The 'Migration Period' In European History - What Was It?

The 'Migration Period' In European History - What Was It?
A rather long and rambling video that was supposed to be a short summary... I try to explain what the Migration Era or Period was and also explain some of the complexities of studying it.
/ historicalfencing
/ scholagladiatoria

[@Cibohos]

matt: this is a short video *checks length* 22 minutes ahh, the classic matt easton

[@MrJeb2100]

My thoughts exactly!!! Still an informative video. Thanks for posting it.

[@Nosirrbro]

The Easton Short, a unit of time roughly equal to just over 20 minutes.

[@RedHandedGod]

It's even more wonderfully Matt Easton to say 'I'm going to stop there' and then keep talking for like 5 or 6 more minutes.

[@LovableCoolGuy]

It's short in *context* with his other videos!

[@prechabahnglai103]

You just described my action perfectly. Well done.

[@harjutapa]

I would love it if this was a sign of more historical videos from Matt. I know your videos have always discussed history mostly through the *context* of swords and other weapons, but it seems like you have a very broad knowledge of European history and an easy to understand explantory style.

[@vyderka]

yes, more general history, if uou please; it was great to listen to Matt; I'm espacially interested in the migration era/"dark ages"

[@ashwingautam3701]

I agree with this. Please make videos on ancient history of Celtic, Germanic, and British Isles

[@lindgrenland]

"... a fairly brief video" *Looks down nervously* "0:41 / 22:30" *Breathes sigh of relief at conserved traditions and a world that will stay the same for a little while longer*

[@TheDominionOfElites]

You’d have made a good school teacher... listening to you describe migration so clearly brought me right back to those days, haha

[@tentringer4065]

Do Superdry make tweed jackets with leather elbow patches?

[@ronalddunne3413]

"OK listen up! There will be a test on this material next Wednesday!" Excellent presentation, Matt, thank you!

[@Woedans]

Thanks Matt. I hope you will do more Migration Period videos.

[@gordonlawrence4749]

I'll vote for that.

[@nealsterling8151]

No need to excuse for a longer Video! I'm pretty sure many of your audience loves it (i actually do). I find the migration period to be very fascinating and i'd love to see more Videos in the future.

[@h_d3100]

That's the quality content I'm subscribed for. More of longer videos please, wouldn't mind hours of historical ramblings, you can't fit whole damn humam history into 2 minutes!!!

[@spijkerpoes]

For an Ork he's quite knowledgeable! also, when in doubt about anthropology, blame the sea peoples

[@ryanaegis3544]

The Sea Peoples, funnily enough, were actually recorded by the Egyptians. Besides the two times the Sea Peoples attacked Egypt, and other places in the eastern Mediterranean, they traded with Egypt and other places around the Mediterranean. I don't remember all of the nations or city states that made up the Sea Peoples, but the Egyptians did write down their names, among which you have Cyprus, Crete, and many of the other islands. I remember that all of the Sea Peoples' city states were in the eastern half of the Mediterranean; none were from east of Syracuse.

[@spijkerpoes]

@@ryanaegis3544 a fun lecture kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIPGpmCvqNSWjpY

[@gre8]

"also, when in doubt about anthropology, blame the sea peoples" I thought you were supposed to attribute ceremonial purposes to whatever object you can't identify.

[@erikjarandson5458]

@@gre8 True. The sea peoples are more of a back-up. Still, they tend to be the primary explanation whenever a civilization or city declined quickly, or there was a battle with an unknown antagonist. Even the ancient Egyptians liked to blame the sea peoples for things they didn't want to blame anyone else for. It seems to have been pretty synonymous with "outsiders with boats".

[@cognitivedisability9864]

@@ryanaegis3544 mabye the word we associate with 'sea-peoples' also mean pirate

[@revylokesh1783]

One of the most interesting periods in European history, and still one of the least known/understood.

[@thatchannel195]

Its happening again unfortunately

[@chrisjohnson7872]

@Eugene Crawford nah, Huns

[@akeffs]

2:50 you're on the watchlist now :)

[@nicholas3354]

You weren't rambly; the topic is rambly. This is an excellent explanation. Thanks.

