Tomasz J.

Kosinski
Social sciences, ethnology, history, Slavic studies
E-mail:tomasz@kosinski.pl

The forgotten "Kingdom of the Slavs"

by Mauro Orbini

Abstract
The work of Mauro Orbini (Slavic: Mavar Orbin) undoubtedly contributed to consolidating Slavic
consciousness and strengthening pride in his heritage, especially among southern Slavs1. This
Dalmatian Benedictine and historian from the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, using church
archives, described the history of the Slavs, providing many facts that were omitted in the works of
other authors from this period.
In his Slavic kingdom (orig. Il regno de gli Slavi, hoggi correttamente detti schiavoni) from 1601,
he gives direct quotations and references to the content of about 330 studies, including mostly little
known or now missing. It refers to the work of Vinko Pribojevic to a large extent 2, but also applies
to, inter alia, to Aventinus or Albert Krantz (Latin: Albertus Crantius).
I briefly discuss his work in this study, paying attention to the references to earlier authors and his
quite controversial theses that keep us awake at night.and Western historians, since many of them
question the philogermanic version of history. This is also the reason why this author is omitted in
scientific treatises on the history of the Slavs, and his views are ignored in academic discussions.
In my opinion, this is a big mistake and the obvious servility of science, especially history, which
is still the most susceptible to manipulation or distortion. Therefore, all sources and studies,
including those such as Orbini's work, should be watched carefully, with appropriate criticism, but
also without making certain assumptions about what is true and what is not. The adopted paradigms,
such as the one about the late arrival of the Slavs from the East (allochtonism), or the illiteracy of
this people until the times of Cyril and Methodius, turned out to be wrong and it is strange how many
historians still insist on them by force. Admitting your mistakes may be painful, but it's more honest
than defending false theories at the cost of saving your academic career.
Many independent researchers do not deal with science, in the traditional sense, but know, so the
only assumption in their research is freedom of work, rejection of questionable paradigms and
ignoring the pressures of the scientific community. If anyone considers such an approach
"unscientific", it is his business. Knowledge and science do not always go hand in hand.
In this case, if a recall of Orbini's work helps anyone with his research work, it means that such an
effort is worth making. In my opinion, the monopoly on knowledge that academic historians are
trying to reserve is a road to nowhere, so sometimes you should go against it. The search for truth
should be the overriding goal, and believing that lying doesn't last forever motivates you to act. It
was Mauro Orbini who paved the way.
Keywords: Orbini, Pribojevic, Slavs, Wends, Marcomanni, Vandals, Slavophilism, Slavic
studies, Kingdom of Slavs, Glagolitic, Cyrillic.

1
M. Orbini, Il Regno de gli Slaui hoggi corrottamente detti Schiauoni. Historia di don Mauro Orbini rauseo abbate
melitense. Nella quale si vede l'origine quasi di tutti i popoli che furono della lingua slaua, con molte, & varie guerre,
che fecero in Europa, Asia, & Africa. Pesaro 1601. Accessed September 18, 2022 (Google Books).
2
V. Pribojevic, Oratio de origine sucessionibusque Slavorum, 1532.
 Tomasz J. Kosinski

Title page of the work of Mauro Orbini (1601)

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 The forgotten “Kingdom Slavs” by Mauro Orbini

Inspired by Pribojevic artwork

One of the main sources on which Orbini's book is based is the work of Vinko Pribojevic Oratio
de origine sucessionibusque Slavorum (Origin and Glory of the Slavs) from 1532. This item, which
our historians ignore, as well as the edition of Orbini, contains the history of many different ancient
peoples, such as the Thracians, Macedonians, Goths, Vandals, Sarmatians, Gepids and Illirs, whom
the author considers Slavs. It also proves the Slavic character of Macedonians, showing that their
language is different from Greek.
This Croatian author is considered to be the creator of the so-called the hypothesis of the Balkan
ethnogenesis of the Slavs, as well as the first representative of Pan-Slavism, because he emphasized
the existence of an all-Slavic community, including both southern, western and eastern Slavs. He is
a supporter of the theory of ethnic continuity of the Slavs in the region, which he unites with the
legacy of the Illir. Recognition of this ancient people as Proto-Slavic gave credibility to the
chroniclers about the battles of the Slavs with Alexander of Macedon and their subsequent wars with
Rome, mentioned, among others, by Polish chronicler Wincenty Kadlubek. Under the influence of
the aggressive expansion of the Romans into the Slavic territories, some of the Illirs (Proto-Slavs) in
the last centuries BCE decided to emigrate to the north, which is related to the well-known legend of
the three brothers. They were to establish the kingdoms of Lechites, Czechs and Ruthenians, but after
the fall of Rome, some Slavic tribes returned to their homeland in the Balkans.
John Rastell, an English Jesuit, wrote in 1566 that there are several countries that use the Illyrian
(Ilyrica) language, such as Moscovians, Poles, Slovenes, Czechs (orig. Moscouites, Polonians,
Sclauons, Bohemians) etc. But at least they have one type of speech, and the differences in dialects
are slight, yet they do not understand each other very well3. However, what is more important in the
information provided by Rastell is the fact that he considers the languages: Russian, Polish, Czech
and Slovenian to be Illyrian, which may additionally confirm Pribojevic's thesis about the Slavicness
of the Illirs or, if you prefer, the Illyrianness of the Slavs.
Orbini in his book gives the information that St. Jerome, in the 4th century, created the Glagolitic
alphabet (called Sanctum Hieronymum Illricarum, or St. Jerome's Ilyrica), and the Cyrillic alphabet
was invented by St. Cyril, which was the common belief in the 16th-18th centuries. It wasn't until
two centuries ago that it was argued that Cyril and Methodius developed both of these alphabets,
although it is not clear why they would. Is it doubtful and illogical, because first of all, teaching
allegedly illiterate Slavs one alphabet would be quite a challenge, so creating as many as two
different scripts seems completely pointless. Second, while the Cyrillic alphabet is quite simple and
based mainly on the Greek alphabet, the Glagolitic alphabet with 33 characters and digital
equivalents seems very complicated for laymen and illiterate people, who are supposed to be Slavs in
the 9th century during the mission of Cyril and Methodius. Polish independent researcher Tadeusz
Mroziński is currently working on this topic4. In my opinion, however, St. Jerome did not invent
anything but wrote the Illyrian (Glagolitic) alphabet, which was used by the Slavic population in the
South. But this is a topic for a broader and separate study.
Interestingly, Pribojevic left for Poland before 1525, where he stayed for three years, probably in
a Dominican monastery in Kraków (Cracow). During his stay in our country, he had the opportunity
to get acquainted with Polish historiography, which he used in his work, where he refers to Maciej
Miechowita's Treaty on Two Sarmations (Latin: Tractatus de duobus Sarmatiis) and Annales

