Where did Gepida get its name?  Gepida is the Latin name for the
Gepids, an Eastern Germanic tribe that spoke the same language
as the Goths, although they are thought to have had a distinct
dialect. The Gepids did not intermarry with other peoples and
had strained relations even with tribes of similar origins.  The
Gepid race was of medium, well proportioned build and of typical
northern European appearance, although a more mixed people
developed with the passage of time. The first clear
archaeological traces of this people, who described themselves
as wealthy and generous, were found at the delta of the River
Vistula and date back to the 2nd century. They appeared in the
Carpathian Basin near the Szamos, Tisza and Maros rivers in the
3rd or 4th century. It was from here that they made regular
incursions to the east and south to fight for new territories.
The Gepids initially lived under tribal leadership in village
communities with the real power exercised by a national
assembly. A king was only elected in