White Croats
Early Slavic tribe and ethnic group / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The White Croats (Croatian: Bijeli Hrvati; Polish: Biali Chorwaci; Czech: Bílí Chorvati; Ukrainian: Білі хорвати, romanized: Bili khorvaty), also known simply as Croats, were a group of Early Slavic tribes that lived between East Slavic and West Slavic tribes in the historical region of Galicia north of the Carpathian Mountains (in modern Western Ukraine and Southeastern-Southern Poland), and possibly in Northeastern Bohemia.
The origin of the Croats and related topics are a matter of debate. Their ethnonym is usually considered to be of Iranian origin, and to have been one of the oldest Slavic tribes or tribal alliances that formed until the 6th century. They were an East Slavic tribe but bordered both East Slavic (Dulebes and its related Buzhans and Volhynians, Tivertsi, Ulichs) in Western Ukraine, and West Slavic tribes (Lendians and Vistulans) in Southeastern Poland, controlling important trade route from East to Central Europe. They are documented by foreign medieval authors in historical sources and legends, and seemingly are the only Slavic people with an origo gentis. They practiced Slavic paganism. Archaeologically were mostly related to the Korchak and Luka-Raikovets cultures identified with the Sclaveni (while their connection to the Antes and Penkovka culture culture remains a matter of dispute). Their area is characterized by use of stone defenses, tiled tombs (and kurgan-like tombs), stone ovens, and many large, fortified settlements and cult buildings.
In the late 6th and early 7th centuries, part of Croats migrated from their homeland, White or Great Croatia in the Carpathians, to Roman province of Dalmatia (in modern Croatia along the Adriatic Sea), becoming ancestors of the modern South Slavic Croats. They probably were among the Slavs who with the Pannonian Avars plundered the Roman provinces, but when settled they revolted against the Avars and soon started accepting Christianity during the time of Porga, the first known archon of Duchy of Croatia. Others who stayed in their Carpathian homeland continued to be pagans and formed a tribal proto-state with polis-like gords of Plisnesk, Stilsko, Revno, Halych, Terebovlia among others in Western Ukraine, which lasted until the very end of the 10th century. They were pressured and influenced by more centralized Great Moravia, Duchy of Bohemia, Duchy of Poland, Kievan Rus' and Principality of Hungary. After defeat to the Kievan Rus', on its foundations were formed East Slavic principalities of Peremyshl, Terebovlia, Zvenyhorod and finally Principality of Halych.
According to some modern sources, the ethnic name of White Croats possibly was preserved in parts of Western Ukraine and Southern Poland until 19th and early 20th century. They are thought to have become assimilated into Ukrainian, Polish and Czech nations, and to have been precursors of the Rusyns.