3
J. Rastell, A Treatise Intitled, Beware of M. Iewel, Antwerp 1566; R. Van Rooy, J. Considine: Between Homonymy and
Polysemy: The Origins and Career of the English Form Dialect in the Sixteenth Century, [in:] Anglia 2016; 134 (4):
639-667.
4
T. Mroziński Pruss, Głagolica, 2019.

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 Tomasz J. Kosinski

Polonorum (probably Annals of Jan Dlugosz)5. The content of his work also shows that he must have
known the works of Wincenty Kadlubek and the Hungarian-Polish Chronicle, and probably also
other items of Polish historians.
Pribojevic's book was published in Italian in 1595, and the Church ordered all copies to be burned
immediately after its publication. Apparently, only one of them, which Orbini reached, has survived
and, delighted with the content there, he decided to disseminate it by preparing his work on the same
topic6.
One might call Orbini's work plagiarism, as he repeats many theses and facts previously given by
Pribojevic, though for some reason he did not mention his work in an extensive set of sources.
However, when writing his work, this author also used many other documents and studies, which
makes his work seem even richer and more complete than the Pribojevic edition. Orbini had access
to the library from the Italian Urbino7, which in its heyday, it was only slightly inferior to the Vatican
Library. It included over 600 Latin, 160 Greek and 80 Jewish titles, collected at the end of the 15th
century by Prince Federigo dei Montefeltro.

In a book published in 1591 by Angelo Rocca, founder of the Angelica Library, the Glagolitic alphabet was
called "Sanctum Hieronymum Illyricarum". The Cyrillic alphabet is also supposed to be the Illyrian alphabet.

5
D. Madunić, Vinko Pribojević and the Glory of the Slavs, Budapest 2003.
6
http://www.macedoniantruth.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1156
7
It is possible that after the name of this Italian city, Mauro took the pseudonym Orbini, because as a Croat born in
Dubrovnik, the capital of the then free Slavic Republic of Ragusa, probably bore an originally Slavic surname. The
name Mauro seems to be a nickname, most likely from his darker skin color than other Croats or from Dalmatian word
‘maur’ – large (cognate with Latin ‘major’and Old Slavic ‘mor’ – abyss, plague, sea).

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 The forgotten “Kingdom Slavs” by Mauro Orbini

The Slavs are the oldest people on Earth

Orbini writes that the Slavs are to be the oldest people on Earth from which all nations come.
They entered history not only as Sclaveni, Antes or Wenedi (Jordanes), but also under other names,
known as the so-called "Germanic tribes", incl. Franks, Jutes, Angles, Saxons, Vandals, Lombards,
Goths, Alans, etc. The Slavs ruled most of Asia, occupied practically the entire territory of Europe at
that time, they also ruled in North Africa and many lands included in the Roman Empire, eventually
leading to its fall. However, they did not care about documenting their history, striving only for the
fame they gained during their lifetime, passed down from generation to generation. Their enemies,
on the other hand, avoided recording their defeats with the Slavs, ignoring many facts or interpreting
them in their own way,
According to Orbini, the Slavs were to create the oldest aristocracy in Europe, for example, the
first princely family of modern France - the Merovingian dynasty, which descended from the Slavic
prince Merowej (Mirovoy). The Franks themselves are the Wranks (Polish: wrony,
Chorwatian/Serbian – vrane, English: crows) 8.
The Vandals, like the Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Gepids, Getae, Avars, Peucini, Bastarnae,
Burgundians, Alans, Herules, Quadi, Dacians, Markomanni, Thracians and Illyrians, according to
Orbini, all belong to one Slavic tribe and speak the same language - Slavic. Slavs were also called
Wends or Wenets.
Alans wrote about the Slavic character of, among others Carlo Vagriese, and the Avars considered
the Slavs, according to the mention of Ortelius, a Benedictine monk who described the lives of
Pepin, Charlemagne and Louis the Pious9. Orbini thinks it can be believed because the Avars still
existed at that time (9th century).
On the other hand, Eremey Russkiy (Polish: Jeremi Ruski, Russian: Еремей Русский, Italian:
Geremia Russo) in his "Annals of Moscow" (1227) writes that Marcomanni are real Slavs. As
confirmation, he presents an engraved in his annals in stone the inscription he found in the
Marcomannian country when he accompanied the ambassador of the Moscow prince to the emperor
in Vienna:

STYN OUUY UKLOPYEN BYLIE JESTI MERA SGODE, KRUKOUUYE NASS

MARKOMAN I BRETE SLAVNOV, LYTOU BOYA NASGA
... MARKOMAN PROYDE. NI SLAUNOu ...
STyN ... POKOy ... LyTH v VIKA.

According to Orbini, these are nothing but Slavic words, and he translates it like this:

THIS STONE IS CARVED AS A SIGN OF PEACE CONTAINED BETWEEN US,

MARKOMANNI AND THE BROTHERS OF THE SLAVS, IN THE YEAR OF OUR WAR ...
… MARKOMANNI WILL PASS, SLAVS NOT …
STONE ... PEACE ... FOREVER.

