The many faces of the Vlachs: from Roman descendants to nomadic shepherds
Once used to label 'strangers' and 'foreigners,' the term Vlach has historically shifted from describing entire ethnic groups to defining a specific way of life. From the mountains of Thessaly to the halls of the Byzantine Empire, discover the complex identity of these Eastern Romance speakers.
The etymology of 'Vlach' reveals a history of outsiders. Derived from a Celtic tribe, the name passed through Proto-Germanic (*Walhaz) with the meaning 'stralnger' or 'foreigner.' Through Latin and various Balkan dialects, it evolved to signify Romance-speakers, but also eventually became a socio-economic label for shepherds and nomads. This duality is seen in modern Slovakia, where 'Valasi' refers to apprentice shepherds, and in the historical Balkan context, where it identified pastoral populations engaged in trade and military service.
Historically, the Vlachs occupied a complex position in the Byzantine and Ottoman worlds. In the 10th and 11th centuries, they were prominent enough to be mentioned in the works of historians like John Skylitzes and Anna Komnene. They were not merely passive subjects; they served as military auxiliaries in the Byzantine army, as seen in the 1027 campaign to recapture Sicily, and even acted as guides for Cuman armies in 1094. However, their nomadic lifestyle often clashed with established authorities. Between 1105 and 1109, the monastic community of Mount Athos even expelled 300 Vlach families because their seasonal grazing and use of women as shepherds violated monastic rules.
The origins of the Vlachs remain a subject of academic debate. The theory of Daco-Roman continuity suggests they descended from Dacians, a view supported by the 11th-century historian Kekaumenos, who linked them to the Dacians' political unreliability. Conversely, another theory posits that they originated from Thraco-Roman and Illyro-Roman populations in the southern Balkans, migrating north from the 12th century onwards. Today, the term primarily identifies Eastern Romance-speaking communities—such as the Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, and Istro-Romanians—living south of the Danube in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
Source: Vlachs
