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'Karantania' (also 'Carantania', 'Carentania', in old Slovenian onomastics ''Korotan'', or ''Karantanija'') was a Slavic principality that emerged in the 7th century and was centered on the territory of contemporary Carinthia. Having lasted almost 300 years, it is considered one of the first Slavic state forms.

Contents

Territory

History

The Ducal Coronation

Mentionings in late medieval literature

Origin of the name

Ethnic and social structure

References

See also

External links

Territory

Karantania's capital was most likely Karnburg (Slovenian ''Krnski grad'') in the ''Zollfeld'' valley (Slovenian ''Gosposvetsko polje''), north of modern Klagenfurt (Slovenian ''Celovec''). Apart from the territory of modern Carinthia, it included parts of today's East Tyrol, Styria, the Lungau and Ennspongau regions of Salzburg, and parts of southern Upper Austria and Lower Austria. It is not certain whether it also included parts of modern Slovenia. The few existing historical sources distinguish two separate principalities: Karantania and Karniola. The latter appears in historical record in late 8th century and was situated in the central part of modern Slovenia. It was (at least by its name) the predecessor to the later Carniola (Slovenian ''Kranjska'').
The borders of the later Karantania, which was under the feudal overlordship of the Carolingians and their successors March of Carinthia (as part of Bavaria, 826-976), as well as of the later Duchy of Carinthia (from 976), extended beyond historical Karantania.

History

In 568, Langobards receded into Northern Italy. Subsequently, in the last decades of the 6th century, Slavs gradually settled in the Eastern Alpine region. After 591 they conquered the area along the upper Drava river and fought with the Bavarian king Tassilo I.
In 623, Slavs joined Samo's Tribal Union (623-626), also known in historical sources as ''Marca Vinedorum''. The Union was ruled by the duke Valuk (''Wallux dux Winedorum''). In 658, Samo died and his Tribal Union disintegrated. The name ''Karantania'' begins to appear after 660.
The claim of whether Karantania was the first Slavic state form is a topic of some controversy. According to some interpretations, that title should be attributed to Bulgarian Empire which was established in 681, although the Bulgarian empire was still Turkic at this time, only becoming 'Slavicized' in the 9th century. Some historians argue that the Bulgars were an Iranian, not a Turkic people, and would also argue that the Bulgarians were Slavicized much earlier than the ninth century.
In 745, Karantania lost its independence and became part of the semifeudal Frankish Empire (which was ruled by king Charlemagne (742-814) from 771 to 814), due to pressing danger of Avar tribes from the east.
In 828, following the rebellion of Ljudevit Posavski, Karantania became a margraviate of the Frankish empire. In 843 it passed into the hands of Louis the German (804-876). In 887 Arnulf of Carinthia (850-899) a grandson of Louis the German, assumed his title of King of the East Franks and became the first Duke of Carinthia.

The Ducal Coronation

The principality of Karantania is particularly notable for the ancient ritual of installing Karantanian princes, a practice that continued in the later Duchy of Carinthia. It was last performed in 1414, when the Habsburg Ernest the Iron was enthroned as Duke of Carinthia.
The ritual took place on the Prince's Stone (Slovenian ''Knežji kamen'', German ''Fürstenstein''), an ancient Celtic column near ''Krnski grad'' (now Karnburg) and was performed in the Slovenian language by a free farmer selected by his peers. The farmer questioned the new Prince about his integrity.
After Karantania had been incorporated into the Duchy of Carinthia, this ancient ritual was continued. The Coronation of Carinthian Dukes consisted of three parts: first, a ritual in Slovenian language was performed at the Prince's Stone; then a mass was held at the cathedral of Maria Saal (''Gospa Sveta''); and subsequently, a ceremony took place at the ''Duke's Chair'' (Slovenian ''Vojvodski stol'', German ''Herzogsstuhl''), where the new Duke had to swear an oath in German and where he also received the homage of the estates. The Duke's Chair is located at ''Zollfeld'' valley (Slovenian ''Gosposvetsko polje''), north of Klagenfurt (Slovenian ''Celovec'') in modern Carinthia, Austria.
The ceremony was first described by the chronicler John of Viktring on the occasion of the coronation of Meinhard II of Tyrol in 1286. It is also mentioned in Jean Bodin's book ''Six livres de la République'' in 1576.

Mentionings in late medieval literature

Latin authors named Karantania as 'Carantanum'.
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) mentions Karantania as 'Chiarentana'. The same name was also used by Florentines, such as the poet Fazio degli Uberti (circa 1309-1367), the famous chronicler Giovanni Villani (c. 1275-1348), and Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375), who wrote that the Brenta River rises from the mountains of Karantania, a land in the Alps dividing Italy from Germany.

Origin of the name

The name ''Karantania'' is of pre-Slavic origin. There are two possible explanations. It may be derived from pre-Indo-European root
★ ''karra'' meaning 'rock' or it may be of Celtic origin and derived from
★ ''karantos'' meaning 'friend'.
Its Slavic name '' was adopted from Latin
★ ''carantanum''. The name ''Carinthia'' (Slovenian ''Koroška'' < Proto-Slavic '') is also etymologically related and derives from pre-Slavic
★ ''carantia''.

Ethnic and social structure

The population of Karantania had a polyethnic structure. The upper classes of the state were Alpine Slavs, and, for a time, probably also Avars. The remaining population consisted of romanized Celts (Noricans) and descendants of Romans who had dwelt in the region earlier.
The people of Karantania are considered to have been among the precursors and ancestors of modern Slovenians.

References

★ France Bezlaj, ''Etimološki slovar slovenskega jezika'' (''Etymological Dictionary of Slovenian Language). Vol. 2: K-O / edited by Bogomil Gerlanc. - 1982. p. 68. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, 1976-2005.

★ Hans-Dietrich Kahl, ''Der Staat der Karantanen: Fakten, Thesen und Fragen zu einer frühen slawischen Machtbildung im Ostalpenraum'', Ljubljana, 2002.

See also

★ Karantanians

★ Carinthian Slovenes

★ Timeline of Slovenian history

External links

★ The Ducal Coronation