8
Franki < Wranki (F=W), Old Slavic ‘wran’ – raven, Polish: kruk, former ‘krak’as well. It is worth explaining that the
word ‘wran’ that consists of a term ‘w[e]ra + an’, meaning 'faithful to heaven', therefore Wran = Krak (name of Polish
legendary king from whose name Krakow was founded), because K+ra+k means the same (k- from/to, *ra = sun and
the ending -k). A synonymous name for Krak (Wran) seems also to be Alaric, because A- is an archaic prefix also
meaning from/after, in this case la = ra (ala = ara / aria8), and *ric meaning Polish ‘ryk’ (roar) from whom is the word
‘rycerz’ (knight) who ‘ryczy’ (roars) before battle. Ending -k on behalf of Krak may be a one-letter abbreviation of the
word ‘ryk’ (‘rycerz’ by default). It looks that the root *ric/rik, generally considered to be Germanic, is of Slavic origin.
9
It may be Benedict of Anian (French: Benoît d'Aniane), who bore the family name of Witiza and was associated with
these three rulers.

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 Tomasz J. Kosinski

So this translation may indicate that the Marcomanni fought with the Slavs, and a year after the
war they made an alliance between them. The note that the Marcomanni will pass and the Slavs will
not, rather proves that it is the work of the Slavs, not the Marcomanni, as interpreted by Eremey,
followed by Orbini. I do not know why the translation omits the word Kruk, which, in my opinion,
means the Slavic chief priest. Therefore, I would separate a fragment of this notation into: KRUK
OUUY E, the word OUUY is also in the first row and means in Polish 'owy' - 'that', and E is an
abbreviation of 'jest' (Old Slavic: ist/est, English: is). Markoman, on the other hand, is, in my
opinion, the 'ruler, lord' (*mark - marchia, principality). Marcomani, then, are those who choose a
prince, and not just rely on rally rule. Therefore, I would personally translate this inscription
differently:

Polish:
STYN [KAMIEŃ] OWY WKOPANY BYŁ I JEST MIREM [PAMIĄTKĄ] ZGODY,
KRUK OWY JE[ST] NASZYM MARKOMANEM I BRATEM SŁOWIAN,
ROK ÓW BOJU NASZEGO…[?]
MARKOMAN ODEJDZIE, ALE NIE SŁAWIANIE
... STYN [KAMIEŃ] ... POKÓJ ... NA WIEKI.

English:
STONE THESE DIGGED WAS AND IS MEMORIAL OF CONSENT,
CROW THIS IS OUR MARCOMAN AND BROTHER OF THE SLAVS,
THE YEAR OF OUR STRUGGLE ...[date unknown]
MARCOMAN WILL DEPART BUT NOT SLAVS
... STONE ... PEACE ... FOR ETERS.

In other words, this inscription did not necessarily have to be written by the Marcomanni, but it is
possible that it was the work of the Slavs, who, after a period of fighting, entrusted Kruk (raven/crow
or priest) with power, making him a Marcomanni, i.e. a prince. It is possible that this Kruk may be
the legendary Krok/Krak. In the text, however, they clearly emphasize their attachment to the
commune authorities, stating that the Markoman (prince/lord) will pass, and the Slavs will not. That
is, the Slavic tradition and the fame of the Slavs will survive, even if the ruler is missing, after whom
this stone, which is to be a memento of peace, will remain. The only question is what fights are
meant, although the text of the inscription may suggest that Kruk was fighting for power and finally
it was entrusted to him, noting that it was a rather temporary solution.
The stone probably does not exist anymore, as do many similar souvenirs from pre-Christian
times that fell victim to the elimination of evidence and manifestations of the old faith. All the more,
the message of Eremey, noted by Orbini, is so important. However, one should actually think more
carefully about the explanation of this inscription. Both Orbini and I can be wrong. Also, Eremey
might have made some mistakes in copying the text from the stone he saw, and Orbini in copying the
text. I myself come to mind yet another variant of the translation of this text, namely the fragment of
KRUKOUUYE, which Orbini is modernizing into KRVKOVYE, can be broken down into
KRV K OVY E, which in turn would mean BLOOD FROM HIM IS. This would completely change
the meaning of the whole text, the fragment of which with blood may refer to its shedding in battle,
the origin of the family, or mean a blood sacrifice made along with the digging of this stone as
a memorial of the covenant, as a mandatory requirement ensuring the favor of the gods, the highest
judges and guarantors of all alliances and promises.

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 The forgotten “Kingdom Slavs” by Mauro Orbini

