Home > Germanic peoples
The term Germanic peoples may refer to:- the Germanic tribes that in the first millennium were seen as a barbarian threat by the Roman Empire and its successors;
- the Germanic Christianity that in the second millennium came to dominate much of Northern Europe, politically organized in the Holy Roman Empire, Britain and the Scandinavian kingdoms Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
- the present day people of Germanic cultural origin, who inherited the cultures but not necessarily the genes of the Germanic tribes described above:
- Austrians
- Danes
- Dutch or Netherlandic people
- English
- Flemings
- GermansThe Germans ( German: die Deutschen are people of German descent i. ones associating themselves with the heritage of German culture. The concept of who is a German has varied. Until the 19th century, it denoted the speakers of German, and was a much more (including Ethnic Germans in other countries)
- IcelandersThe Republic of Iceland is an island nation in the northern Atlantic Ocean, located between Greenland and Scotland, northwest of the Faroe Islands. Lydveldid Island ( In Detail) (Full size) National motto: none Official languageNone. Icelandic de facto''.
- IrishEthnic groups Irish ethnicity is common in the world, as many people are descended from Ireland or share an Irish heritage. In the independent Republic of Ireland most people are descended from a mix of two groups, the Gaelic Irish who came from Spain aro (shared with Celtic cultures)
- NorwegiansThe term Norwegians may refer to: People with a Norwegian ethnic identity, whether living in Norway, emigrants, or the descendents of emigrants. Anyone whose mother tongue is Norwegian. Nationals or citizens of Norway, which also includes Samic and Ethnic
- ScotsThe Scots tribe originated from Ireland, from the now-called counties Antrim and Down. In 500 under King Fergus, the Scots invaded Argyll and established the realm known as Dal Riata ( Dalriada) in the Pictish lands known as Caledonian by the Romans. (shared with Celtic cultures)
- SwedesThe Swedes are a people of Germanic origin, having their primarily geographical location on the eastern side of the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Identification, or the identity, as Swedes are today resting on a variety of factors, where Swed
- Swiss Germans
...and their associated diasporas across the world, chiefly in the Americas Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Assimilated Germanics
From the Migrations Period and forth, Germanic peoples are often referred to as quick to assimilate into foreign cultures. Established examples include the romanized Norsemen in Normandie, and the societal elite in medieval Russia among whom many were the descendents of slavified Norsemen (a theory, however, contested by some Slavic scholars in the former Soviet Union, who name it the Normanist theory).
Scotland is a country of mixed Germanic and Celtic culture; while the Scottish Highlands and Galloway are more Celtic and akin to Celtic Ireland in its culture and Scottish Gaelic language, the Scottish Lowlands share their culture and language closely with its neighbour to the south and other Germanic peoples, speaking the Scots language. The Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands, though a part of Scotland, are Scandinavian in culture, though they no longer speak their native language Norn.
Ireland is also a country of mixed Germanic and Celtic culture, but for different reasons than from Scotland. As with Scotland, Ireland had much Scandinavian settlement, both in Viking and Anglo-Norman colonies. Through centuries of British dominance, many parts of Ireland gradually developed a character that was more British than native Celtic, particularly in Ulster and Leinster.
France saw a great deal of Germanic settlement, and even its namesake the Franks were a Germanic people. And entire regions of France (such as Alsace, Burgundy and Normandy) were settled heavily by Germanic peoples, contributing to their unique regional cultures and dialects. But most of the languages spoken in France today are Romance languages, while the people have a heavy Gallic substratum that predates Latin and Germanic settlement.
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