Illustration: Decorative letters from a book of the Sacraments, 8th century.
Although from the eighth century onwards Islamic decoration tended to dominate the Iberian peninsula and much has been written and identified with the long-lasting culture that derived from North Africa, it is sometimes forgotten that the Visigoths ruled the peninsula from the end of the Roman period until the invasion of Islamic forces at the beginning of the eighth century.
The Visigoths derived from Eastern Europe, though could well have had original homelands in Central Asia. They were strongly related to the Ostrogoths who made their own homeland in the Italian peninsula. Being ostensibly a Germanic tribe, the Visigoths produced decorative work that had many similarities and even origin points to that of the patchwork of Germanic tribal communities that made up much of Western and Central Europe after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Many of these communities were to become the foundation stones of the modern European national and regional states.
The decorative letters that are illustrated in this article derive from the Spanish peninsula during the eighth century and therefore were produced at, or just after, the Islamic invasion. They are typically Germanic in flavour with references to animals, both real and mythical, along with complex pattern work. They were very often produced in bright colours, as in this particular case.
Although the Visigoths were no doubt influenced by a number of factors through their movement across various Roman provinces, as well as their eventual settling amongst the communities of the Iberian peninsula, it is interesting how little obvious classically inspired work is apparent in the lettering. The decoration and pattern work is vibrant in both colour and composition and has a real feel of youth and vitality, borrowing little if anything from the sophisticated palette of the later Roman Empire. Although adopting the Roman version of Christianity, as practiced by the local population, the decorative lettering does imply that much remained of the strong connection with both their original pagan Visigoth roots, along with a connectedness with other tribal communities across Western Europe.
By all accounts, many of the Visigoths kept themselves separate from the indigenous population of the Iberian peninsula and perhaps this helps to explain the lack of obvious impact even after nearly two centuries of rule. In many respects, the new rulers of the peninsula were still very much tribally led with different origins, social manners and customs than those communities they now found themselves ruling over. The differences could often appear to be much more fundamental, making the Visigoths at odds with the local classically raised population. Therefore, it is perhaps not so much a separation through elitism between Visigoth and indigenous communities, but perhaps more a case of few if any connecting points of common reference that kept the two communities apart.
Because the lack of an obvious significant cultural identity compared with both the Imperial Roman period and that of the Islamic, the Visigoths have often been relegated to a small interim period between the two. However, this particular Germanic tribe, although sharing many similarities with other Goth tribes, as well as with Franks, Germans, Anglo-Saxons and others, was also a unique community that approached both life and the arts with an understanding that was peculiar to themselves, their roots and their world view.
This is true of all communities, even those that seem, on first examination, to be of one mind. The nation state of Europe is an imposed identity projected onto many small but distinct communities and regions that have their own historical pathways, and very often separate origins. Many also have very different cultural and world views than that of the ruling nation state. What this means is that nation states in Europe are a complex patchwork of successive occupations and tribal movements, with each new migration serving yet another different and uniquely individual cultural perspective. As far as the decorative arts are concerned, this complexity of cultural outlooks has added that same complexity to traditional decoration and pattern work.
Every community, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant within the grand scheme of things has made a contribution. Therefore, the unique Visigoth approach to decoration has been incorporated into the traditions of the Iberian Peninsula along with each distinct community throughout its long history. If the Visigoths had not settled in the peninsula, the decorative arts would be the poorer as that one strand would be missing.
To understand the relevance, uniqueness but eventual collaborative nature of migrative communities as seen through the accumulation of creativity within the decorative arts, may go someway into understanding the concept of long-term European multi-culturalism.
Further reading links:
The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians
The Goths (The Peoples of Europe)
History of the Goths
Visigothic Spain 409 - 711 (A History of Spain)
The Visigoths from the Migration Period to the Seventh Century: An Ethnographic Perspective (Studies in Historical Archaeoethnology)
The Visigoths in History and Legend (Studies and Texts)
Jews, Visigoths and Muslims in Medieval Spain: Cooperation and Conflict (Medieval Iberian Peninsula : Texts and Studies, Vol 10)
Vandals to Visigoths: Rural Settlement Patterns in Early Medieval Spain
Hispanic Art of the Visigothic Period
The Visigothic Basilica of San Juan de Baños and Visigothic art
The Sculpture of Visigothic France
Arts of the Migration Period in the Walters Art Gallery Hunnish, Gothic, Ostrogothic, Frankish, Burgundian, Langobard, Visigothic, Avaric, Irish and Viking
The Story of Wamba: Julian of Toledo's Historia Wambae Regis
Spain a Study of her Life and Arts
Early Spanish Manuscript Illumination
