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Atli, or Attila, the king of the Huns was called Etzel by the
Germans and Ethele by the Hungarians. Little is known of Attila's early life
beyond the fact that he was a member of the ruling family of the Huns, a nomadic
Asian people who spread from the Caspian steppes in repeated incursions on the
Roman Empire. By AD 432, the Huns had gained so much power that Attila's uncle,
the Hunnish king Roas, or Rugilas, was receiving a large annual tribute from
Rome. Attila succeeded his uncle, at first sharing the throne with his brother
Bleda.
It is not known if the name Etzel was passed on to possible
descendants of Attila the Hun, or whether a particular clan of Suevian
Barbarians were dubbed as such, or adopted the name themselves. The name Etzel,
however, goes way back in its original form to the late middle ages. It must be
one of the few names that hasn't changed at all during history and the migration
of its proud bearers around the world.
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