In any case, Orbini claims the Marcomanni were Slavs, period. I have a similar opinion on this
subject, but not necessarily on the basis of this inscription10.
According to him, Scandinavia was also supposed to be the place of settlement of the Slavs, and
the present Swedes, Danes, Norwegians and Icelanders are their descendants. Moreover, referring to
Albert Krantz, he believes that Thule (the ancient name of Scandinavia) was the cradle of the Proto-
Slavs, from where they moved deep into the European continent around 1460 BCE.
Originally from the Scandinavian Peninsula, all these nations (except the Illiryans and Thracians)
were known collectively as the Goths. Francesco Irenico (Latin: Franciscus Irenicus, German: Franz
Friedlieb), a German historian from the 16th century, describing the history and peoples of Germania
(Germaniæ exegeseos volumina duodecim a Francisco Irenico Ettelingiaco exarata, 1518), tells us
that the Antes who were the Slavic people, according to the testimonies of Jordanes and Procopius,
were also descended from the Goths who were also the ancestors of the Avars, Scirians, Alans and
many other Slavic peoples. This statement is consistent with the evidence of Ablabius (4th / 5th
century historian describing the history of the Goths), Jordanes (Getica and Romana) and Paul
Barnefried (Italian: Paolo Barnefrido), known as the Deacon (Polish: Paweł Diakon).
According to Procopius, quoted by Orbini, the Goths were to be Vandals, Visigoths and Gepides,
formerly known as Sarmatians and Melanchlains. Prokopius' opinion on this issue was shared by,
among others Nicephorus Callixtus Xantopulus (Latin: Nicephoras Callistus) - Byzantine Church
historian from the 14th century, F. Martino in his Short Roman History and Lucius Faunus (Italian:
Lucio Fauno), author of the Compendium of Ancient Rome (Italian: Compendio di Roma antica,
1552). And since many authors consider the Vandals to be Slavs, then, in Orbini's opinion, it is
obvious that they were also Goths.
For example, Flavio Biondo (De Roma instaurata, 1444-1446) wrote about the fact that the
Vandals and the Slavs were one nation. He tells us that the Vandals were named after the Vandal
River (Italian: dal fiume Vandalo), i.e. Wisla (Latin: Vistla, Vistula = Vandalus), and later became
known as the Slavs. On the other hand, Johannes Magnus (Italian: Gioanni Magno Gotho),
a Swedish theologian and historian (Historia de omnibus Gothorum Sueonumque regibus), who
started the list of Swedish rulers with Noah's biblical grandson, Magog - and that is why the
numbering of historical Swedish monarchs adopted until today begins with high digits - also wrote
that the Slavs and the Vandals are really one people and differ only in name.
Adam of Bremen (Latin: M. Adami) also says in the second volume of Historia ecclesiastica from
the 11th century,that the Slavs were formerly known as the Vandals: the Slavic region, the largest of
the lands of Germania, is inhabited by the Vinuli, who were previously called Vandals, apparently it
is [the Slavic] larger than our Saxony, especially if we include Czechs and Polans on the other side of
the Oder, who do not differ either in language or in custom from the rest of Germania.
Pier Francesco Giambullari, an Italian writer and historian from the 16th century, author of the
History of Europe (Italian: Istoria dell'Europa) writes that according to numerous references
(Barnefried – Paul the Deacon, Jordanes, Irenico), the Vandals came from Gothic tribes, although
later they fought with other Goths. In his work, Orbini cites many different authors, such as the
completely unknown onein Poland, the Frisian historian Peter Suffried (Latin: Petri Suffridus, Frieze:
Sjoerd Pieters Petrus), living in the years 1527-1597, author of De Frisiorum antiquitate et origine
libri tres (Colon, 1590). In the milieu of Western historians, however, he is considered a fairy tale
writer, because he gives many facts from the history, not only of Friesland, unknown in other
sources11. For example, he claimed, among other things, that the ancient Boii were driven out by the
Marcomanni, i.e. the Vandals, who remain the lords of the Czech Republic to this day. This actually
means that the Czechs are descendants of the Vandals. Orbini also quotes an astonishing quote from
10
T.J. Kosiński, Bohaterowie dawnych Słowian, Warsaw 2022.
11
P.L. Müller, Petrus Suffridus, [in:] Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie 25 (1887), online version: https://www.deutsche-
biographie.de/pnd129891738.html#adbcontent

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 Tomasz J. Kosinski

his book: All historians who wrote about the history of Britain agreed that Brutus, who formerly
Albion called Britain after his name, drove out the giants from this island, they are called the Slavs.
Developing this thread, Orbini further refers to some Dutch Chronicle, where it is written that the
Slavs expelled from Britain were looking for a new seat, they reached the shores of Lower Saxony,
now called Friesland, but were driven from there by indigenous peoples. So they continued on until
they reached the mouth of the Meuse River (Mosa), where they stayed near ancient Vlarding. They
built a fortress there, which they named Slavenburg. This was to be in the time of the Jewish King
Samuel, 900 years BCE.
Suffridus, quoted by Orbini, claims that the exiled Slavs were later known as Svevi/Suevi (likely
from Slavic name ‘Słewi’, because Polish ‘ł’ is pronounced in English like ‘w/u’). On the other hand,
Johann Nauckler (Latin: Johannes Nauclerus), a Swabian historian living at the turn of the 15th and
16th centuries, the author of the Chronicle of the World (Latin: Memorabilium omnis aetatis et
omnium gentium chronici commentarii, 1516), reported that the Slavs were the owners of England,
but Brutus he chased them away. The rest of the Slavs living in the eastern territories known as
Sarmatia overcame the expansive aspirations of Alexander the Great. They were also to defeat
Menedemos, Alexander's army commander, when they killed 2,000 foot soldiers and 300
Macedonian horsemen. Quintus Curtius Rufus, Roman senator and consul and historian from the 1st
century CE, in his work on the History of Alexander the Great (Latin: Historiae Alexandri Magni),
attributes this victory to the Scythians,
However, Johannes Aventinus in his Bavarian Annals (Latin: Annales Bojorum12, 1523) clearly
confirms that they were Slavs. He also gives an account of the message to Alexander the Great of the
people from East Germany, which historians called the Sarmatians and Scythians, and the Germans
know them under the name of Wends, i.e. Slavs. Aventine writes that these Slavs, after defeating
Alexander's army, during a meeting with him about the negotiations, proudly informed him that he
probably did not realize whom he wanted to pick up the sword for. They defined themselves as a free
and undefeated people who had conquered the king of Scythia13and then the Medes and the Persians.
They also planned to go to Egypt. They point out to Alexander that he is robbing conquered tribes
instead of forming partner alliances with them. They emphasize that they prefer to live in the bosom
of nature, more in forests by rivers, and not in citiesand they are not interested in amassing great
fortune, therefore they do not have such aspirations to conquer as him, how they differ from him. It
sounds strange, because earlier Orbini argued that Macedonians, including Alexander the Great
himself, are also Slavs. In any case, they give him a lot of good advice on how to deal with people
and gain their praise and recognition. They also point out that if he considers himself a god, he
should bestow on mortals, not take away what they have. However, if he is only human, he must
remember that all people are equal and he has no right to enslave anyone or deprive him of his
goods. This is the only way to live in fameand friendship with others. Whoever does not respect
people cheats the gods. Slavic deputies believed that their people were the guardians of Asia and
Europe. Their reign is to extend to Bactria, and after Tana (Don) they inhabit lands as far as Thrace,
which borders Macedonia. According to Aventin, Alexander, however, did not obey them and waged
a further war with the Slavs, which he lost.

12
Bavaria (German: Bayer) is a Slavic land called Bojka, or Bojowaria, formerly inhabited by the people of War
(Warriors), who in today's historiography are considered a Celtic tribe. But Slavic word ‘boj’ means ‘battle’ and ‘woj’
– fighter, knight. The name Bojhemia (Bohemia), later changed to the Czech Republic, also comes from them.
13
From this it would follow that it was the Wends (Slavs) who conquered the Scythians, and not the other way around.
Perhaps that is also why less informed old authors called them Scythians. In my opinion, this may be due to the fact
that we are dealing here with the Sarmatians, who, as a branch of the Scythians, at a certain time not only distinguished
themselves from them, but also dominated the entire group peoples, so the areas previously called Scythia came to be
referred to as Sarmatia.

