Karantanians

Caranthanians (Latin Quarantani, Slovene Karantanci) were the only Alpine Slavs in the early middle ages and the first ethnic name of an old Slovene people as a separate part of the Slavs (Latin Sclavi qui dicuntur Quarantani, Slavs called Caranthanians). \nIn the Eastern Alps they established the duchy of Caranthania (independent from 660 to 745, partly independent to 820), the first stable Slavic state(like entity) ever. They are direct ancestors of Slovenes. \nCaranthanians were also the first Slavic people who accepted Christianity from the West. At the beginning of 9th century they settled also Pannonia inferior or Lower Pannonia, so the name Caranthanians spread there too (Latin Carantanorum regio, 819). \nName Caranthanians (Quarantani) lasts to 13th century, but in scriptures at the end of 9th c. we also find name Slovens (Sloveni) and for the land Slovenia. Caranthanians were the name later a bit changed to Slovenci (Slovenes or Slovenians). They spoke Old Slovene (a very archaic form of Slovene) we find today only in the very first preserved Slavic scripture written in the Latin script caled Freising Manuscripts, Slovene Bri?inski spomeniki, and lived in Slavic "?upas", parts of early midle ages duchies, and zadrugas, joint families. Mysterious Kosezes (Kasazes, Lat. at first Kosentzez, German Edlinger (noble people), Lombardian Arimanni (members of a special warrior class)) were a subject of much debate. They were probably a private army of the Caranthanian duke.

References

\n* Bogo Grafenauer, Ustoličevanje koro?kih vojvod in dr?ava karantanskih Slovencev / Die Kärntner Herzogseinsetzung und der Staat der Karantanerslawen, Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti (Academia scientiarum et artium Slovenica, Classis I: Historia et sociologia), Ljubljana 1952\n* Bogo Grafenauer, Zgodovina slovenskega naroda. Zv. 1, Od naselitve do uveljavljenja frankovskega reda (z uvodnim pregledom zgodovine slovenskega ozemlja do naselitve alpskih Slovanov), Dr?avna zalo?ba Slovenije, Ljubljana 1978\n* Bogo Grafenauer (ed. Peter ?tih), Karantanija: izbrane razprave in članki, Slovenska matica, Ljubljana 2000\n* Hans-Dietrich Kahl, Der Staat der Karantanen - Fakten, Thesen und Fragen zu einer frühen slawischen Machtbildung im Ostalpenraum (7.-9. Jh.) / Dr?ava Karantancev - dejstva, teze in vpra?anja o zgodnji slovanski dr?avni tvorbi v vzhodnoalpskem prostoru (7.-9. stol.), Narodni muzej Slovenije (Situla: Dissertationes Musei nationalis Sloveniae) and Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti, Ljubljana 2002\n* Paola Koro?ec, Alpski Slovani / Die Alpenslawen, Znanstveni in?titut Filozofske fakultete, Ljubljana 1990\n* Katja ?krubej, "Ritus gentis" Slovanov v vzhodnih Alpah, ZRC 2002 (with English Summary)\n* Peter ?tih, Vasko Simoniti, Slovenska zgodovina do razsvetljenstva, Mohorjeva dru?ba v Celovcu, Ljubljana 1995

See also

• Timeline of Slovene history