Germanic Tribes in the Netherlands

This is not an alternate timeline but rather a question (if you will) I have and am hoping that other AH users could answer/contribute to this list.
Can we make a complete list (hopefully), stating the names of Germanic tribes that inhabited the Netherlands and Belgium here? And to an admin that would want to delete this thread, please don't, just move it. P.S. I'm thinking that the setting of my first alternate TL will be set in the Netherlands during Roman times, so I'm trying to get together a list of tribes (which I could use).

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So here's a list for starters:​


Batavi
Belgae
Caeraesi​
Cananefates
Chamavi
Chaemae
Chamavi
Chatti
Chattuarii
Chauci
Condrusci
Eburones
Franks
Frisii
Menapii
Paemani
Salii
Saxons
Sicambri


Any name that I missed would be appreciated, thanks.
 
Belgae, in fact, seems to have been a collective ethnic term for some of those tribes you've listed, such as the Condrusi, Paemani, Eburones, and the Menapii. The Belgae were considered a cross between Celts and Germanics, or Celticized Germanic tribes.

While the Sicambri and the Salii were probably component tribes of the Franks.

The Frisians dominated the coastline from the Netherlands to Denmark in the 7-8th centuries CE. They had apparently lived in the region since the Fifth Century BCE, so may have once been part of the Belgae.

The Chatti lived in the Weser River regions, and the Chauci neighboured the Frisians in northwest Germany before merging with the Saxons in the Third Century CE.
 
Belgae, in fact, seems to have been a collective ethnic term for some of those tribes you've listed, such as the Condrusi, Paemani, Eburones, and the Menapii. The Belgae were considered a cross between Celts and Germanics, or Celticized Germanic tribes.

While the Sicambri and the Salii were probably component tribes of the Franks.

The Frisians dominated the coastline from the Netherlands to Denmark in the 7-8th centuries CE. They had apparently lived in the region since the Fifth Century BCE, so may have once been part of the Belgae.

The Chatti lived in the Weser River regions, and the Chauci neighboured the Frisians in northwest Germany before merging with the Saxons in the Third Century CE.

Yes, I have, there are a lot of "sub-tribes" and yeah, there are a lot of "Celticized Germanic tribhes" on there, but, I'm trying to get a complete list of tribes that once inhabited the low lands.

I also didn't really look at tribes that merged either.
 
Well then, here is my completed list:

Ampsivarii
Batavi
Belgae
Caeraesi

Cananefates
Chamavi
Chaemae
Chamavi
Chatti
Chattuarii
Chauci
Condrusci
Eburones
Franks
Frisii

Ingaevones (not really a tribe)
Menapii
Nervii
Paemani
Salii
Saxons
Sicambri

Tencteri and Usipetes
Toxandri
Treveri
Tubanti
Tuihanti
Tungri

A bunch of these are in the Belgium-Luxembourg area by the way.
 

Susano

Banned
The Batavians were like an emigrated split-off from the Chatti, with the great difference that the Batavian was one of the main suppliers of the Romans with auxiliary troops, while the Chattic main tribe was one of Romes greatest opponents at the border. And precursor to Hesse, so yeah for their steadfastness :D

Now, if we merely list tribe names ;) my historical atlas has to offer:
Ampisvarii (at the Ems)
Cugerni (at the northern Maas)
Cannninefates (Cananefates, I guess - in Northern Holland)
Tubantes (north of the Usipetes, at whats nowadays the Dutch-German border)
Usipetes (north of the Rhine)

...so thats only the Cugerni as additional entry.

The Tencteri are shown to be east of Bonn, so not anywhere near BeNeLux, and the Belgae were Celtic. The Chattic main tribe was in whats nowadays northern Hesse, so even further away than the Tencteri, the Chattuari likely the same tribe as the Chatti and the Chauci at the mouth of the Weser. You also list the Chamavi double, and the Chamae might also be the same tribe as them... and where the Toxandri really ever a tribe? I thought Toxandria was simply a geographical term, roughly modern Brabant (on both sides of the Dutch-Belgian border). And the Treveri are doubly out of place, being Celtic and at the Mosel... So that all are entries on your list that may be too much.
 