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 The forgotten “Kingdom Slavs” by Mauro Orbini

Sebastian Münster's map of Pomerania with Vandaly being marked

(Cosmographiae universalis, 1522 edition)

Aventinus also adds that this great people comes from the steppes of Sarmatia and some time ago
decided to leave these areas moving west in two groups. One of them occupied the lands north of the
Danube as far as the Baltic coast (probably the Weneds and Sarmatians), as confirmed by the record
by David Chytraeus alias Chyträus (Latin Davidis Chytraei), a German historian, Lutheran, author of
the 16th-century Chronicle of Saxony (Latin: Chronicon Saxoniae, 1590), who wrote that: The
peoples that the Germans call Wends (Vuenden) are Slavs of origin, and our Vandals occupy the
entire Baltic coast14.
We also learn that, according to Suffridus, the natives of Westphalia and Ostfalia were Vandals,
called there the Vali. They were also known as: Veneds, Wends, Henets, Venetians, Vinites, Slavs
(Venedi, Vendi, Heneti, Veneti, Viniti, Slaui), about which you can read in works of Saxo
Gramaticus, Helmold, Aeneas Silwiusz (Enea Siluio), Albert Krantz, Irenico, Reinentius (Reiner
Reineccius), Wolfgang Lazius (Latius) and many others.
Orbini quotes Albert Krantz, who emphasizes the unity of the Slavs and Vandals, and in his books
"Vandalia" and "Saxony" he uses the term ‘Vandali’ to describe the Slavs. This is also evidenced by
the Notes on Muscovites (Rerum moscoviticarum commentario, 1549) by Sigismund (Siegmund)
von Herberstein. Referring to Nestor, the author reports that after a series of disputes and
disagreements between the Slavic families from the area of Slavensk, the council of elders
summoned the rulers of Wagria (Vvagria Citta), a land located in Polabian region, near Lübeck and
the Duchy of Holstein, to help them choose a new one prince. The Varangians are therefore, in his

14
This may indicate that the clever Chytrus begins to separate the Wends from the Vandals, treating the former as Slavs,
but the latter as his own, i.e. Germans, which was picked up by subsequent authors, causing a dispute over the ethnicity
of the Vandals, which continues to this day.

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 Tomasz J. Kosinski

opinion, the Slavic Wagrians (Wagri), a vandal tribe speaking the same language, not the Normans15.
It should be added here that M.W. Lomonosov was also a promoter of a similar thesis, who argued
with G.F. Miller's concept of the Norman origin of the Rurik dynasty16.
Also the Pomeranian Peter Atropius (Italian: Pietro Artopeo Pomerano, Latin: Petrus Artopeus
Pomeranus, German: Peter Becker, Polish: Piotr Atropiusz), does not distinguish Vandals from
Slavs, including of course also Russians. Orbini writes that on this author's map published in
Sebastian Münster's Cosmographiae universalis (1540), it can be seen that the entire region of
Magnopolensis (Magna Polonia means Great Poland, like Polish present region Wielkopolska)
between Holstein and Livonia was inhabited by the Vandals, i.e. the Slavs. In fact, when you
compare the original map of Atropius and the version published by Münster, you can see that the
latter historian included information about the Vandals in the description on the map of a Pomeranian
cartographer and named it Vandalia, in the area west of Gdańsk.
On the basis of the opinions of all the scholars quoted by Orbini, he recognizes the Goths,
Visigoths, Vandals and Getae as the same Slavic people.
He believes that, apart from the historians' accounts and opinions on this matter, the preserved
names of the rulers of those tribes such as: Vidimir (Vuidimir), Sigimir, Theodomir, Frigimir,
Sveulad (Svevlad), Selimir, Gelmir, Radagast, Rahimir (Rachimir), Raimir (Raimir), Sigismir,
Vizumar, Vitiz, Misislav or Mislav, Visislao, Singiban, Predemir or Obrad, are a confirmation of his
claim, because they look evidently Slavic.
Additionally, it provides a mini dictionary comparing the language of the Vandals and the Slavs,
indicating clear similarities, including, inter alia, such words as:

Fragment of a Vandal-Slavic dictionary from the work of M. Orbini (1601)

15
Orbini, moreover, consider the Normans to be descendants of the Goths, i.e. the Slavs, so assuming such assumptions
the disputethe ethnicity of the Varangians makes no sense.
16
M.W. Lomonosov, Возражениях на диссертацию Миллера, т. 6. М.-Л, 1952.

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 The forgotten “Kingdom Slavs” by Mauro Orbini

