Why Burgundians are named like that ?

Question

Hello! I'm Alexander from East Europe interesting in dark age. And so, I'm curios what is meaning of german tribes' names. I know that Saxons get their name from blades, Franks means something like free people. But how Burgundians tribe obtained their name ?

Answer 1

Tricky question! Specific information about the early Burgundians is thin and often controversial. The best information I could find was in Robert Rix's book "The Barbarian North in Medieval Imagination: Ethnicity, Legend and Literature". He lists multiple explanations floated over the centuries by various ancient historians. Most, though,revolve around the claim that they are named for the large forts or castles ("burgi") in which they lived.