West of Hamburg, West (?) of Bremen

The commonly accepted boundary of the Germania Suavica – the acknowledged area of Suavic settlement in Germany runs mostly along the Elbe. West of the Elbe, exceptions are made for Wendland around Luneburg but, generally, the understanding is that at that point you get into ethnically German territories in Westphalia, Brunswick and Ostfriesland. But if you look closely you can just make out some interesting place names that are west of Hamburg (that is west of the Elbe) up until Bremen (which sits on the Weser) and perhaps even a bit further. (Curiously, the very name Bremen suggests the Suavic word brama meaning “gate” – perhaps to the lands on the Weser).

For example (red in the picture below):

• Bülkau – mentioned first in 1404 as Bulcow and Buklow, later in 1680 as Pilkauw and then in 1702 as Biklau but it was also written as Bolkauw.
• Oppeln – first mentioned in 1309 is right next to Bülkau (and WIngst).  The German settlers, of course, called the Polish Opole, Oppeln. Was this because those settlers remembered a tiny village west of Hamburg? Or is this western Oppeln also a Germanization of an earlier name?
• Am Dobrock – first mentioned in first mentioned in 1626, it sits just northeast of Bülkauand Oppeln , near the confluence of the rivers Oste and Elbe.
• Belum – just north of Bülkau. This sounds like the Suavic bel meaning “white”.
• Groden – just west of Belum. This is obviously similar to the Suavic grod meaning “burg” or “castle”.
• Brest – southeast of these towns. Obviously similar to the Polish/Belorussian Brzesc and the Venetic Brest of Bretagne.
• Zeven – first mentioned in 986 as “kivinan à Heeslingen” in the records of the nearby monastery of Heeslingen. Kivinan is not an apparently Suavic name but later the name comes up as Sciuena (1141), Cyuena (1158), Zcivena, Scevena, Skhevena and Tzevena.
• Sievern – first mentioned in 1139. This seems connected to the “North” in Suavic just like the tribe of the Severians or Severyans or Siverians or Siewierzanie (*severjane) who are mentioned by Nestor but earlier perhaps also by the “Bavarian Geographer” as the source of all the Suavs (Zeriuani, quod tantum est regnum, ut ex eo cunctae gentes Sclauorum exortae sint et originem, sicut affirmant, ducant; although perhaps also as Zuireani habent ciuitates CCCXXV). But perhaps it comes from “seaver”.

I am not suggesting all these are Suavic (almost all have another etymology) but there is enough of them that an examination seems useful. Moreover, there are other names nearby that may hint at Suavs (or Balts) as well (blue in the picture below):

• Soltau – south east of Zeven. First mentioned in 936 as Curtis Salta. However, later the names shows up as Soltouwe. 
• Bomlitz – next to Soltau. This is often cited as an example of a non-Suavic place name with an -itz suffix. The name was recorded for the first time in the form Bamlinestade from the river Bamlina (meaning, supposedly, a small Baumfluss). Later the town was known as Bommelse. Now (first attested in this form in 1681) both the town and the river are known as Bomlitz. Curiously, Bomlitz River (and the town) are close to the river Böhme (as in Bohemian).
• Butjadingen – on the other side of which is also the name of that entire peninsula (Butjadingerland) up to the Jade Bight. Perhaps something to do with the Budinoi.
• Dangast – the suffix -gast is frequent in German names but also in Suavic names (Ardagastus). When it comes to place names however most seem to be Suavic or related to Suavs. The locality Dangast sounds similar to another place name – Wolgast which is obviously a Germanization of the Suavic version. Then there is Wogastisburg of Samo’s fame – presumably also a Suavic name.
• Ihlow – compare with Ihlow in Brandenburg (between Berlin and Kostrzyn); compare too with Iława (Deutsch Eylau) which was originally called Ylawia, Ilow, Ylaw and Ylow.
• Balje  – from low German balge but note that the East Prussian Balga supposedly came from the Old Prusian word balgnan. Thus, it seems impossible to assign the language of those who named these places between German and, in this case, Baltic Prussian.

The above mentioned towns in relation to the historical Wendland

Wilhelm Boguslawski named some other names: Steinau, Krempel, Midlum, Spieka, Lehe, Spaden, Grambke as potentially Suavic – I actually think most of these have nothing to do with Suavs. Other names nearby (from the Rastede monastery grant of 1124) that may merit an investigation: Börsten (Bursati), Swidero/Svidero, Brunin, Henchinhusin (because of Henchin-), Nertin, Tvislon, Swirlichin, Smerlachen, Magelissin, Enschinin, Withlike, Benchinhusen (because of Benchin-), Widinchusen/Windenchusen, Wellin, Wisteren/Winstrin, Wadinbech (because of Wadin), Mühlenwisch (because of the -isch), Scrotinh, Nordleda. 

The Greater Poland Chronicle provides the following description:

“The Rhine and the Danube are the the greater rivers of the Teutonic nation, whereas the Vandalus (Vistula), the Oder and the Elbe are the great rivers of the countries of Poland and Bohemia. Around these last three rivers, they [Suavs] held also the lands in-between and those  countries that bordered them and they hold them still, as is known, from there up to the North Sea. Whereas the Saxons, having left their very small lands and villages and moving to the wide lands of the Suavs, settled permanently in those places.”

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