[@beardedmember]

Ramble on! Enlightening and entertaining!

[@jasimine_b]

thank you matt, this was EXACTLY the type and amount of info i was locking for when i searched for "migration period".

[@prof.cecilycogsworth3204]

What a pleasure it was to listen to your explanation of those interesting times. I'm looking forward to future videos.

[@zerozerosud]

Thanks for this short video, I am ready for the full-length one now!

[@PortlandLife]

One of my favorite topics!! Im a rather new subscriber j came over from lindybeige and your videos have been great! Thanks for your hard work brother!

[@burakaksoyoglu8723]

I'm really hoping for a series on this subject from Schola. Fantastic subject and a good objective perspective from Matt. Cheers.

[@allnamesaretaken02]

Thanks, Matt. Great to get a mini-lecture about this fascinating period from a bona-fide archaeologist. Especially one backgrounded by a whole bunch of weapons.

[@Tom-mk7nd]

I hoped for this topic to be discussed a long time, thanks for making the video :D

[@QlueDuPlessis]

Twenty two minutes and thirty one seconds... "just a short video..."

[@scholagladiatoria]

Welcome to the channel. :-)

[@QlueDuPlessis]

You've been hanging out with Nikolas Lloyd too much. :p

[@GamelessOne]

Everything is relative!

[@ThomasTee]

Well, I know of some "primer"-videos from another channel that last over an hour. Yeah, this is short :)

[@AB8511]

After all those years and he tries to bullshit us like this... We all know very well that he is incapable to do subject matter video, which lasts that short. Mr. Easton keep up the good work and thanks.

[@aus71383]

This was excellent - a very interesting topic, and you speak on it well. Thank you!

[@daemon1143]

Good discussion thanks. I especially appreciated your highlighting the uncertainties and spectrum of activities that fall under the 'migration' umbrella.

[@dizzt19]

I feel like very often people rely on information that's extremely outdated. From just being taught using outdated books, the teachers also relying on outdated knowledge, to simple passage of time. The past isn't really changing but our understanding of it is :)

[@scholagladiatoria]

I very much agree with this.

[@scholagladiatoria]

(and I am sure I'm as guilty as anyone else)

[@elainelouve]

I feel like it's difficult to keep up with everything once you're out of the university. Having a job and other life, and then you'd be supposed to at least read academic periodicals, which by the way can be costly to subscribe. But anyway you're out of all the discussions, unless you enter various seminars, but that might be impossible due to work (and it can also be expensive). So it seems fairly understandable, why most people would just stick to what they've been taught back in the day. Especially if it wasn't their specialty in the first place. I hate when people are disappointed when I can't answer their every random question about history.:p Just because I had a major in cultural history doesn't mean I'd know everything, let alone be a specialist. I'm not a history teacher though. Anyway when people claim something like "medieval people treated their kids horribly, because the concept of childhood didn't exist" I try to correct their outdated views, if possible. At the same time I know my own information is already quite outdated, so trying not to sound like an expert.

[@hamilcarluxemburg5266]

2:59 Comrade Matt

[@Vampiracho]

It's funny that there is 3 and 1/2 minutes more after you call to wrap it up. Enjoyed it!

[@squid3259]

Awesome video, I studied this period at uni too and you provided a nice summary. Hope for more content like this.

[@Drakengrimm]

"The Angles [...] came from what's basically the Netherlands and Denmark." *Cries in Northern Germany*

[@EnglishShieldwall]

Tell me about it! The Anglo-Saxons were as Danish as Alfred the Great lol

[@Yora21]

"from the Netherlands and Denmark... and the Friesians". Thank you very much - Northern Germany

[@eljanrimsa5843]

I've been to Groningen a couple of months ago and got the impression that during Roman time pretty much the whole coast was a swamp and the crazy guys who lived there and worked the land and regularly got flooded and drowned, were all Friesians. Other Germanic tribes came later on.

[@DatAlien]

@@eljanrimsa5843 Afaik its not even clear if the Frisians are descendants of the Frisii of the Roman times.

