LANGUAGE. ART. SCIENCE. RELIGION

Menu:



LANGUAGE. ART. SCIENCE. RELIGION


LANGUAGE


1. The Dacian language - an Indo-European language


- Studying the few words known of the Daciian language, the linguists arrived at the conclusion that it is a member of the Indo-European family of languages, of the satem group, next to Sanskrit, Old Slavic, Persian and Baltic languages.


2. Dacian elements in the Romanian language


- Due to the impact of Romanization, the llanguage of the Dacians disappeared, but a number of 161 basic words survived in the Romanian language (for example: prunc-child, mos-old man, brad-fir tree, copac-tree, buza-lip, grumaz-neck, gard-fence, strugure-grapes, mazare-pea, balaur-dragon, a rabda-to endure, a speria-to scare, tare-hard, mare-big, bucuros-happy); among these words, 71 can be found in the Romanian language, as well as in the Albanian language (because the Albanians are the descendents of the Illyrians, ancient people related to the Thracians).
- Specific features of the Romanian languaage, like the the terminations -esc, -este and the articles placed at the end of the word, are inherited from the Dacian language. Also, some names of rivers and places in Romania are of Dacian origin: (Dacian name / modern Romanian name) Donaris/Dunare, Argessos/Arges, Samus/Somes, Maris/Mures, Dierna/Cerna, Alutus/Olt (rivers), Abruttus/Abrud, Carsium/Harsova, Altinum/Oltina (settlements).


3. How much is known of the Dacian language?


- A large number of proper names (of persoons, tribes, settlements, mountains, rivers, gods) are known. At these we add a list of 40 Dacian names for medicinal plants, kept in the treatises of the Greek physicians Dioscorides and Pseudo Apulleius (proziarna - zarna, in Romanian, mizila, zina, etc).
- The termination "dava", typical for the names of the Dacian citadels, means "fortified settlement"; Burebista, "the well-known"; costoboci, "the bright ones"; and, Decebalus is translated "the brave one".
- The Roman poet Ovid wrote, during his exxile at Tomis, a number of poems in the Dacian language, but they are lost.


4. Writing


- There existed, for certain, Dacian learnned men who had the knowledge of writing, and who knew Latin or Greek (during the war of 101-102, Decebalus sent a letter to Trajan, written in Latin, on a mushroom; also, letters from the Greek alphabet had been discovered on some blocks in the walls of Sarmizegetusa).
- The only inscription in the Dacian languuage is that on a large ceremonial vessel, discovered at Sarmizegetusa: "DECEBALUS PER SCORILO", meaning "Decebalus, son of Scorilo".


ART


5. Ceramics and metals


- The clay vessels from the Iron Age are aa proof of the artistic skills of the Dacians. In many places of Dacia have been found imitations of the beautiful Greek vessels. The archeological searches revealed, in the area of the Orastie Mountains, original painted pottery, dating from the first century A.D. (red drawings - geometrical, floral and animal representations - on a white background).
- The Dacians worked gold, which could be found abundantly in the Apuseni Mountains. A valuable piece is the gold helmet found at Poiana-Cotofenesti (we can observe the Scythian influence).
- Of silver were made not only imitations after de Macedonian, Greek or Roman coins, but also vessels and jewelry (many silver treasures have been discovered, some of them containing remarkable pieces - Sancraieni).
- The Dacians ornamented even the simplestt objects, like the iron pegs or the Blacksmith's tongs discovered at Sarmizegetusa.


6. Motifs of the Dacian art


- The stylization of the zoomorphic and annthropomorphic motifs, typical for the Dacian artists, is a proof of their preference for the geometrical drawings. The frequent use of vegetal motifs can be explained by the geometric features of the leaves and stems.
- The zoomorphic motifs seem to have been borrowed from the Scythians and the Greeks. The human figure is rare (four or five representations of goddess Bendis are known - the head discovered at Costesti, the medallion from Sarmizegetusa, etc).
- The Dacian bracelets, opened and spiraleed, are usually ending with a snake head, ancient indo-european symbol.
- The Danubian Horseman (The Thracian Horsseman), with many representations after the Roman conquest, is probably of Dacian origin (although from the period of the Dacian state we have no representations).


