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But Rome with the Roman Empire had had its day. The empire had risen as high as it could. It was Rome’s turn to fall. It was Rome’s turn to be conquered. But you cannot guess what people were to do the conquering and to be next in power.
For centuries there had been Germanic tribes living on the northern borders of the Roman Empire. Every now and then they tried to cross over the border into Roman lands, and the Romans had to be constantly fighting them to keep them back where they belonged. Julius Caesar had fought with them. So had Marcus Aurelius and so had Constantine. The Romans called these people barbarians , which is what they called all people who were not Romans. The Romans believed that all barbarians were fierce and warlike.
Many of these Germanic people had light hair and blue eyes; that is, they were what we call blonds. The Greeks and Romans and other people who lived around the Mediterranean Sea had dark hair and dark eyes. They were what we call brunettes.
Invasions from the north
Although some of the Germanic peoples had moved into the Roman Empire, many lived in sparsely populated areas, not in cities. They lived in huts made of wood, sometimes of branches woven together—like a large basket. The women raised vegetables and took care of the cows and horses. The men did the hunting and fighting and blacksmithing. Blacksmithing was very important, for the blacksmith made the swords and spears with which they fought and the tools with which they worked. That is why the name Smith was so honored among them.
When the men went to battle they wore the heads of animals they had killed, an ox’s head, horns and all, or the head of a wolf or bear or fox. This was to make themselves look fierce and to frighten the enemy.
Germanic warrior
Bravery was the chief thing the men thought good. A man might lie, he might steal, he might even commit murder, but if he was a brave warrior, he was called a good man. The Germanic tribes did not have a king. They elected their chiefs, and of course they always chose the man who was the bravest and strongest. But he could not make his son ruler after him. He was more like a president than a king.
These northern people had an entirely different set of gods from those of Greece and Rome. Their chief god, as you might guess, was the god of war, and they called him Woden. Woden was also the god of the sky. He was like the two Greek gods, Zeus and Ares, put together. Woden was supposed to live in a wonderful palace in the sky called Valhalla, and many tales are told of the wonderful things he did and of the adventures he had. Wednesday, which was once Wodensday, is named after him. That is why there is a letter d in this word, although we don’t pronounce it.
After Woden, Thor was the next most important god. He was the god of thunder and lightning. He carried a hammer with which he fought great giants who lived in the far-off cold lands and were called ice-giants . Thursday, which was once Thorsday, is named after him.
Another god was named Tiu, and from his name we get Tuesday, and another Freya, from whom we get Friday, so that four out of seven of our days are named after Germanic gods, in spite of the fact that none of us believe in these gods.
Of the other three days of the week, Sunday and Monday of course are named after the sun and moon, and Saturday is named after a Roman god, Saturn.
About the year 400 A.D. these northern neighbors were becoming particularly troublesome to the Romans. They began to push their way down into the northern part of the Roman Empire, and after a few years the Romans could hold them back no longer. Two of these Germanic tribes went over into Britain, and the Romans who were living there found it wisest to get out, go back to Rome, and leave the country and its native people to the invaders.
These tribes who settled in Britain were known as Angles and Saxons. So the country came to be called the land of the Angles, or, for short, Angle-land . After the words Angle-land were said over for many years, they became England , which is what we call the country today. The people of England are still known by the full name Anglo-Saxons , and this is the name by which we call anyone descended from these tribes of Angles and Saxons who settled in Britain about 400 A.D.
Another tribe called the Vandals went into Gaul. Gaul is where France is now. Then they kept on down into Spain, stealing, smashing, burning, and destroying. They crossed over by boats into North Africa. They damaged or destroyed everything they came upon. So today when anyone damages or destroys property wickedly, we call him a vandal . If you cut up your desk, tear your books, or scratch names on walls or fences, you, too, are a vandal.
A tribe called the Franks followed the Vandals into Gaul, and there they stayed, giving the name France to that country.
The people north of Italy were the Goths. They had a leader by the name of Alaric. Alaric and his Goths crossed over the mountains into Italy and robbed or destroyed everything of value they could lay their hands on. They then entered Rome and carried away whatever they wanted, and the Romans could not stop them. But the worst was yet to come.