[@ryanaegis3544]

As a Dane, I think of it in the opposite way: parts of Northern Germany used to be Danish. There was a clear line drawn, the Danevirk at Hedeby. And there is a distinct difference in the peoples on either side. As I understand it, the Frisians were also a distinct group. The Franks under Charlemagne absorbed the Frisians but never could cross the Danevirk into Denmark. I am actually still pretty miffed that Slesvig and Holstein are part of modern day Germany.

[@Tom_Quixote]

@@ryanaegis3544 I'm more annoyed that Western Denmark is now called "England" :)

[@kimashitawa8113]

​@@eljanrimsa5843 I do remember a Roman writing about the people living in the northern parts of the Netherlands. Basically saying that they were fighting water more than people.

[@richarddelotto2375]

For an off-the-cuff pitch on material you studied decades ago...quite well done.

[@scottsantana2248]

Very good video, informative and entertaining both. Cheers.

[@JacobScott0000]

Really informative vid. Cheers, Matt.

[@AlanH450]

Cracking stuff Matt, you've definitely piqued my interest! Any further reading you could recommend on the subject?

[@dimitrizaitsew1988]

Matt should teach in the university. My teachers were never that good at explaining things.

[@opwards]

Great video Matt. As you said it is such a multifaceted topic and so hard to hash it all out in 22 minutes. You did pretty bloody good mate. In Scandinavian countries the migration period is a pre cursor to the viking age which in it self is very much a migration as well as a growth of power and wealth. In talking swords and weapons it was a bit of a transitional period as well. With technology changes, hilt designs and materials and that led into the Vendel period. A period of awe inspiring craftsmanship and elaborateness in weaponry and armour evidence of which being the awesome Sutton Hoo helm and some very ornate Scandinavian helms from the time as well. I believe like you that this period and the Vendel was about the filling that vacuum of power, grabbing land and wealth where you can and growing personal empires. A time that can be compared to (much later down the time line) to the American wild west.

[@johnstuartkeller5244]

Excellent video. You are a concise presenter of history and historical context. Miss the chops, though ...

[@gregsmith6935]

Really really fascinating and interesting vid! Love it!

[@mattfick5502]

That was very interesting, please do more of these rambly history videos?

[@shcomptech]

Although I enjoy all your 19th C stuff, this was a nice change.

[@danielmartin4596]

Rambling videos are the best videos.

[@nowthenzen]

Well done, Matt! Lindybeige would be proud of you! also, a bit more snarky.

[@jlburilov]

What a great and informative video. Almost a Lindybeige lengh video. Thank you.

[@joelkelly169]

Very well put forth

[@ebreiss]

I wonder of part of the effect of the number of immigrants is the change in language? In France, the language was influenced by Frankish, but remained a Romance language. In England, the language was influenced by French (Norman and Parisian) but remained a Germanic language. By the same token, in England the Celtic language was more or less replaced -- so we can assume that the number of immigrants to England was proportionally greater. (I think I read that over all, England has about 40% "Germanic" heritage. But we don't know whether or not all that came over with e.g. Hengist and Horsa, or by soldiers stationed there during the Roman period etc.)

[@MudHut67]

"immigrant" is a strange way to say invaders, raiders, conquerors, pillagers. The majority of gene and culture influx/changes throughout history weren't exactly peaceful. That's not to say there wasn't a lot of influx from trade and normal migration of peoples, but I think it's important to put things in context. Celtic languages dissapearing from Britain and Ireland didn't happen through peaceful means, especially in the Irish context, where it was systematically erased.

[@SwordAndWaistcoat]

I really enjoyed this video. Be great to see more like it.

[@hermessanhao]

“Contraction of the Roman Empire” well put. I would also add that Spain became Rome in the West.

[@londiniumarmoury7037]

Just in time for my lunch break.

[@10z20]

MA grad in history, excellent video, very accurate, humble, and adequately describes the academic consensus. Bravo!

[@10z20]

stay mad

[@gearstil]

Very informative, thanks!

