Germanic culture is a term referring to the culture of Germanic peoples, and can be used to refer to a range of time periods and nationalities, but is most commonly used in either a historical or contemporary context to denote groups that derive from the Proto-Germanic language, which is generally thought to have emerged as a distinct language after 500 BC.
With the first recorded annotations written by Tacitus, the Roman historian[5] most agree that the culture’s roots were present from about 1–400 AD onward.
[10] One of the largest influences upon Germanic religion has been its encounters with other cultural groups such as the Celts and Romans, who inhabited western and southern Europe, respectively.
For example, deities worshipped by Germanic cultures (such as Wotan, or Donar) share the same etymological root and function as the gods of the Norse.
While spiritual duties were traditionally carried out by men, there are historical examples of Germanic priestesses in Roman writings, women who would take the role of a religious leader and would usually be involved in the performance of executions.