[24] Swaepas, or Suevae, who formed part of the Allemanic confederacy, and
afterwards gave their name of Swabes to an extensive nation, in whose
bounds modern Swabia is still situated. - Forst.
[25] The Bavarians, who were the remnant of the Boii or Baeghten, who
escaped from the exterminating sword of the Suevi. - Forst.
[26] This may have been the province in which Regens-bergh or Ratisbon is
still situated. - Forst.
[27] These were undoubtedly the Bohemians, called afterwards Behemas by our
royal geographer. They had their appellation from Boier-heim, or the
dwelling place of the Boii, who were exterminated by the Suevi.
- Forst.
[28] The Thuringians, at one time so powerful, that their king was able to
engage in war against the king of the Franks. Thuringia is still a
well known district in Germany. - Forst.
[29] The Old Saxons inhabited the country still called Old Sassen, or Old
Saxony, Halsatia in Latin, which has degenerated into Holstein.
- Forst.
[30] These Frysae were afterwards confined by Charlemain to the country
between the Weser and Elbe, to which they gave the name of Friesland.
- Forst.
[31] That is to the north-east of Old Saxony, where the Angles,
confederates of the Saxon conquerors of Britain, and who gave their
name to the English nation, and England or Angle-land, formerly
resided. But they likewise appear to have occupied some of the islands
in the Baltic. Sillend is certainly the Danish island of Zeeland. Dene
is Denmark in its most limited sense. - Forst.
[32] These are the Obotrites, a Venedic nation, settled in Mecklenburgh,
who are called, a little farther on, the Afdrede. They were
not, however, to the north-east of Old Saxony, but rather to the
eastwards. Perhaps the copyist inserted north instead of east, or
rather we ought to read thus: "To the north-east is Apdrede, and to
the north the Wolds." - Forst.
[33] The word here translated Wolds on the authority of Daines
Barrington, is in the original, Wylte; but whether it refers to
the wild or barren state of the country, or the name of a
people, it is difficult to say. There were a people named Wilzi in
those parts, but J. R. Forster is disposed to believe, that Alfred
refers here to the Wends or Vandals, who lived on the Havel, and were
called Hevelli. But if they are meant, we must correct the text from
north-east to south-east, for such is the situation of Havel-land,
with respect to Old Saxony. - Forst.
[34] AEfeldan are, as King Alfred calls them, Wolds or Wilds; as there
still are in the middle of Jutland, large high moors, covered only
with heath. - Forst.
[35] Wineda-land, the land of the Wends, Vandals, or Wendian Scalvi in
Mecklenburg and Pomerania; so called from Wanda or Woda,
signifying the sea or water. They were likewise called Pomeranians for
the same reason, from po moriu, or the people by the sea side.
- Forst.
[36] In this Alfred seems to have committed a mistake, or to have made too
great a leap. There is a Syssel, however, in the country of the Wends,
on the Baltic, which connects them with the Moravians, or rather with
the Delamensan, of whom mention is made afterwards. - Forst.
[57] The Moravians, so called from the river Morava, at that time a
powerful kingdom, governed by Swatopluk, and of much greater extent
than modern Moravia. - Forst.
[38] Carendre must be Carinthia, or the country of the Carenders or
Centani, which then included Austria and Styria. - Forst.
[39] Barrington has erroneously translated this, "to the eastward of
Carendre country, and beyond the west part is Bulgaria." But in
the original Anglo-Saxon, it is beyond the wastes, or desert,
which had been occasioned by the devastations of Charlemain in the
country of the Avari. - Forst.
[40] This is the extensive kingdom of Bulgaria of these times, comprising
modern Bulgaria and Wallachia, with part of Moldavia and Bessarabia.
The Bulgarians were probably a Turkish tribe, dwelling beyond the
Wolga, in the country now called Casan, deriving their name from
Bolgar, their capital. - Forst.
Forster ought to have added, that the latter country was long called
greater Bulgaria, and the former, or the Pulgara-land of the text,
lesser Bulgaria. - E.
[41] The Greek empire of Constantinople. - E.
[42] The country on the Wisle or Vistula, being great and little Poland.
- Forst.
[43] These for some time inhabited Dacia, and, being famous in history,
Alfred was willing at least to mention one of their residences.
- Forst.
[44] The Delamensen, or Daleminzen of the middle age writers, sometimes
called Dalmatians by mistake, or to shew their erudition, were
situated near Lommatsch, or around Meissen or Misnia, on both sides of
the Elbe. - Forst.
[45] These must have been a Scalvonian people or tribe, now unknown, and
perhaps inhabited near Gorlitz, or near Quarlitz, not far from great
Glogau - Forst.
[46] The Sorbi, Sirbi, and Serbii, of old writers, are the Sorbian
Sclavons; and the modern Wends or Vandals of Lusatia, still call
themselves Sserbs or Ssorbs. - Forst.
[47] These must have been another tribe of Sclavons about Seuselig, to the
westward of the Sorbs of lower Lusatia. - Forst.
[48] Perhaps the duchy of Mazovia, called Magaw or Mazaw-land in ancient
writers. Or perhaps it is wrong spelt for Wastaland or the
Waste. - Forst.
[49] Sermende is the mutilated and disguised name of Sarmatia, which did
not exist under that name in the time of Alfred, but which he inserted
on the authority of his original author Orosius. - Forst.
[50] A mere corruption of the montes Riphaei or Riphean mountains of
Orosius; and Alfred seems here to have got beyond his knowledge,
copying merely from Orosius. - Forst.
[51] The Ost sea of Alfred comprehends what are now called the Scaggerrack,
Catte-gatt, the Sound, the two Belts, and the Baltic, which our
mariners still call the East Sea.