7. Music


- The Dacians loved music. The Greek histoorian Theopompus tells us that, when the Dacians form a deputation, they take their guitars with them, and while making their exposition, they play these instruments. Also, Iordanes mentions the songs, combining vocals and guitars, performed by the Dacian priests.


SCIENCE


8. Medicine


- The Dacians were especially skilled in mmedicine. I've already mentioned the treatises of medicine of two Greek physicians which include a list with the Dacian names of some medicinal plants. Also, Iordanes tells us that the Dacian had knowledge about "nature" and knew the properties of "herbs and bushes".
- The archeological discoveries at Sarmizeegetusa and Poiana testify the use of surgical instruments and that the Dacians carried out very delicate operations, like the trepanations.
- The famous Greek philosopher, Platon, quuotes a principle of the Dacian medicine, applied by the priests of Zalmoxis. This principle states that, for curing the body, we must also take care of the soul. Platon explains, thus, the reason why the Greek physicians can't handle many diseases (because they don't know the whole that they must treat, they are taking care only of the body).


9. Various fields of knowledge


- In one of his texts, Iordanes describes with much enthusiasm the activity of Deceneu among the Dacians: Deceneu taught them philosophy and ethics, and also the science of physics, the science of nature, logics, astronomy (he showed them the zodiacal signs, the movement of planets and stars on the sky, the phases of the Moon; he told them how many times the fire globe of the Sun is greater than that of the Earth).
- Iordanes exaggerates the scientific knoowledge of the Dacians (from his text we could understand that the Dacians were a people of scholars), but, certainly, there a existed a small group of learned men, mostly priests, (Deceneu, himself, was high priest), who had this knowledge.


11. Religious architecture


- The religious structures in the area of the Orastie Mountains prove the existence of certain scientific knowledge: most of the sizes of the constructions represent multiples of 0.437 m units, which is in fact the Dacian unit of measure; also, the sanctuaries are oriented after certain astronomical directions, and, for sure, the Andesite Sun served as a gnomon or even as an astrolabe - more details in the previous article.


RELIGION


11. Zalmoxis - the main god of the Dacians


- Religion represented an important elemennt of the Dacian civilization. The Dacian religion was centered on their belief in immortality.
- Herodotus tells us that the Dacians beliieve that they don't disappear after death, but they continue their life, in heaven, next to their supreme god, Zalmoxis

a. The story of Herodotus
- Herodot continues with a story that had been told to him by from the Greeks on Black Sea's coasts: according to them, Zalmoxis was a Dacian man, a slave of Pythagoras, and, after he was freed, he returned among the Dacians, whom he told that after their death they will go to a place where they will live happily forever. Then, continues Herodotus, Zalmoxis lived for three years in an underground chamber; the Dacians thought he was dead and, when he returned, they were sure that his teachings were true.
- Herodotus himself doubts that this storyy is true. Probably, the Greeks on the coasts of the Black Sea, who could not accept the existence of other gods, others from those in their mythology, just invented this story. The important thing is that they associated the cult of Zalmoxis with the teachings of Pythagoras (especially the idea of immortality).

b. The ritual of the messenger
- Herodotus also presents a practice of thhe Dacians, that of sending every five years a messenger to Zalmoxis, to make their god know their needs and sorrows. One Dacian man was chosen at random to be the messenger, he was told what he has to tell the god, and then he was thrown in the air to fall on three spears held with their points up. This kind of sacrifices could be found at other peoples (Celts, Scandinavians), but the difference is that the Dacians didn't choose a criminal, a thief or a prisoner, but a free man and one with no moral deviation.