The Batavians were like an emigrated split-off from the Chatti, with the great difference that the Batavian was one of the main suppliers of the Romans with auxiliary troops, while the Chattic main tribe was one of Romes greatest opponents at the border. And precursor to Hesse, so yeah for their steadfastness :D

Now, if we merely list tribe names ;) my historical atlas has to offer:
Ampisvarii (at the Ems)
Cugerni (at the northern Maas)
Cannninefates (Cananefates, I guess - in Northern Holland)
Tubantes (north of the Usipetes, at whats nowadays the Dutch-German border)
Usipetes (north of the Rhine)

...so thats only the Cugerni as additional entry.

The Tencteri are shown to be east of Bonn, so not anywhere near BeNeLux, and the Belgae were Celtic. The Chattic main tribe was in whats nowadays northern Hesse, so even further away than the Tencteri, the Chattuari likely the same tribe as the Chatti and the Chauci at the mouth of the Weser. You also list the Chamavi double, and the Chamae might also be the same tribe as them... and where the Toxandri really ever a tribe? I thought Toxandria was simply a geographical term, roughly modern Brabant (on both sides of the Dutch-Belgian border). And the Treveri are doubly out of place, being Celtic and at the Mosel... So that all are entries on your list that may be too much.


I went a little border line by adding tribes that settled on the border of the Benelux area, and your right, I should remove the Tencteri. As for the Belgae, all the tribes in Belgium were heavily influenced by Germanics and Celts, the Belgae included, therefore it is heavily debated if they're to be called Germanic or Celtic. And the Chatti might have mainly settled around modern day Hesse, but they did go into the Netherlands. The Chamavi and the Chaemae were most likely the same tribe, but for the sake of "completeness" I added the two of them. The people that settled in Toxandria (the Toxandri) were considered a Germanic Tribe by a Roman source. The Treveri were a Celtic tribe that had major Germanic influences, and they also lived in modern day Luxembourg, justifying me putting them on the list :p

Also speaking of doubles, the Tubanti and the Tuihanti are thought to be the same tribe. And Susando, I will tweak the list later, thank you for your input.
 
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I removed the doubles, the Tencteri and added Frisiavones, Cugerni and Usipetes. The list is pretty much complete now, I think.
Sub-tribes and Celtic-Germanic mixed included:


Ampsivarii
Batavi
Belgae
Caeraesi
Cananefates
Chamavi
Chatti
Chattuarii
Chauci
Cugerni
Condrusci
Eburones
Franks
Frisii
Frisiavones
Ingaevones
Menapii
Nervii
Paemani
Salii
Saxons
Sicambri
Toxandri
Treveri
Tubanti
Tungri
Usipetes
 
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In case it may be relevent, the Belgae had already established territory in southern Britain before the First Century BCE. Tribes like the Atrebates (located in Hampshire, west Sussex and Surrey), the Catuvellauni (Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and southern Cambridgeshire), and the Trinovantes (Hertfordshire). Plus a tribe in Yorkshire called the Parisii, whom share their name with the same Gallic tribe that gave its name to modern Paris. Also, in the early First Century BCE, their was a king of the Belgic Suessiones called Diviciacus, whom according to Julius Caesar, simultaneously held land in Britain.

Just thought it would interest you.
 
Note that the whole tribal system was rather fluid over time (not being of the 'here is a document demonstrating your exclusive Caninefati tribesmanship, never let it be changed!'-kind). The Franks were more of a confederation of several tribes (including Salii, Ripuari, etc), who weren't all that opposed to subjugating or integrating related nearby tribes.

Ad ofcourse, deeper into Belgium there were groups of Germanicised Celts and Celtified Germanic tribes, all making it very vague.
 
Dear Lysandros, thank you for sharing, it was relevant I guess :p

And yeah Theodoric, it was rather vague, but the point of this thread was to make a list of Germanic tribes that inhabited the Benelux.
 
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