The Visigoths

 

Although frequently referred to as “barbarians,” the early Visigothic tribes actually acted within a relatively organized culture, though one that was influenced by the many different peoples of many different backgrounds that made up the Gothic group. It is in part because of this conglomeration of many different cultures, to their migratory habits and to their frequent military campaigns against other nations that the culture also evolves after their initial migration from their homeland. Little is known about certain aspects of their culture because of these movements and the general lack of a written language, but we can infer some from the records of other cultures, especially those of the Romans. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social Organization/Government

 

Settled in agricultural communities ruled by petty kings, early Visigoths maintained a social structure much like that of any other culture, with a small group of upper-class freemen dominating both working class freemen and slaves. Tribes of roughly 100,000 were divided into kinship-based clans and were generally centered around the military, their aristocrats— chieftain-like leaders, usually with a lot of military experience— leading the warrior men in the invasive campaigns for which the group was popularly known. These kings had the power to make and enforce laws, as would be seen later with the Visigothic Code of Law. Meanwhile, in the middle classes, Gothic women participated in the agricultural work of the group, but were mainly responsible for production of domestic goods, such as pottery and fabric, and men were in charge of creating metal goods and tending to livestock when they were not making war. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tradition and Customs

 

Knowledge of Visigoth customs and traditions is fairly sporadic, though we can deduce some from what they left behind. 

The Visigoths buried their dead before being converted to Christianity, though they generally buried them without weapons, contrary to usual tradition of militaristic cultures. Instead, Visigoths often buried their dead with jewelry, pottery or other artistic and domestic goods.  

Marriage in the Gothic clans was valued highly, and Visigoths were often married in their teens and early 20s. These marriages—which could be consensual or by the abduction of a woman— were frequently political, meant to join family clans, and there is evidence that men were allowed to be polygynous, as it provided for more familial connections within the tribe. Depending on the social status of the groom, a consensual marriage may also come with a bride-price; typically, higher-ranking men were simply given their women, assumedly because of the importance placed on kinship ties between clans.

Children in the tribes were raised primarily by their mothers and were allowed to mingle with children of the opposite sex until early adolescence. After that, boys and girls were separated, the boys trained in the art of war by older males of the group, the girls taught domestic skills such as pottery-making and weaving. 

 

Major Changes Over Time

 

The Visigothic culture also changed significantly as the group continued their migration through and invasion of Roman areas. Though they were a traditionally migratory people, after settling in Rome, they eventually assimilated to the Roman cultural norm of an “entrenched nobility” owning large estates worked by slaves, in a system called latifundia. In 589 C.E., the Arian Christian Visigoths converted to Roman Orthodox Catholicism, shedding their former Arian beliefs. They would also eventually come to adopt Latin as their main language, personalizing it by adding words from the original Visigothic dialect to the existing vocabulary.