c. The story of Strabon
- The Greek geographer and historian Strabbon wrote about Zalmoxis, too. Again, he is thought to have been a slave of Pythagoras, but from whom he didn't learn the doctrine of immortality, but the science of astrology. In addition, he traveled to Egypt. Because of his knowledge and his prophecies, Zalmoxis becomes the high priest of the Dacians. Afterwards, he goes to live in a cave on the sacred mountain, Cogaionon. Later, he became worshiped as a god.
- Therefore, it is quite possible that Zallmoxis really existed and that the ritual of the messenger is supposed to maintain the direct contacts with the god, as they existed while he lived among Dacians.

d. Zalmoxis-Gebeleizis
- From Herodotus, we know that the Dacianss also called their supreme god Gebeleizis. So, it seems that Zalmoxis was first identified with this god, and finally he replaced him.
- This god, Zalmoxis-Gebeleizis, representts the clear sky. Everything that disturbs his harmony, storms, clouds, have to be combated. That's why the Dacians shoot arrows towards the sky, in the clouds - to drive them away, to help their supreme god (this custom is also related by Herodotus).
- In conclusion, Zalmoxis is a divinity off the sky, fact that is also confirmed by the placement of the sanctuaries high on the mountains (closer to the god) and the funeral ritual consisting of cremation (so that the soul rises to the heaven).


12. The god of war


- Another assertion of Herodotus, that thee Dacians do not accept other gods besides their god, might make us believe that that the Dacian religion was monotheistic. Still, we have information about some other gods.
- It seems that the Dacians also worshipedd a god of war (corresponding to Ares at the Greeks or Mars at the Romans). It is possible that even the name of Ares is of Thraco-Dacian origin. Iordanes tells us that the Dacians made human sacrifices, with the prisoners of war, to please their god. This piece of information can be put in connection with a scene, represented on Trajan's column, in which Dacian women torture Roman prisoners, or with the Andesite Sun, which could have served as an altar for sacrifices.


13. Goddess Bendis


- We also have knowledge of a goddess, Benndis, corresponding to Artemis, in the Greek mythology, or Diana, in the Roman mythology. Therefore, Bendis is a goddess of the moon, of the forest. Herodotus wrote that this goddess is adored by the Thracian women, being borrowed from the populations at the north, who can only be the Dacians.
- The cult of this goddess was confirmed bby the archeological discoveries (a head of bronze found at Costesti, a medallion of clay, discovered at Sarmizegetusa, and a bronze bust from Piatra Rosie).
- Her cult survived during the period of RRoman occupation, in the form of Roman goddess Diana. The name of Diana can be traced in the Romanian words zana and sanziana (Sancta Diana).


14. Immortality


- For the Dacians, death wasn't a terriblee thing; Trajan, himself, said that "the Dacians go to their deaths, happier than in any other journey" - this explains their courage and heroism in the battles.
- Also, the Dacians' belief in immortalityy could explain why the Romanized Dacians (who became the Romanians) were so easily Christianized.


15. Ceremonies and priests


- The ceremonies and incantations were perrformed in sanctuaries, of circular or rectangular shape, on the high mountains (like those at Sarmizegetusa, Costesti, Piatra Rosie, and Batca Doamnei).
- The Dacians burned the corpses of theirr dead ones, and the ashes and the remains of bones were preserved in urns, which were buried in the ground.
- The priests of the Dacians were soothsayyers and physicians in the same time; they didn't marry, they didn't eat any meat or any other living thing, but only milk, cheese and honey. The people called them "travelers through clouds". They also had the name of ktistai, meaning "the founders".
- The head of the priests was the high priiest. His residence was on the sacred mountain Cogaionon (Sarmizegetusa), where the Dacian kings often came to seek his advice. For the people, the high priest was almost considered a god, and that's the reason why his will was always respected.
- Speaking of high priests, we have to menntion Deceneu, who contributed much to the achievement of Burebista, that of unifying all the Dacian territories. After Burebista's death, he became king. Strabon says that Deceneu traveled to Egypt, and Iordanes admires his knowledge and his activity among the Dacians.