Warfare In Germanic Society: The Clan & The Comitatus
Germanic society was broken up into tribes, which were composed of clans. The building block of the clan, in turn, was the patriarchal familial unit. In general, central government was not strong, and the clans largely enjoyed self-government, at the expense of the tribe’s governing authority. While the Germanic tribes lived off agriculture, warfare held a certain prestige in their society. A clan was responsible for the actions of its individuals, and if two individuals from different clans had a dispute, the clansmen from both sides were under obligation to support their kinsman. In this way, a mere disagreement could precipitate into a landslide of murder, where each act of violence was answered to swiftly. This sort of infighting weakened the tribe, as strong warriors invaluable to the tribe’s defence had to contend with hostility from other clans within the tribe. Blood feuds did not necessarily mean the annihilation of entire clans, however, since murder could be compensated by a payment of slaves and cattle, or wergeld. Waging war on clans of other tribes formed the basis for the circulation of wealth and power among the tribes. Victory in war brought a tribe not only the material gains from the spoils of war, but also the prestige and strong reputation that won over more clans, and thus consolidated the tribe’s position.
Different from the family-based clans, there was a warrior group within Germanic society that transcended bonds of blood, called the comitatus. The comitatus was a band of fighters that were bound by personal pledges of loyalty to a distinguished warrior-chief. In return for the loyal service of his men, a chief was to deliver victory and distribute the spoils of war. The comitatus could prove useful in war with other tribes. However, their raids were also potential sources of conflict within the tribe, as the members of the comitatus cut across the different clans in the tribe.
Warfare not only formed a cornerstone of Germanic society, but also kept the tribes in a rough balance of wealth and power, preventing the emergence of a strong, united Germanic people. However, the proximity of the Roman Empire and its consequent influences encouraged a change in the West Germanic tribes that ironically transformed them into a threat to Rome.
Germanic society was broken up into tribes, which were composed of clans. The building block of the clan, in turn, was the patriarchal familial unit. In general, central government was not strong, and the clans largely enjoyed self-government, at the expense of the tribe’s governing authority. While the Germanic tribes lived off agriculture, warfare held a certain prestige in their society. A clan was responsible for the actions of its individuals, and if two individuals from different clans had a dispute, the clansmen from both sides were under obligation to support their kinsman. In this way, a mere disagreement could precipitate into a landslide of murder, where each act of violence was answered to swiftly. This sort of infighting weakened the tribe, as strong warriors invaluable to the tribe’s defence had to contend with hostility from other clans within the tribe. Blood feuds did not necessarily mean the annihilation of entire clans, however, since murder could be compensated by a payment of slaves and cattle, or wergeld. Waging war on clans of other tribes formed the basis for the circulation of wealth and power among the tribes. Victory in war brought a tribe not only the material gains from the spoils of war, but also the prestige and strong reputation that won over more clans, and thus consolidated the tribe’s position.
Different from the family-based clans, there was a warrior group within Germanic society that transcended bonds of blood, called the comitatus. The comitatus was a band of fighters that were bound by personal pledges of loyalty to a distinguished warrior-chief. In return for the loyal service of his men, a chief was to deliver victory and distribute the spoils of war. The comitatus could prove useful in war with other tribes. However, their raids were also potential sources of conflict within the tribe, as the members of the comitatus cut across the different clans in the tribe.
Warfare not only formed a cornerstone of Germanic society, but also kept the tribes in a rough balance of wealth and power, preventing the emergence of a strong, united Germanic people. However, the proximity of the Roman Empire and its consequent influences encouraged a change in the West Germanic tribes that ironically transformed them into a threat to Rome.
| Updated >> 21 September 2004 |