The Teutonic nations which became subject to the Frankish kings were treated with less severity. The Burgundians, the Longobards, and the Bavarians only changed their dynasty, but the greater part of the Thuringian and of the Alemanni lost a considerable portion of their lands, which were given to Frankish nobles, of whom they became vassals.
Besides those nations which founded permanent kingdoms within the Roman empire, many tribes maintained their independence there only for a short period, or came and went rapidly without leaving further traces, or were subjugated by others, and adopted the names of their vanquishers. Many among them were of Slavonian or other origin.
The Alani came from the Caucasus, traversed Europe, and lived independent in southern Spain under their king Respendial, from 409 to 417, when they were subjugated by the Visi-Goths and carried into the south of GauL Another part of them settled between Orleans and Nantes under their chief Goar (406), but in 452 they were defeated and dispersed by the Visi-Goths. The Alani were not of Teutonic origin; the names of their kings (Respendial, Utaces, Goar) have no resemblance to Saxon, Frankish, or Gothic names. They are probably identical with the Ossetes, an old Persian tribe in the central part of the Caucasus. The country of Albania, north of the Caucasus, was knowu to the Greeks and Romans. The Byzantines called the tract between the Terek and Shirwan, Alania. De Bello Goth.,' 1. iv.; Stritter, 'Memorise Populor,'—Ahtnia, in tom. iv.; Sulam, Gescichte der Drinen,' iibersetzt von Critter, i. 1; Zeuss, Urge schichte der Deutschen,'—Alanen.) The Quadi, who lived in Silesia and Moravia in 375, were a Suevi,ua people. The Gepidw perhaps were of Gothic origin; their kingdom in Transylvania was destroyed by Alboin, who killed Krutimund, the last king of the Gepidre.
Odoacer, the commander of a band of Scgrri or Seim*, Rugii, and Heruli, put an end to the Roman empire in Italy, and was acknow ledged as emperor, but he was put to death by order of Theodoric the Great in 493. • The Rugii were Germani ; the origin of the Segrri and of the Heruli is uncertain. It has been pretended that the IIeruli were a Lithuanian tribe.
Tribes within the limits of Germany which lost their independence under the Franks.—Tho Bojoarii, Bojetiari, Bajurarii, or Bavarians, whose name became known towards the year 4S0, were a confederation of Suevian tribes : they lived between the Danube, the Lech, and the Ens. In 540 they were forced to yield to the Frankish kings, and were governed by dukes of the dynasty of the Agilolfingians. Their laws, which were collected between 613 and 633, resemble the laws of the Alemanni, though they contain many traces of the Roman law. (Mederer, Leges Bajuvariorum, oder liltestes Gesetzbuch der Baju varier,' Ike., 1793-8.) The Thuringians occupied the country north of the Bavarians as far as the Unstrut, and even beyond that river. They were related to the Goths, and their name seems to resemble that of the Thervingi, the Hermunduri, and Hermiones. Their last king, Hermanfrid, was deprived of his crown by the Franks in 531. Charlemagne is said to have made the first collection of their laws, but there is no evidence in support of this statement. Their code is known under the title of Lex Angliorum et Werinorum, hoc est Thuringorum.' These Angles and Warini or Wcrini were settled in
the northern part of Thuringia, but it does not appear why their names are mentioned before that of the Thuringians, who were the more numerous nation. This collection is brief and Incomplete. (Leibnitz, 'Script. lter. I.) The Saxons dwelt north of the Thuringians. On the east their frontiers were the Elbe, the Stecknitz, and the Baltic : on the north, Denmark, the German Ocean, rend Friesland; on the west, they cor responded to the western frontiers of the present province of West phalia. When they had sent numerous settlers to Britain, their power became less formidable to their neighbours—the \Vends in the cast, and the Franks in the west. The Franks were formerly united with them against the Romans, but when they had conquered Gaul, the Saxona were obliged to desist from their incersions into this country, and hence arose jealousy and hostility. The south-western parts were conquered by the Franke as early as 655 ; the rich landowners were compelled to give a considerable part of their lands to Frankish nobles, and the common freemen to bend under-the yoke of servitude. The remaining and greater part of the population was free, though from time to time the Saxons paid tribute, until, after the memorable war with Duke Wittekind (772-803), Charlemagne became master of all Saxony. But the Saxons were not subjugated like the Romans. They promised to adopt Christianity, to acknowledge Charles as their king, and to obey his governors (groves) and bishops. On the other hand, Charles granted them equal " Wehre " (value of their body and liberty in case of wounds, murder, ke.), and the same privileges which the Franks had, especially freedom from tribute, and the privilege of being tried in their own country, according to their own laws, and by their equals. (Leibnitz, 'Script. Rcr. Brunsv.,' i.; Compare Moser, ' °snit briickische Geschichte,' i.) Charlemagne was the first Icing of the Saxons who formed a great confederation of free communities ; they, appointed dukes for their wars, and only acknowledged obedience to the "gowding " and to " greves " chosen by the freemen among the " edelinga " of the commix nities. The laws of the Saxons were collected by order of Charle magne. They consist of nineteen titles, and are so short and incom plete as to justify the opinion that only a part of them has been preserved. Two " Capitularia " of Charlemagne concern the political and ecclesiastical condition of those parts of Saxony which were con quered at the time of their publication (783 and 797). This ' Lex Saxonum ' must not be confounded with the 'Sachsen-Spiegel; the Mirror of the Saxons,' a code of Saxon law which was written in Latin, and afterwards translated into the Saxon language by Melo van Retagow, between 1215 and 1218. (Gartner, Saxonum Leges Tres. Aceessit Lex Frisionum; 1730.4.) Frisians. [FaistiaNs.] —The Laws of the Frisians were collected by Charlemagne under the title of ' Lex Frisionum: (Gartner,' Saxonum Leges Tres. Accessit Lex Frisionum.) The Statuta Opstalbomica,' the laws of the Seven Sealands, which are written in the Frisian lan guage, are a different collection. The dialect of this language, which most resembles the Anglo-Saxon language, is that of the northern Frisian islands on the coast of Sleswig.