Mannus

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Mythological figure

title: "Mannus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["germanic-mythology", "legendary-progenitors"] description: "Mythological figure" topic_path: "geography/germany" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Mythological figure ::

::callout[type=note] the Germanic figure ::

Mannus, according to the Roman writer Tacitus, was a figure in the creation myths of the Germanic tribes. Tacitus is the only source of these myths. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Mannus_söner.jpg" caption="Engraving of the three sons of Mannus ([[Carl Larsson]], 1893): Ingui plays with a model ship (the [[Ingaevones]] lived by the sea); Irmin wears a helmet and sword (the [[Irminones]] were famed as warriors); Istaev/Iscio digs in the earth and has a toy horse (the [[Istvaeones]] were horsemen and farmers)."] ::

Tacitus wrote that Mannus was the son of Tuisto and the progenitor of the three Germanic tribes Ingaevones, Herminones and Istvaeones. In discussing the German tribes, Tacitus wrote:

Several authors consider the name Mannus in Tacitus's work to stem from an Indo-European root.

The Latinized name Mannus is evidently of some relation to Proto-Germanic mannaz, 'man'.

Mannus again became popular in literature in the 16th century, after works published by Annius de Viterbo and Johannes Aventinus purported to list him as a primeval king over Germany and Sarmatia.

In the 19th century, F. Nork wrote that the names of the three sons of Mannus can be extrapolated as Ingui, Irmin, and Istaev or Iscio. A few scholars like Ralph T. H. Griffith have expressed a connection between Mannus and the names of other ancient founder-kings, such as Minos of Greek mythology, and Manu of Hindu tradition.

Guido von List incorporated the myth of Mannus and his sons into his occult practice, which were later adopted into Nazi occult beliefs.

References

  • Tacitus. Germania (1st century AD; in Latin).

References

  1. (2003). "Mythology: Myths, Legends and Fantasies". Global Book / Struik / Sweet Water.
  2. Rauch, Irmengard. (2008). "The Phonology/Paraphonology Interface and the Sounds of German Across Time". [[Peter Lang (publisher).
  3. Woolf, Great. (2010). "Tales of the Barbarians: Ethnography and Empire in the Roman West". [[John Wiley & Sons]].
  4. Biliarsky, Ivan. (2011). "Word and Power in Mediaeval Bulgaria". [[Brill Publishers.
  5. Dumézil, Georges. (1988). "Mitra-Varuna: An Essay on Two Indo-European Representations". Zone.
  6. Harper, Douglas. "man – Origin and meaning".
  7. Whaley, Joachim. (2012). "Germany and the Holy Roman Empire". [[Oxford University Press]].
  8. Strauss, Gerald. (1963). "Historian in an Age of Crisis: The Life and Work of Johannes Aventinus, 1477–1534". [[Harvard University Press]].
  9. Jones, William J.. (1999). "Images of Language: Six Essays on German Attitudes". [[John Benjamins]].
  10. Populäre Mythologie, oder Götterlehre aller Völker, p. 112, F. Nork, Scheible, Rieger & Sattler (1845)
  11. Garrett, John. (1873). "A Classical Dictionary of India: Illustrative of the Mythology, Philosophy, Literature, Antiquities, Arts, Manners, Customs &c. of the Hindus". [[Higginbotham & Co.]].
  12. Goodrick-Clarke, Nicholas. (1992). "The Occult Roots of Nazism: Secret Aryan Cults and Their Influence on Nazi Ideology". [[New York University Press]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

germanic-mythologylegendary-progenitors