[@joadams8022]

I can see a TV series now. Mett Euston's Migration Era. M.E.M.E.

[@NobleNemesis]

This guy would actually make an excellent host for a history show.

[@joadams8022]

Well if Chick Connoisseur can get a TV show, why not Mett? Of course, a 40 minute documentary would end up longer than Endgame...

[@danielcrawford7315]

Not so cut not so dry but somewhere in between in ebbs n flows tides of migration and cultural change. Really nice presentation, thank you Mr. Matt Blessings to you now, Crawford out 🧙‍♂️

[@ricardocampos2305]

Brilliantly explained. 👏

[@phoenixknight8837]

Nice informative video!

[@CalpeperMinutemen]

The study of History, and its accurate perspective w/re 'context of time', is as fundamental for the study of martial arts as is one's study of the weapons and techniques themselves... and how "all of it remains relevant today". Thank you!

[@lloveAphmau]

I wouldn't mind some longer videos, something around the hour mark would be just right for me

[@raphlvlogs271]

The history that you can read today is always overly simplified.

[@falconole8633]

YOU WILL BE AMAZED or a flat out lie.

[@pascal6871]

It's also very often chopped up to make it fit nicely into 1 headline for newspapers and now places like reddit, buzzfeed, facebook etc

[@M.M.83-U]

I think you need to buy some real book.

[@NMahon]

@@M.M.83-U agreed, get off social media and go to a library, or read some actual papers, the real information is all there you just have to go out and get it!

[@adorabell4253]

So is this video. Your point?

[@petrameyer1121]

Long, maybe rambling but quite interesting! Ty.

[@swietoslaw]

Will you make video about second stage migration? About Slavs, Hungarians, Avars, Bulgars etc

[@scholagladiatoria]

I would love to, but unfortunately I never really studied that, so I'd have to learn a lot before I could say anything useful. Also, from my current understanding, there is a lot of conjecture and confusion for that period also.

[@opwards]

There are a fair few videos on this from good creators. I believe History Time channel has a few videos on how the scandinavians (mostly people from modern day sweeden some from denmark) migrated through eastern europe and mixed with the slavic tribes to become the RUS and the varangian rus. He focuses a fair bit on the slavic tribes in quite a few videos.

[@swietoslaw]

@@opwards But firstly Rus was not only Slavić people around :) and in fact slavic invasion was wast from fighting with saxon to trying siege Constantinople. Scandinavian influence is in many places vastly overrated in fact we have archeological evidence of some thing different, Slavic colonization in Scandinavia, mostly Pomeranian Slavs which were war like people and they raid Scandinavia often

[@swietoslaw]

@@scholagladiatoria Yeah im from Poland, and discussion about place of origin of Slavs is never ending

[@opwards]

@@swietoslaw i would not doubt that at all mate. I didnt know that. My only knowledge of the two mixing was when scandinavian traders then raiders worked their way through the rivers building relationships untill they reached the caspian sea. Also that slavic rulers (also later english rulers) would hire scandinavians for service or for house troops. The slavs are a people i dont know a great deal about at all. One day i will get around to learning more.

[@stefanislame]

That was great. Thank you.

[@robpetoletti826]

Very interesting, thank you!

[@FakeAnarchist]

I've been playing a lot of Attila Total War recently and I love hearing more about this time period and what life was like back then

[@hantms]

Love videos like this!

[@orkstuff5635]

So - still the Dark Ages then :-) The archaeological record of Angeln (modern Denmark) seems quite interesting from the few bits of information I've seen, especially when taken in conjunction with Gildas' 'Groans of the Britons' complaining of being 'squeezed between the sea in the west and the Saxons in the East'.

