The Polans - founders of Kiev and Kievan Rus'.

Vlad1234 16 | 883

1 Jun 2015 / #1

Do you know that:

The Polans (Polish: Polanie; Ukrainian: Поляни Polyany; Russian: Поляне Polyane); also Polianians; were a Slavic tribe between the 6th and the 9th century, which inhabited both sides of the Dnieper river from Liubech to Rodnia and also down the lower streams of the rivers Ros', Sula, Stuhna, Teteriv, Irpin', Desna and Pripyat. In the Early Middle Ages there were two separate Slavic tribes bearing the name of Polans, the other being the western Polans (ancestors of the modern Poles). The name derives from the Old East Slavic word поле or поляна (polyana), which means "field", because the Polans used to settle in the open fields.

Cropped 100+ words
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polans_%28eastern%29

There would be nothing wondering if currently Ukraine would bear name of ''Polansland'' or similar...

Nathans

2 Jun 2015 / #2

It was so long ago that they probably didn't know their own nationality either and they didn't care ;). It's only in the 20th century when the ancestry 'movement' has started.

Ziemowit 14 | 3936

2 Jun 2015 / #3

It is first to prove some link between the Polans of Ruthenia and Western Slav Polans. The two groups may have called themselves as such independently of each other. It is also interesting the the name "Polans" in reference to the latter group appeared in the historical sources relatively late, as far as I can remember now, later than 966 when Mieszko I and thus Poland was baptised.

OP Vlad1234 16 | 883

2 Jun 2015 / #4

And what was their self-name before 966?

pol

The Polans (also known as Polanes, Polanians; Polish: Polanie, derived from Old Slavic pole, "field" or "plain", see polje) were a West Slavic tribe, part of the Lechitic group, inhabiting the Warta River basin of the historic Greater Poland region in the 8th century.

In the 9th century the Polans united several West Slavic groups to the north of Great Moravia. The union led by the Piast dynasty developed into the Kingdom of Poland, whose name derives from that of the Polans.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polans_(western)

gumishu 15 | 6178

2 Jun 2015 / #5

It is first to prove some link between the Polans of Ruthenia and Western Slav Polans

there are multiple instances where moving Slavic tribes divided and separated - it's not only Polans - it's also Serbs and Croats Volinians and others - there are Serbs in Serbia and in Eastern Germany - White Croats was a tribe in southern Poland - while most of Volinians settled in Volhynia some travelled to the Baltic (Wolinianie) - you see the pattern?

Jadowniki 1 | 24

24 Jun 2015 / #6

When you really get down to it, there is little differences between Poles and Ukrainians in terms of genetics. All that separate us is a slightly different culture, language, religion and historical conflicts. Borders are not separate by rigid ethnic lines but by varying political and cultural barriers. While there are different influences in west Slavs and east Slavs, the line is more of a geographical construct than a genetic one.

Most likely the Polanie of Poland and Ukraine had a common root in ancient proto Slavic times that split up and became separate over geographic separation.