Winnili and Venelli

We have previously observed that Adam of Bremen places the Winnuli on the Odra during historic times, which if true would certainly refer to Slavs.  However, Winnili is, as per Paul the Deacon, the “old” name of the Langobards.  How are these to be reconciled?  A few observations are in order.

First, interestingly the name is perhaps related to the Gothic vinja that is “pasture”.  Whether that also tells us something about the Veneti is unknown.

Second, it is not at all impossible that the Scandinavian invaders renamed (like the Rus renaming the Polyane, with their own name Rus).

Third, the name is remarkably similar to that of the Venelli/Unelli.

“[The Veneti] fortify their towns, convey corn into them from the country parts, bring together as many ships as possible to Venetia, where it appeared Caesar would at first carry on the war. They unite to themselves as allies for that war, the Osismii, the Lexovii, the Nannetes, the Ambiliati, the Morini, the Diablintes, and the Menapii; and send for auxiliaries from Britain, which is situated over against those regions.” (Julius Caesar, On the Gallic War, Book 3, 9).

“[Caesar] sends Q. Titurius Sabinus his lieutenant, with three legions, among the Unelli, the Curiosolitae, and the Lexovii, to take care that their forces should be kept separate from the rest. He appoints D. Brutus, a young man, over the fleet and those Gallic vessels which he had ordered to be furnished by the Pictones and the Santoni, and the other provinces which remained at peace; and commands him to proceed toward the Veneti, as soon as he could. He himself hastens thither with the land forces.” (Julius Caesar, On the Gallic War, Book 3, 11).

It is the Venelli/Unelli that are led by their chieftain Viridovic (rather not Viridovix).

A number of tribal names should be interesting on the map here:

• Venelli
• Veneti (of course)
• Ossismii (the “last” ones, e.g., ostatni)
• Lexovii (“x” like “h”?)
• Lingones
• Bellovaci (white cow tribe or pretty cow tribe :-))
• Morini (people who live by the sea – see Slavic more = sea; note also the -in suffix)
• Eburones (Lugi Buri connection?)
• Senones (similar to Suevi Semnones?)
• Nervii (aside from the connection to the river Narew, there is the obvious connection to the town of Narva which is, apparently, of Veps origin – meaning “waterfall”; on the genetic similarity between the Veps people and the Poles of all people, see here)
• Lemovices – note that the Lemovi are present – on the Baltic (!) right next to the Rugii in Germania.
• Vellavi
• Ruteni (!)
• Namnetes/Nemetes

(We are not touching the Diablintes).  We are by no means suggesting that these tribes were somehow Slavic (e.g., Namnetes/ Nemetes!) – nevertheless, the similarity of some names is at least interesting.  There is also an interesting North-bias to these names.

Note that similarly interesting names also appear among the Celts in Italy (including Boii like the Boii of Bohemia and the Senones and, of course, the Taurini with the town of Torino named after them).

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