[@C.Veigas]

Loved the video. :) thanks

[@rafalsamek1486]

Cool video thanks 😁👍👍👍

[@philipzahn491]

Nice introduction! Videos on weapons from the Migration Era next, please? 😊 Edit: Good luck next time in creating a two minute video! 😉

[@TheTruth-xp2of]

Although we are undoubtedly here for the swords and axes --and double entendres of course-- I for one, would love to see some more of these wider history discussions. In particular, I appreciate that Matt is honest and upfront about the fact that much of what we regard as history, is merely our current {and never unanimous) interpretation of the tiny fragments of data that have survived time. Too many who speak of history are much too absolutist in their interpretations these days. Academic cabals, modern agendas (at times politically driven) too often try to treat one single interpretation as hard fact. But just because one interpretation agrees with the limited evidence doesn't mean that's the only interpretation that agrees with the evidence.

[@cliffordjensen8064]

Enjoyed the video. Good summation of the period. I would argue that the areas with the heaviest migrations saw a change in the language spoken. On this basis, the Slavic speaking tribes did very well indeed.

[@ondrejbrezina4053]

Nice work. I would like to see some video about the fall/contraption of the Roman empire. Why it happened, the way it happened etc...

[@kyomademon453]

Lots of Corruption, shortages of food and money, the invasions from barbarians becoming much more common, lots of military infighting between the western roman empire with lots of generals crowning themselves emperors, the pax romana breaking the stability to maintain the roman military model which depended on its expansionist methods to keep the costs of the army, rome switching from infantry based armies to giving cavalry a more prominent role, lack of capable generals and many many more, the eastern part had become more prosperous

[@fattiger6957]

It didn't help that the split between east and west only really benefited the east. Western Europe was did not have all the economic boons of the east and they suffered as a result.

[@joslevin9093]

Very good, but you could do a volume on that topic. What about the Welsh, unique. Thanks Matt.

[@EnglishShieldwall]

England is around 40% genetically Germanic as a whole but the original area of Anglo-Saxon settlement on the east cost is mainly genetically Germanic.

[@GreywolfRaventhorne]

Thanks Matt!

[@ronin47-ThorstenFrank]

Great! Please more videos on this. And if possible include continental europe (obiously I´m interested in the Franks) and the eastern parts (the Sarmatians and the rise of the Slavic people) too. EDIT: especially after that I know now that you actually studied this period. Despite studying the whole topic for more than 20 years now I´m always interested in the views of other people. The DNA aspect couldn´t be stressed enough too. After having two DNA testsm doing some ancestry research and analyzing the results I´m more than puzzled. The migration topic (generally and not the ) is very interesting and is (through past, and sadly again rising, political reasons) and completely underestimated.

[@M4xPower]

I was looking forward to hearing about the picts.

[@ajrwilde14]

they didn't migrate from Europe so this is not the video for it

[@M4xPower]

@@ajrwilde14 No but I think other civilizations came into contact with them at this time. I guess I was expecting something about populations on the british isles running into vikings or what not. Anyway, it's not my forte so Im not surprised my assumption was wrong.

[@bigyin2794]

MATTTTTTTT, EDIT PLEASE. ! Your content is Fabulous really interesting. BUT can you please focus the lecture around 5 or so main points it feels like you could always say the same thing in half the time to greater effect. Long and rambling is right and takes much more of my bandwidth to plow through than it could. Don't get me wrong, big fan, learning lots, but KISS!!!

[@longpinkytoes]

DraftKings ads are making me reconsider using youtube at all anymore...

[@dutch6857]

"Sorry for the rambling video" Nope. Don't be sorry at all. You might feel that your points lacked an overarching structure, but i can assure you that all were cogent and that the central thesis came through loud and clear! This vid was way clearer than many books i have read on the topic. Ramble on!

[@tengil4595]

2:55 "For legal reasons that was a joke"

[@tengil4595]

@@timmortal Matt goes on Chapo

[@TGApuleius]

A good book that touches on Gaul during this period is Fifth-Century Gaul: A Crisis of Identity?. It's a series of essays that covers a variety of topics, from aristocrats shifting into the church once imperial aspirations were dashed, who traveled and where, how people felt about the imperial administration, the bagaudae, and the continual contraction of power after recoveries were reversed. (Also the booting out of authorities from Armorica.) For another area, Staying Roman (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series Book 82) covers North Africa and how former Romans dealt with (or ran from) the Vandals. One of the best overall books is Halsall's Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West, 376-568. Boak's dated but insightful Manpower Shortage and the Fall Of the Roman Empire in the West gives an idea of how and why authority was difficult to maintain.

