#tungri

[germanicseidr]

Viradectis

Viradectis is another Germanic Goddess who has been almost forgotten through time. We know of her existence because of three stones that have been found in the Netherlands, Belgium and Scotland. All these stones mention the Germanic Tungri tribe so it is safe to assume that she was worshiped by the Tungri people who lived in modern day Belgium.

The Tungri is a Germanic tribe that managed to cross the Rhine and settle in the south. They occupied  former territory of the Eburones, a Celtic tribe which has been wiped out by Julius Caesar during his Gallic conquest. The Tungri survived Caesar's wrath as only one of the very few. Interestingly, the Tungri were the first to call themselves Germanic before other tribes started to do so, as observed by Tacitus.

Back to the Goddess. The meaning of her name is not known for sure. She could either carry a Celtic name or a Germanic name. If her name is indeed Germanic it could mean: Weraz-Tithiz, Proto-Germanic for truthfulness. This is however just a theory but if her name was Celtic, it would also mean truthfulness from Proto-Celtic Wiro-Axti. She might have been a Goddess of the oath or truth.

Yesterday I visited one of the altar stones, the one found in the Netherlands from Fectio, modern day city of Vechten. This is the inscription of the stone: Deae/[Vir]adecd(is)/[civ]es Tungri/[et] nautae/[qu]i Fectione/[c]onsistunt/v(otum) s(olverunt) l(ibentes) m(erito). This is another of the many altar stones that describe a transaction/request from a deity that has been completed. This is the translation: “The shipsmen from the civitas of the Tungri that are living in Fectio have delivered on their promise to the goddess Viradectis, gladly and justly.”

The inscription found in Scotland, was made by a Tungri auxiliary unit serving in the Roman army: “The soldiers from the pagus of the Condroz in the second Tungri cohort lead by Silvius Auspex erected this altar to the goddess Viradectis.”

The stone in Belgium was found inside a church in 1967. The church altar was moved in 1967, revealing a pagan altar stone below in the foundation. This church was most likely built on top of a sacred pagan site dedicated to this Goddess. The church can be found in the Belgian village of Strée-lez-Huy if any of you is interested in visiting an old sacred pagan site.

Thankfully because of archeological research and sometimes just dumb luck, we have regained the knowledge of her existence. A Germanic Goddess being worshiped by a Germanic tribe south of the Rhine is quite rare.

Here are photos of: The Altar stone in the Rijksmuseum of Leiden which I have visited yesterday, A map showing the Tungri territory, A photo of the church in Strée-lez-Huy,

[travelbinge]

By Sandeepachetan

Tungri, Jammu and Kashmir, India

[germanicseidr]

Tungri

The Tungri were a Germanic tribe who lived in modern day Belgium. The modern day Belgian city of Tongeren has been named after this tribe. Some historians however view the Tungri as a Celtic tribe but their true cultural identity can probably never be verified, perhaps they were a mix of both cultures.

Tacitus is one of the first to write about the Tungri after Julius Caesar mentioned them. Tacitus described how the Tungri were the first Germanic people who succesfully crossed the Rhine and drove away the Celts. Tacitus also mentions how the Tungri were the first tribe being classified as Germanic:

"That of Germany, on the other hand, they assert to be a modern addition for that the people who first crossed the Rhine, and expelled the Gauls, and are now called Tungri, were then named Germans which appellation of a particular tribe, not of a whole people, gradually prevailed so that the title of Germans, first assumed by the victors in order to excite terror, was afterwards adopted by the nation in general."

The very first mention of the Tungri comes from Julius Caesar. In 53BC Caesar enters the territory of the Eburones and utterly destroys this tribe in revenge because of the rebellious Ambiorix. The Eburones pretty much disappeared from history, their lands were taken over by the Tungri tribe.

The Tungri are again mentioned in 69AD as they were involved in the Batavi uprising. The Batavi were able to destroy two Roman legions before the Romans started to take the upper hand again. The Romans however were aided by the Tungri tribe in this conflict. Apparently the Tungri were close friends with Rome. It was probably with Caesar's blessing that they took over the lands of the Eburones making them an old ally of the Roman empire. With the Tungri supporting the Romans against the Batavi, this seems to confirm it.

The Tungri also delivered men to serve in the Roman army. Evidence of this has been found at Hadrian's wall at the Carrawburgh fort. In total around 10 descriptions have been found which mentions the first cohort of the Tungri who were stationed at the wall protecting the Romans from the free tribes in modern day Scotland. Interestingly, the Tungri served together with the Batavi in the same period around 130AD. I wonder what they thought of each other after the Batavi revolt.

The Tungri have also been mentioned by Pliny the elder in his work natural history, it is a book I recommend everyone to read because it is a fascinating piece of work. In his work, Pliny mentions a source of water that the Tungri used:

"The Tungri has a spring of great renown, which sparkles as it bursts forth with bubbles innumerable, and has a certain ferruginous taste, only to be perceived after it has been drunk. This water is strongly purgative, is curative of tertian fevers, and disperses urinary calculi, upon the application of fire it assumes a turbid appearance, and finally turns red."

The last notable thing about the Tungri that I want to mention is the solder Tausius. Tausius was from the Tungri tribe and he was the one who stabbed Roman emperor Pertinax to death with his sword in 193AD. It isn't very clear what happened to the Tungri after the 2nd century AD but they were most likely absorbed by the Franks.

Here are photos of: Map that shows the Tungri location, Map showing inscriptions found at Hadrian's wall, Illustration showing Pertinax's assassination by Patrick Nicolle, 1975.

[marcelvangunst]

Bier van de maand februari #xmasinfebruary #beer #bier #pleintje #café #pub #hengelo #tungri #belgianbeer #tpleintje #vrijmibo (bij Bier- en Eetcafé 't Pleintje)