A Question Regarding the Germanic Tribes

[Deleted member 5909]

Were the Salian Franks the only Germanic tribe to practice partible inheritance in regard to their kingdom? I have heard mention of it as a 'Germanic custom', but aside from one example with the Burgundian kingdom, I haven't come across any other instances of it occurring with the other Germanic tribes in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, such as with the Anglo-Saxons in England, Visigoths in Spain, the Ostrogoths, the Lombards, the Vandals, etc.

I find this interesting, considering that the Lex Visigothorum and the Kentish Gavelkind applied equal inheritance in private law, but there didn't seem to be an application to the kingdom itself.

Was primogeniture in relation to royal inheritance just adopted earlier by these tribes after the migration period? Or am I missing something?

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

Well, the AngloSaxons and the Ostrogoths had a nominally elective monarchy - sure, the kings oldest son was likely to get the throne, but it wasnt guaranteed. Maybe only the Salian Franks had kings with a strong enough grip on the state that the state was treated like personal property?

 

[SlyDessertFox]

I believe the allemani operated similarly to the above iirc. They had a few lesser kings and one of them would be elected to the overall kingship at the death or removal of the previous king.