The above dictionary, containing a total of approx. 180 words, is given by Orbini after the second
book of the mysterious Carlo Vagriese (Italian: Carlo della Wagria, Russian: Карл Вагрийский,
Polish: Karol Wagryjski) and although it is impossible to find information about this author, nor
about his works outside of citations, as he does not even appear in the Vatican indexes, one can
believe Orbini that he used his work entitled The History of the Wends, which perhaps was only in
the manuscript in the library of Federigo dei Montefeltro in Urbino. Orbini reported that also
Wolfgang Lazius (Laz, Latius), an Austrian humanist, cartographer, historian and physician, living in
the 16th century, also included a similar list of vandalous words in his book XI17. Unfortunately, this
book also cannot be found, because it may have been lost in the fires of the Thirty Years' War, which
broke out in Europe in 1618. That is why the preserved, though stigmatized, work of Orbini is so
valuable.
Many authors reported that the speech of the Vandals is the same as that of other Slavs. That is
why the opinion of Martin Kromer, who does not consider the Vandals as a Slavic people, is
surprising, because their language, in his opinion, is closer to the Germanic one. It is difficult to say
on what basis this claim is based, since Jean Bodin, who wrote in the same period in his work from
1566, clearly states that Poles, Czechs, Russians, Lithuanians, Muscovites, Bosnians, Bulgarians,
Serbs, Croats, Dalmatians and Vandals use the same Slavic language that is also spoken in
Scandinavia, and they differ only in dialect (orig. Sic enim audio Polonos, Bohemos, Rußios,
Lithuanos, Moschouitas, Boßinios, Bulgaros, Seruios, Croatios, Dalmatas, Vandalos eade[m]
Sclauorum vti lingua, quæ in Sca[n]dia vsurpatur, ac sola dialecto differre)18.
Probably Kromer wanted to cut off the Poles from the Vandals, who were labeled as "destroyers"
(hence the term "vandal" has a pejorative overtone to this day19), and also to link them more clearly
with the Sarmatians, because it was then that Sarmatism was entering the salons of the
Commonwealth with pomp. The Lechite-Vandal theory, which was promoted by, among others
Kadlubek, connecting the Vandals with the Lechites, was practically replaced in the 16th century by
the Lechite-Sarmatian theory. Only a few authors equated the Vandals, Lechites and Sarmatians.
The conclusions of this short vocabulary for learning Vandalic language are more than obvious,
vandal looks like a lechitic dialect, close to Polish and Czech. Mauro Orbini himself indicates it
unequivocally, quoting the appropriate fragment from Herberstein's Rerum Moscoviticarum. Il
Regno might not have fallen into the hands of censorship if Orbini had not recklessly wrote that:
Even Petrus Artopeus Pomeranus nowhere in his works distinguish Vandals from Slavs. Peter
Artopius, also known as Peter Becker, he quoted, was a Pomeranian poet, theologian, reformer and
Lutheran pastor, already on the list of persecuted authors. We can therefore be sure that the clergy
did not fail to notice this audacity of Orbini, therefore the necessary steps were taken to protect
future readers from the "evil of heretical content" and his work was published two years after its
publication, on the Index of Prohibited Books.
Following Pribojevic, Orbini also repeats the thesis that Macedonians were not Greeks, because
they spoke Slavic, as evidenced by the historical references he cited.
As Orbini writes, the Slavic language, which in the old days was a determinant of ethnicity, was
used by peoples living in areas from the Caspian Seato Saxony and from the Adriatic Sea to the
Germanic (Baltic).
According to Jan Dubravius, a Czech clergyman and writer, author of Historia regni Bohemiae
(1552), the Slavs got their name from the Sarmatian word "slouo" - a word, bearing in mind that all
Sarmatian peoples scattered around the world speak the same language. Martin Kromer had
a similar view and justified them with honesty and a tendency to keep his word. To this day, Poles

17
http://chronologia.org/en/seven5/annex2.html
18
J. Bodinus, Methodus ad facilem historiarum cognitionem, Paris 1566; R. Van Rooy, J. Considine: Between
Homonymy and Polysemy ...
19
In a similar way, Polish word ‘awaria’ (failure) originated from the destructive Avars.

11
 Tomasz J. Kosinski

and Czechs despise people who do not keep their promises made in good faith, which is not befitting
noble people. It is a matter of honor that they can even die for.
Orbini personally, however, is more inclined to the etymology of the ethnonym Slavs from 'fame'
(Old Slavic: slava, Polish: sława). It is supposed to be a reference to the glorious victories of this
people, which was recorded in popular Slavic names, such as: Stanisław, Wieńczysław, Władysław,
Dobrosław, Radosław, Bolesław (*sław = *slav). This fact is noticed by many eminent authors, and
one of them is Reiner Reineccius, author of, inter alia, Chronicon Hierosolymitanum (1584).
Reineccius' opinion is shared by the aforementioned clergyman and writer Eremey Russkiy, who
in 1227 wrote Russian annals (Polish: Ruskie letopisy, Italian: Gli Annali di Russia). On the date of
1118, he placed the following account: When Russia was hit by internal wars, Krunoslaw
(Crunoslau) came to our borders with a powerful Slavic army and defeated our troops in battle.
Krunoslaw himself was killed, as was his son, and their bodies were buried near Voich's citadel. This
nation regularly destroyed our borders, demonstrating great cruelty, despite our kinship. They are
called Slavs because of their numerous victories and glorious deeds, I believe, finding a lot of
evidence in the ancient tradition of our ancestors.
Bernard Justinian (Italian: Bernardo Giustiniano), Italian bishop and author of History (1608), is
another writer who tells us quite unequivocally that the Slavs got their glorious name because they
were brave warriors. In the third volume of his work, he writes: Then the proud Slavic people
invaded Istria and reached the borders of Venice. In those days, many tribes attacked the Roman
Empire, but the Slavs, the Scythian people, received their glorious name for their military prowess.
Therefore, Orbini concludes that this nation could not have had a name other than the Slavs, and
that was what many scientists called it, incl. Helmold, Abbot Arnold (Arnoldo Abbate), George
Verengerius (Giorgio Vuerenhero), Sigismund Herberstein, Giorgio Cedreno, Johannes Herburt
(Gioa ni Herburto), Alexander Guagnini (Polish: Aleksander Gwagnin, Italian: Alessandro
Guagnini).
He continues with further quotes from Aventinus, including the settlement of the neighboring
lands from the southern coast of the Baltic Sea by violent people called Esta (Ests) and other Slavic
tribes. He also quotes Ptolemy (III, 5), who writes: Numerous peoples of the Wends inhabited most of
Sarmatia in the Gulf of Venezia. The second group took the areas south of the Danube (it is possible
that it is about, among others, Iazyges20 and Getae). It does not stick too closely with the information
previously given by Orbini about the passage of Goths (Slavs) from their home seatin Tula
(Scandinavia) to the south. Unless the Goths originally belonged to the first group that inhabited not
only the southern but also the northern shores of the Baltic Sea.
Referring to Pliny, he says that in ancient times the Serbs inhabited the areain the vicinity of the
Sea of Azov. After some time, they left these seats and some of them moved to the Danube and
Upper Moesia, while the rest successively settled in the areas of European Sarmatia, including
today's Poland. A large group arrived in Lusatia, where they live to this day.
Orbini also reminds that the Slavs also fought with each other, an example of which is their
conflict with the Antes. To confirm the identity of the Slavs and Antes, he cites Procopius, who
claimed that both tribes were equal and similar in every respect. Previously, they were collectively
referred to as Spori. Procopius also writes about the wars of the Slavs with the Illiryans and the
Thracians, who suffered from them severe defeats and acts of cruelty. Well, assuming Orbini's
assumptions about the Slavicness of these three peoples, it seems that the northern group of Slavs did
not like the southern one very much. The Slavs from across the Danube plundered Roman lands, and
Gepides helped them in crossing this river.

