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The Semnones were, according to Tacitus, the oldest and most respected people in the great league of the Suebi, settled between the Elbe and the Oder.
They are famous for their sacred grove: at a set time, envoys of all kindred peoples gathered, offered a human sacrifice, and entered the grove only bound – as a sign of submission to the deity.
The cult made the Semnones the religious focus of a wide confederation. Later the name disappears; they are linked with the Juthungi and the formation of the Alemanni.
"The Semnones are held to be the oldest and noblest people of the Suebi."after Tacitus, Germania 39 (public domain, own translation)
The Semnones lead into the heart of Suebian belief. Continue with the Suebi and the Semnonic grove.
The Suebi · The Marcomanni · The Hermunduri · The Quadi · The Lombards.
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