The Germanic tribes
seem to have originated in a homeland in southern
Scandinavia
(Sweden and
Norway, with the Jutland
area of northern Denmark,
along with a very narrow strip of Baltic coastline). They had been settled
here for over two thousand years following the
Indo-European
migrations. The Germanic ethnic group began as a division of the western
edge of late proto-Indo-European dialects around 3300 BC, splitting away
from a general westwards migration to head towards the southern coastline
of the Baltic Sea. By the time the Germanic tribes were becoming key
players in the politics of Western
Europe in the
last two centuries BC, the previously dominant
Celts were on the verge
of being conquered and dominated by
Rome. They had already
been pushed out of northern and central Europe by a mass of Germanic tribes
which were steadily carving out a new homeland.
The Buri (or sometimes, Burians) formed one of the minor constituent tribes
of the vast Suevi confederation.
The territory they occupied in the first century AD lay in the northern
foothills of the Carpathians, at the source of the Vistula and Oder,
covering Wista in the far south of modern
Poland, and the northern
parts of Bohemia and
Moravia. They were neighboured
to the south by the larger Quadi
tribe, to the west by the
Marcomanni, to the
north by tribes such as the Harii,
Naharvali,
Osi, and
Vandali, to the east by
Finno-Ugric tribes, and
to the south-east by the Celtic
Cotini.
The Suevi were a confederation of Germanic peoples that came into existence
by the first century AD, and perhaps earlier. Their number included the
tribes of the Alemanni,
Angles,
Hermunduri,
Langobards, Marcomanni, Quadi,
Semnones, and
Warini, and perhaps also
the Heruli too. None of
these tribes were what could be considered 'front line' tribes, living
along the border with the
Roman empire. Instead
they were arrayed behind a large number of other tribes which were better
known and better attested by Roman writers. The Suebic tribes remained a
little more obscure, at least until they came into direct contact with the
empire, and many of the more minor tribes that made up the confederation
were almost entirely unchronicled.
The Buri, along with the
Marsigni, resembled
the core Suebi most in terms of their speech and customs, perhaps
hinting at a common tribal origin prior to their settlement in Germania.
The tribe should not be confused with the Dacian tribe called the Burs,
Buredeense, or Buri. Some sources claim the tribe gained their name from
Buri, the first Nordic god, who begat Bor and Wodan (Odin, Oden). Modern
Russians claim this
Buri tribe migrated from Siberia, originating around Lake Baikal and the
Buryan tribe (or Buryats). Russian diplomats toast the God Burjan when
they visit this region, although it seems to be a simple confusion
between similar-sounding names. More realistically, the Buri were probably
one of several hybrid tribes of a mixed Celto-Germanic population. Their
name may be Celtic, perhaps from proto-Celtic 'bou-rigo', which emerged as
Gaulish in 'bo-rix' with the 'x' dropped; which means 'cow' plus 'king' or,
in other words, the cattle kings. The expectation is that in prehistory a
group of German elite warriors took over a Celtic tribe.
(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information by Edward
Dawson, from The Oxford History of England: Roman Britain, Peter
Salway, from Complete Works of Tacitus, Alfred John Church, William
Jackson Brodribb, & Lisa Cerrato (1942), from Roman History by
Cassius Dio, translation by Earnest Cary (1914-1927), from Germania,
Tacitus, from Agricola, from The Harleian Miscellany: A Collection of
Scarce, Curious and Entertaining Tracts Volume 4, William Oldys &
Thomas Park, from Roman Soldier versus Germanic Warrior: 1st Century AD,
Lindsay Powell, from The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age
Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World, David W
Anthony, from Geography, Ptolemy, and from External Link:
Geography, Strabo (H C Hamilton & W Falconer, London, 1903,
Perseus Online Edition).
98
Writing around this time, the
Roman
writer Tacitus mentions the
Suevi, listing
their constituent tribes which cover the larger part of Germania. Noted
for their custom of twisting their hair and binding it up in a knot, the
Buri live close to the
Marsigni,
eastwards of three tribes along the Danube, the
Marcomanni, Naristi,
and Quadi.
c.140s
Ptolemy breaks the
Lugii down into Lugi
Buri, Lugi Diduni, and Lugi Omani, perhaps including the Buri as members of the Lugii
confederation due to their proximity to the
Harii, another Lugii constituent member.
Ptolemy's linking of the Buri to the Lugii is a new idea, as Tacitus had
linked them closely to the Suebi.
The implication appears to be caused by the eastwards movement of the Buri
and the closely-related Quadi
from the Marcomanni settlements
of which they both seem to have been a part to the Carpathians in which they
had settled in the first century, and their subsequent contacts with their
new neighbours, the Lugii.
The Carpathians start in modern Czechia, Slovakia,
and Poland, and extend eastwards into Hungary, Romania and
Ukraine, and provided a fertile area in which tribes could
settle
166 - 169
A new Marcomanni
confederation is formed which also includes elements from many other tribes
including the Buri,
Iazyges, Quadi, Sarmatians,
and Suebi. Together they
cross the Danube and invade Dacia, penetrating as far as
Italy and forcing the
Roman emperor,
Marcus Aurelius, to spend the rest of his life campaigning in the Danube
region to contain the problem. The resistance put up by the Romans surprises
the tribes, and some of the latter seek individual peace treaties with Rome.
As recorded by Cassius Dio, both the Iazyges and the Buri seek peace, and
some concessions are granted to them, but neither are willing to join the
Roman side until they receive pledges that the emperor will 'without
fail prosecute the war to the uttermost; for they were afraid he might
make a treaty with the Quadi, as before, and leave enemies dwelling at
their doors'. Ultimately, the Buri are well-rewarded for absenting
themselves from the war, but have to face the hostility of their former
allies.
c.181 - 182
Following the death of
Roman
Emperor Marcus Aurelius and further
Germanic unrest, the Buri petition
Emperor Commodus for peace. At this point they are destitute, having spent
their resources on war. Fortunately, they now meet the empire's
qualifications for financial aid, in that they are destitute and potentially
dangerous, so they receive the help they need. The
Marcomanni
are enjoined from seeking retaliation. As they are also now destitute and
seeking terms, they comply. The Buri largely disappear from the historical
record following this event.
Disrupted by the
Hunnic
invasion, the
bulk of the Suevi
cross the Rhine at Mainz in 406 in association with the
Vandali
and Alans.
They are accompanied by a small group of Buri, while the rest remain in
their northern Danubian lands. After spending two years on the
west bank of the Rhine, all three tribes settle in
Roman
Spain by 409. The
Suevi Kingdom is formed in the north-western region of Galicia, with the
Buri settling the region between the rivers Cávado and Homem, in the area
now known as Terras de Bouro ('Lands of the Buri').
The Celtic tribes in Silesia and surrounding regions were either
forced out, or were submerged within later-arriving Germanic
tribes
The Buri who remain behind share the ultimate fate of the disrupted northern
Danubian tribes, either merging with other tribes in Silesia or attaching
themselves to larger tribes in their migrations. Elements may also remain
in the region to form part of the later
Bavarii
confederation.
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