20
The name Iazyges seems to refer to Slavic word ‘jazyk’ (‘language’, and according to Nestor also ‘nation’) and
Russian ‘язычество’ (‘yazychestvo’) – paganism.

12
 The forgotten “Kingdom Slavs” by Mauro Orbini

He then reports that Flavio Biondo (an Italian historian from the 15th century) noted that the Slavs
notoriouslythey crossed the Danube for plunder, and a group of them settled permanently on the right
coast of the Adriatic, which is why the lands formerly called Istria and Dalmatia are now called
Slavonia.
Later in Orbini writes about the expeditions of the Slavs to Roman territories and describes their
numerous battles with the Byzantine armies in the 6th century. He also recalls the description of Paul
the Deacon about the expedition of the Lombards, whom Orbini also recognize as a branch of the
Slavs, to Apulla under the leadership of Arioald. There, one of the local princes, Rudoald, was to
conduct negotiations with them, after the death of his brother Rion in battle, in his native Slavic
language. It was these victorious Slavs who were called Narentans (Nereczans, Pagans 21). They
fought for many years with the Venetians and the inhabitants of Dalmatia for sea domination.
Lombards22 in the times of Agilulf, they were to capture Padua and Cremona together with the Slavs.
Again referring to the Aventin, Orbini writes about the Slavic occupation of all of Lower Bavaria
and the conquest by one of their tribes, called the Chorutans (Carinthians), of a part of the Roman
province of Noricum.
He also mentions the legend of Lech and the Czech, recognizing them as Croats who, after the
killing of one of their comrades by the Czech, were forced to leave their native lands and went to
Moravia. After some time, Lech left the Bohemia (Czechia) and moved to Silesia, establishing his
country there - Lechia23.
Citing Albert Krantz, he writes that Pomeranians and Kashubians lived in the Baltic lands before
the birth of Christ. The French monk Aimoin (Historia Francorum), who lived at the turn of the 10th
and 11th centuries, identifies the Velatabi tribe with the Veleti24 (otherwise called the Vilzi < Polish:
Wilcy). On the other hand, Orbini, quoting Sebastian Münster's Cosmography, states that the Herules
and the Obodrites were otherwise known as the Vandals. Krantz and Lazius also claimed that
Odoaker was a Rugian Slav. I would like to remind you that Polish annalist Jan Dlugosz also derived
that Herules’ hero from Rus who, in turn, was to be a descendant of Lech. Rugia (German: Rügen)
somehow strangely written in the Middle Ages in the same way as Russia, i.e. Ruthenia, so perhaps
Dlugosz and the mentioned German authors were right.

Summary
Orbini's work belongs to many forgotten sources, most often overlooked by Poles and Western
historians, because his theses do not fit the accepted paradigms and vision of history tailored to the
needs of a specific historical policy. Thus, the works of the authors whom he mentions, or at least the
fragments he quotes, are treated in the historical arguments of academics as unreliable messages, not
worth much attention. Selectivity, partiality and servility of scientists in the matter of the origin and
meaning of the Slavsin history it is a real eye-catcher here.
In the reign of Peter I, Orbini's work, in abbreviated form and translated into Russian by Sava
Vladislavić Raguzinski (Polish: Sawa Lukicz Władysławicz-Raguziński, Serbian: Сава
Владиславић Рагузински), and with a foreword by the Orthodox bishop Teofan Prokopovych (ros.

21
The ethnonym Nereczanie can mean "stateless persons" (*recz - thing, state). On the other hand, the term Pagan and
the island of Pag associated with this name indicate that they were native believers (pag <pąg / bud - an oval settlement
called an eye or okulnica, referring to the solar circle and solar cult popular among Slavs and other peoples).
22
In my opinion, the Longobards are Lengobards, what means in Polish - Lęgobratowie, i.e. the Lęg = Lęh (English:
nest) and the bard < bart in Polish (and Slavic) is a twisted ‘brother’, not a ‘beard’.
23
That is why Silesia, or Slesia, means ‘Z Lesia’, i.e. ‘from Lesi = Lehs’ (Polish: 'z Lesów / Leszków = Lechów').
24
The name Velatabi corresponds with Polish term Wieletowie (alternate b=w), and the root ‘vela’ means ‘many’ (Polish:
wiele).

13
 Tomasz J. Kosinski

Феофа́н Прокопо́вич), was published in Petersburg in 1722. The monk Saint Paisius of Hilendar
(Polish: Paisjusz Chilendarski, Bulgarian: Паисий Хилендарски) wrote on the basis of the Slavic-
Bulgarian History (1762), also using the work of Vasily Tatishchev25.
Unfortunately, everything that is Russian has been recognized for some time as a manifestation of
harmful Pan-Slavism, and for some time all Slavophilic studies and views have been hurriedly
thrown into a bag with such an inscription, as if the two terms (Pan-Slavism and Slavophilism) were
to be equivalent. Therefore, the knowledge of Orbini himself, as well as his Russian translations, or
studies based on his work, is weak in our country or is deliberately limited by undermining his
credibility. It is interesting that the same critics are not bothered by the swaggering philogermanism
in science, a bias in the selection of sources, the glorification of selected authors, and the interest in
scientific activities for the sake of only the correct version of history.