[@edwinrollins142]

This isn't long at all, and even when you think you might be going over your intended time, you're not, and you're using that time to give solid info and make good, nuanced points.

[@karmacalleduvebeenbad2705]

Thank you, my personal research is to this topic, and I appreciate the 411

[@dustyfun5944]

definitely did not hate your video, thanks for enlighten me.

[@ceegee2283]

This period is so interesting particularly because it is so muddied. Would love to hear more.

[@elainelouve]

I learned about the migration period at school, but this was very interesting!:) The new genetic ancestry research is also fascinating. As far as I know people in Finland are genetically almost 100% like the other Europeans. But then we have the "Siberian component", which is fairly unique.

[@Vandal_Savage]

The Normans introduced rabbits to the UK? I've always understood that that was the Romans....

[@ajrwilde14]

yes I heard the Romans brought Rabbits too

[@colesaul-milligan7478]

Thanks Matt

[@paavohirn3728]

Fascinating!

[@richard6133]

Matt, According to your studies in this subject area, what do you think about the following: In 176 AD, after the Marcomannic Wars, a Sarmatian tribe from the Danube called the Iazyges surrendered to Rome. As part of the treaty, they had to levee 8,000 auxiliaries. According to the Wikipedia article, 5,500 were sent to _Legio VI Victrix_ in Britannia, and were not allowed to return home after their 20 years of service were complete. What ethnic or cultural impact did that actually have on the British Isles, if any?

[@-Zevin-]

"Imagine in the country you are living in now, suddenly the ruling elite and government went away." I think this is a daily routine for me at this point.

[@brucetucker4847]

Didn't work out too well for the Romans, though. The problem with ruling elites going away is that unless you have a very good plan for the transition someone worse usually comes along to fill the power vacuum.

[@VikingBadass94]

@@brucetucker4847 ain't that the truth

[@almor2445]

Well done trying to cover this in 20 mins! Wasn't there a mini ice age there for 2 years as well? Huns invading, slavs and Germans migrating West... it's about the most fascinating time in history yet I wasn't taught any of this in school!

[@ninfried4391]

Talk about king Arthur and Excalibur, please!

[@giovannabuskulic3595]

What kind of weapons and armor did the people of the Migration Period have? Great video.

[@gordonlawrence4749]

Some of this is clearly seen in linguistics. For example the Saxons would end up tending the animals while the Normans ate their meat. German for cow is "Kuh" which is pronounced quite similar but French is Boef which is where we get the word "beef" from. Sheep (from the Saxon either Shep or Schaf depending on who you believe) but the French is mouton. That's just two simple examples there's loads.

[@LLACEM]

Loved the video as ever you are a star. I have a request I believe the police were once armed with cutlasses can you do a film. regards paul

[@user-wu5xr8ll1p]

The Warring European Tribes In North Africa Reduced The Mediterranean World To A Desert, "Night Over Europe: The Diplomacy Of Nemesis" p11.

[@rat_thrower5604]

Would definitely like more videos on this topic. Perhaps talking about the "saxons" migrating to Britain comparing them to the "vikings".

[@rat_thrower5604]

@widhbnw efDwdwDW I think "saxons" is a bit easier to type though

[@rat_thrower5604]

@widhbnw efDwdwDW oh fuck off, everyone understood what I meant, especially given it was in "these".

[@ibeenthere]

I would love to hear your thoughts on: could a sword out of a diamond or a diamond-like material could work. If not, how could it work (I.e say it's a fantasy world and you can create or change some of the properties of the diamond-like substance... Say it's not "diamond" but a physical part of a god-like creature that looks like a diamond and is hard as a diamond)? Also, is there a different weapon that a diamond-like material could work for?

[@SolarDragon007]

Could you do a video about Sub-Roman Britain?

[@kerrybarnes2002]

Can you also cover technology during this era?

[@conradswadling8495]

spot on

[@VikingMakery]

I absolutely love the Migration era.