European Kingdoms

Jutes / Eudoses (Germanics)

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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.

By the time of the late Roman empire, the Jutish tribes are thought to have replaced (and absorbed) the earlier semi-Germanic Cimbri people in modern northern Denmark, migrating there from along the German Baltic coastline from the direction of Poland.

Once in Jutland, their territory probably stretched as far south as the River Kongeaen in central Denmark, beyond which was the domain of the Angles. They may also have absorbed elements of the Charudes tribe, which had occupied areas of north-western Denmark in the first century AD.

The Jutes (a modern form of the name) are first mentioned by Tacitus (Germania) about AD 98, where they are referred to as the Eudoses. They are also known as Eote, Ytene, Yte, or Iutae in various writings, with Old English particularly responsible for mutating the original form, either into Anglian English, West Saxon English, or Latin.

Modern scholars have also produced Uitones and Heutones (both possible mistranscriptions of Nuitones) as reasonable alternatives. In the original form, the name probably means 'giants', seemingly a reference to their height and stature.

(Information by Peter Kessler and Edward Dawson, with additional information from the Alan Bliss/JRR Tolkein examination of the fragment known as The Fragment and the Episode, from The Oxford History of England: The English Settlements, J N L Meyers, from Ulwencreutz's The Royal Families in Europe V, Lars Ulwencreutz, from the Textus de Ecclesia Roffensi per Ernulphum Episcopum (The Story of the Church of Rochester up to Bishop Ernulf), known as the Textus Roffensis or Annals of Rochester, from the Historia Brittonum, Nennius, from Geography, Ptolemy, from the Alan Bliss/J R R Tolkien examination of the fragment known as The Fragment and the Episode, and from External Links: An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (Bosworth and Toller, 1898, p 728), and Geography, Strabo (H C Hamilton & W Falconer, London, 1903, Perseus Online Edition), and The Natural History, Pliny the Elder (John Bostock, Ed).)

120 - 114 BC

A large-scale incursion of the sea into Jutland in this period is known as the Cimbrian Flood. It permanently alters the shape of the coastline and drastically affects the way people live in the region.

It is probably this event (which is ascribed by some scholars to 307-306 BC) which affects the semi-Germanic Teutones in the centre of the peninsula and their northern neighbours, the Cimbri, enough to force both their kings to lead large numbers of their people in a southwards migration.

Jutland of the first few centuries AD was streaked with waterways which were plied by narrow, flat-bottomed boats of the type which easily penetrated Britain's waterways in the fifth and ninth centuries

AD 5

The Cimbri still exist as a recognisable people and probably still occupy land within their original territory in the Cimbric peninsula. Pliny reports that they and the Charudes send ambassadors to Rome. It is in the subsequent century that the Jutes begin to arrive in the region, and it is probably they who absorb the remnants of the Cimbri.

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 seven tribes of Jutland and Holstein': the Angles, Aviones, Eudoses, Nuitones, Reudigni, Suardones, and Warini, form a part of the Suevi host.

The tombstone of Tacitus once marked the final resting place of one of Rome's most important authors, who not only chronicled the creation of the empire, but also listed the many barbarian tribes of Europe and the British Isles (External Link: Creative Commons Licence 4.0 Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike International)

The Jutes are conspicuous by their absence in this list unless of course they are the Eudoses. But in addition, several scholars and modern authors have put forward the reasonable theory that 'Nuitones' is in fact a mistranscription of Eotan, and that therefore the Jutes are indeed mentioned (the full reasoning for this and details for the Nuitones are shown in that page).

254

By this time, the Suevi have formed a wide-ranging confederation of tribes which are all known individually but which are counted as being Suevi.

The vast number of tribes included in the confederation include the Aestii, Angles, Aviones, Buri, Cotini, Eudoses, Gutones, Hermunduri (who have virtually ceased to exist as a recognisable independent people), Langobards, Lugii (a name applied to several tribes: the Harii, Helisii, Helveconae, Manimi, and Naharvali), Marcomanni, Marsigni, Naristi, Nuitones, Osi, Quadi, Reudigni, Semnones, Sitones, Suardones, Suiones (Swedes), and the Warini.

This vast map covers just about all possible tribes which were documented in the first centuries BC and AD, mostly by the Romans and Greeks, and with an especial focus on 52 BC (click or tap on map to view at an intermediate size)

270s

The Jutish peoples migrate from the Baltic and northern German coast into Jutland in modern Denmark. The greatest period of their migration is probably after the 270s, when the Goths are divided by the incoming Gepids, an event which triggers population movements that are worsened by the arrival of the Huns in the later part of the fourth century.

c.400?

Legendary ruler of Jötunheimr.

c.400 - 500

The Dene, or Danes, migrate during this period from southern Sweden into Jutland and the Cimbric peninsula. The migration comes at a time in which Danish rule is fragmented and new dynasties of rulers are emerging.

The move places the Jutes under increasing pressure in the competition for living space, forcing them south and westwards where they appear to fall under the overlordship of the Angles.

Shown here is a replica of one of the fifth century 'Golden Horns of Gallehus' which were discovered in Denmark

In this period the Jutes are often also closely associated with the Frisians, possibly because many Jutes appear to leave their homeland in this difficult time to seek employment or settlement elsewhere, most notably with the Frisian royal household (where they are present on both sides in the conflict of about 448).

Other groups of Jutes appear to enter Danish service, placing the same people on both sides of any Dano-Frisian conflict, as shown in the Freswæl ('the Frisian Slaughter' which is better known today as the Fight at Finnesburg).

fl c.448

Possible (last, vassal) ruler of the Jutes as noted in Widsith.

c.448

Hnæf of the Danes is killed at the Freswæl in Frisia, as is Finn's eldest son. Finn is subsequently killed by Hengist, great-grandson of Wehta and Hnæf's Anglian comrade in arms.

Hnæf himself appears to have mixed heritage, with one of his parents possibly being a Jute, perhaps not too uncommon an event as the Danes migrate into territory which is already inhabited by Jutes and Angles.

Hengist and Horsa, with their Jutish followers, agree the terms of their settlement in Britain with the apparent leader of British internal affairs, Vortigern

c.448

The fight itself seems to involve Jutes on both sides, under Dano-Anglian and Frisian command, with Gefwulf numbering amongst the former, opposing amongst others what appears to be his son (or grandson, given the likelihood of the existence of one Guthulf in between them, as conformed by Alan Bliss & JRR Tolkien in The Fragment and the Episode).

It seems that both of Gefwulf's descendants have led a number of warriors into exile to serve new masters. An examination of the 'Fragment' suggests that they fight here on different sides. Garulf is the first to be killed, charging the hall which contains his grandfather despite exhortations to hold back.

Probable son. Exiled?

? - c.448

Probable son. Almost certainly exiled. Killed at Finnesburg.

449 - 500

Under the leadership of the Anglian prince, Hengist, great-grandson of Wehta, the Jutes emigrate en masse to south-eastern Britain, where they form the bulk of the Germanic population of the kingdom of Kent.

The Roman city of Canterbury was, by the sixth century, in ruins, with small Anglo-Saxon houses built in between. The remains of the city wall can be seen in the distance

Another colony, called the Meonware, is founded in Hampshire on the south coast of the country. This second group eventually becomes integrated into the West Seaxe kingdom, while Jutland is apparently left deserted.

The Danes now increase their migration into a central Denmark which has also been left largely deserted, while also entering Jutland to form a principality there.