TheSilesians (Polish:Ślężanie) were atribe ofWest Slavs, specifically of theLechitic/Polish group, inhabiting territories ofLower Silesia, nearŚlęża mountain andŚlęza river,[1] on both banks of theOder,[2] up to the area of modern city ofWrocław.[3] They were the first permanent inhabitants of the site of Wrocław where they build a fort onOstrów Tumski in the 9th century or earlier, which at the time was an island on the Oder.[3][4]
Their tribal name was derived from the name of the mountain and the river, which most likely came from theold Polish wordŚlagwa, meaning "humid", which refers to the climate of the area.[5] The name of the region in turn,Silesia, comes from their language and tribal name.[1] Along with theOpolans, the Ślężanie comprised one of the two major tribes in Silesia. They bordered theDziadoszanie to their north.[6] TheBiezunczanie's territory lay to the west. Other, more minor, Silesian tribes of the time included theGolensizi,Trzebowianie (who might have actually been part of the Ślężanie),Bobrzanie (who were probably subjects of the Dziadoszanie) and theGłubczyce, further to the south.[1]
TheBavarian Geographer, which refers to them as theSleenzane, states that they had 15 settlements, orgords (civitates), and lists them as one of severaltribes located in Silesia.[1] ThePrague charter (description of borders of thePrague bishopric) from 1086 refers to them with the alternative name ofZlasane.Thietmar's Chronicle, from the second decade of the 11th century, calls them theSilensi.[6] Their tribal name was known to theFranks and theByzantines.[6]
The Ślężanie achieved a high degree of social organization and built fortified towns by the 8th centuryAD, if not earlier. Archeological finds of fortifications built by various Silesian tribes date back to as early as 4th century and evidence of continuous settlement in the area can be traced back to 1st century AD.[1]
A long fortified wall, strengthened by numerous moats, stretched from the present day town ofJelenia Góra toKrosno Odrzańskie, and along both sides of theBobr river. The existence of these sophisticated defenses suggests that the various Silesian tribes had to cooperate in their construction. Hence, it is possible that in the period between the 7th and 9th centuries, the Ślężanie were united in a loose confederation of Silesian tribes. However, the wall most likely served a solely defensive purpose, most likely as a bulwark against raiding parties of the neighboringPolabian Slavs as none of the Polish tribes yet shared direct borders with Germanic states at the time.[5]
From 990 AD on, after a series of short wars betweenMieszko I of thePiast dynasty, first ruler ofPoland, andBoleslaus II, Duke of Bohemia of thePřemyslid dynasty (who was Mieszko's brother in law), Silesia, and the Ślężanie, became part of the Polish state.[8] Over time, the Ślężanie, along with the other Silesian tribes, as well as theVistulans,Pomeranians,Lendians,Masovians and thePolans mixed and became part of the Polish state.[9]
The mountain Ślęża, and the neighboring peak ofSępia Góra ("Vulture Peak"), served as a sacred place where important religious ceremonies were held by the tribe. In fact, the religious importance of the location dates back to the sun-worshipping people of theLusatian culture, as early as 1300 B.C. It was used as a place of worship by various people who inhabited the area before the Ślężanie, for example, theSilingi (most likely aVandal tribe).[5] The mountain Ślęża was also a place of pilgrimage for other Slavic tribes of that era. According to legend, the peak was created as a result of a battle betweenangels anddemons, when after a struggle, the angels used the mountain to bury the entrance tohell.[10]