muslims [they are basically Slavs that accepted Islam under the Ottoman rule]) display for each other.


Another very important info I did not mention about the Slavs, that there is actually a great religious split between two groupings of Slavic nations.

Westen Slavic nations are predominantly Roman Catholic with large Lutheran minorities.
Southern Slavs are a mix. Croats and Slovenes are almost exclusively Catholic, Bosniaks are Muslim and the rest are all Orthodox. The Eastern Slavs are essentially all Orthodox.

[Roman]

Nobody interested in my enlightenment?

[krzysiek]

Originally posted by Roman
Nobody interested in my enlightenment?

I read your summary and found it interesting.
Greetings.

PS. Feeling better now?

[Trifna]

I'm reading all but I normally don't respond if I don't have something specific to say

[PMLF]

It's very interesting.

[Roman]

Thanks

[datakodin]

Originally posted by Roman

It is important to remember that the "Slavic identity" has lost much of it's relevance and there is little enthusiasm for it in most Slavic countries...

Correct. And our vodka is much more better than your.

Many Slavic nations hate each other utterly...

Why do you forget about Czechs and Slovaks?

[KrazyHorse]

Plus, the word "slave" originates from the word "Slav".

[Roman]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Plus, the word "slave" originates from the word "Slav".

Lol, does it really?