Ashkenaz - Medieval Ashkenaz

Medieval Ashkenaz

In the rabbinic literature, the kingdom of Ashkenaz was first associated with the Scythian region, then later with the Slavic territories, and, from the 11th century onwards, with northern Europe and Germany. The region of Ashkenaz was centred on the Rhineland and the Palatinate (notably Worms and Speyer), in what is now the westernmost part of Germany. Its geographic extent did not coincide with the German Christian principalities of the time and included northern France. How the name of Ashkenaz came to be associated in the rabbinic literature with the Rhineland is a subject of speculation.

In the 10th century, a distinctive Jewish culture formed in Central Europe which came to be called Ashkenazi, deriving its name from Ashkenaz. Though the region is no longer referred to by that name, the Jews who follow the traditions that originated in that culture are referred to as Ashkenazi Jews. Ashkenazi culture later spread into Eastern Europe and migrated to all parts of the world with the movement of Jews.

In rabbinic literature from the 11th century, Ashkenaz is believed to be the ruler of a kingdom in the North and of the Northern and Germanic people.

In the Armenian tradition, Ashkenaz, along with Togarmah, was considered also the ancestor of the Armenians. Koriun, the earliest Armenian historian (V c.), calls the Armenians "Askanazian (=Ashkenazi) nation". He starts the "Life of Mashtots" with these words:

"I had been thinking of the God-given alphabet of the Azkanazian* nation and of the land of Armenia - when, in what time, and through what kind of man that new divine gift had been bestowed..."

Later Armenian authors too, confirmed this. Hovhannes Draskhanakerttsi (X c.) writes:

"...The sixth son was Tiras from whom were born our very own Ashkenaz and Togarmah who named the country that he possessed Thrace after himself, as well as Chittim who brought under his sway the Macedonians. 7. The sons of Tiras were Ashkenaz, from whom descended the Sarmatians, Riphath, whence the Sauromatians, and Togarmah, who according to Jeremiah subjugated the Ashkenazian army and called it the House of Togarmah; for at first Ashkenaz had named our people after himself in accord with the law of seniority, as we shall explain in its proper place."

Because of this tradition, Askanaz (the Armenian variant of Ashkenaz) is a male name used by the Armenians nowadays too.