TheCananefates, orCanninefates,Caninefates, orCanenefatae, meaning 'boat masters'[1] – or less likely, 'leek masters'[2] – were aGermanic tribe,[3] who lived in theRhine delta, in westernBatavia (later Betuwe), in theRoman province ofGermania Inferior (now in the Dutch province ofSouth Holland), before and during the Roman conquest.
Apparently, the name had its origins in the Cananefates living on sandy soils that were considered excellent for growingAlliums such as leeks and onions.[4]
At the beginning of theBatavian rebellion underGaius Julius Civilis in the year 69, theBatavians sent envoys to the Canninefates to urge a common policy. "This is a tribe," saysTacitus (Histories Book iv)[5] "which inhabits part of the island, and closely resembles the Batavians in their origins, languages, and in their courageous character, but is inferior in numbers." This would imply a similar descent as the Batavians from theChatti.[3] In the failed uprising that followed, the Canninefates were led by their chieftainBrinno, the son of a chief who had faced downCaligula.The capital of thecivitas of the Cananefates wasForum Hadriani, modernVoorburg.
In modern times, the regionKennemerland is said to derive from the name of the Cananefates.
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