Mauro Orbini (public domain)

25
Zarcalo dvhovno od pocetka i sfarhe xivota coviecanskoga: razdieglieno, i razreyeno u petnaes razgovora, a u stoo,
i pedeset dubbia, alliti sumgna poglavitieh. Vcignenieh meyu mesctrom, i gnegoviem vcenijkom. / Istomaceno iz
yezikka italianskoga u dubrovacki po D. Mavru Orbinu Dubrovcaninu Opattu od S. Marie od Backe, od Reda Sfetoga
Benedikta, 1595; Книга историография початия имене, славы и разширения народа славянского, и их цареи и
владетелеи под многими имянами, и со многими царствиями, королевствами, и провинциами, 1722.

14
 The forgotten “Kingdom Slavs” by Mauro Orbini

Orbini certainly had a tendency to over-interpret, but in his work we can also find a lot of
important information that requires further research, although it does not suit the creators of scientific
paradigms about our history created during the period of conquest and strengthening of Christianity
in the Slavic region, and recorded in during the partitions of Poland. If we manage to decode our
mind, programmed from an early age, and get rid of the psychological syndrome of denial of all
things that are inconsistent with what has been put into our heads over the years of school education
and the media, then perhaps we will see that this historical puzzle should look a bit different.
Authors such as Mauro Orbini, who, in spite of others, tried to recover and propagate the truth
about the history and heritage of the Slavs have a large share in its reconstruction.

Tomasz J. Kosiński
09/22/2022

Bibliography and netography

Bodinus J., Methodus ad facilem historiarum cognitionem, Paris 1566.
Kosiński T.J., Bohaterowie dawnych Słowian, Warsaw 2022.
Łomonosow М.W., Возражениях на диссертацию Миллера, т. 6. М.-Л, 1952.
Madunić D., Vinko Pribojević and the Glory of the Slavs, Budapest 2003.
Mroziński Pruss T., Głagolica, 2019.
Orbini M., Il regno degli Slavi, Pesaro, 1601.
Pribojevic V., Oratio de origine sucessionibusque Slavorum, 1532.
Rastell J., A Treatise Intitled, Beware of M. Iewel, Antwerp 1566;
Van Rooy R., Considine J.: Between Homonymy and Polysemy: The Origins and Career of the
English Form Dialect in the Sixteenth Century, [in:] Anglia 2016; 134(4): 639–667.
Zarcalo dvhovno od pocetka i sfarhe xivota coviecanskoga: razdieglieno, i razreyeno u petnaes
razgovora, a u stoo, i pedeset dubbia, alliti sumgna poglavitieh. Vcignenieh meyu mesctrom,
i gnegoviem vcenijkom. / Istomaceno iz yezikka italianskoga u dubrovacki po D. Mavru Orbinu
Dubrovcaninu Opattu od S. Marie od Backe, od Reda Sfetoga Benedikta, 1595.

http://chronologia.org/en/seven5/annex2.html
http://www.macedoniantruth.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1156
Müller P.L., Petrus Suffridus, [in:] Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie 25 (1887), online version:
https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd129891738.html#adbcontent
Orbini M., Il Regno de gli Slaui hoggi corrottamente detti Schiauoni. Historia di don Mauro Orbini
rauseo abbate melitense. Nella quale si vede l'origine quasi di tutti i popoli che furono della lingua
slaua, con molte, & varie guerre, che fecero in Europa, Asia, & Africa. Pesaro 1601. (Google
Books)
Книга историография початия имене, славы и разширения народа славянского, и их цареи и
владетелеи под многими имянами, и со многими царствиями, королевствами, и
провинциами, 1722.
Орбин M., Краљевство Словена, Београд 1968.

Other language versions works by Orbini online:

Russian:https://dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01003341482#?page=1/http://tvoyhram.ru/stati/st96str1.html
Croatian:https://archive.org/details/KraljevstvoSlavenaMavroOrbini
Serbian:https://www.ivantic.info/Ostale_knjiige/istorija/Orbini_Kraljevstvo%20Slovena.pdf

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 Tomasz J. Kosinski

Author's note
Tomasz J. Kosiński. Born in 1970. A resident of Kielce.
Master of social sciences by education, passionate historian,
ethnologist and Slavophile. Student of prof. Andrzej Wierciński, a
cultural anthropologist. A supporter of the Bronisław Malinowski
method. Former academic lecturer (Jan Kochanowski University in
Kielce). Manager and trainer of many training projects. Currently,
an independent researcher of Slavic history, propagator of
knowledge and truth hunter. Popularizer of the idea of regionalism
and the former Slavic region. Publisher, editor, journalist.
Active social activist, founder and member of several non-
governmental organizations, organizer of cultural events,
expeditions and training. Passionate about conscious tourism,
licensed foreign tour leader, visited 118 countries in the world on 6 continents. Sailor, diver, fan of
survival, slow life and off-grid. He knows several foreign languages well. For several years he has
been living temporarily in the Philippines, where he runs an eco-corrections in line with the idea of
living close to nature.

Author of the following books about the Slavs:

1. "Rodowód Słowian" ("The origin of the Slavs") - 2017,
2. "Słowiańskie skarby. Tajemnice zabytków runicznych z Retry” ("Slavic treasures. Secrets of
the runic relics from Retra") - 2018,
3. "Runy słowiańskie" ("Slavic runes") - 2019,
4. "Bogowie Słowian. Bóstwa, biesy i junacy” ("Gods of the Slavs. Deities, fiends and heroes") -
2019,
5. "Wiara Słowian" ("Faith of the Slavs") - 2020,
6. "Życie erotyczne Słowian" ("Erotic life of the Slavs") - 2021,
7. "Fenomen Wielkiej Lechii" ("The phenomenon of Great Lechia") - 2021,
8. "Bohaterowie dawnych Słowian" ("Heroes of ancient Slavs") - 2022.

Any comments on the results of author’s research should be sent to the following e-mail address:
tomasz@kosinski.pl or through author's profiles on internet portals, where you can also find articles
and fragments of publications:
• academia.edu: https://independentresearcher.academia.edu/TomaszKosinski
• researchgate.net: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tomasz-Kosinski
• Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/tomaszjkosinski

You can familiarize yourself with the list of world libraries (e.g. the Library of the US Congress)
and universities (e.g. Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, or Humboldt) that have Tomasz Kosinski’s
books in their collections: http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n2011029175/

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