Mannus

[1] Tacitus wrote that Mannus was the son of Tuisto and the progenitor of the three Germanic tribes Ingaevones, Herminones and Istvaeones.

[2] In discussing the German tribes, Tacitus wrote:[3] In ancient lays, their only type of historical tradition, they celebrate Tuisto, a god brought forth from the earth.

[6] Mannus again became popular in literature in the 16th century, after works published by Annius de Viterbo[7] and Johannes Aventinus[8] purported to list him as a primeval king over Germany and Sarmatia.

[9] In the 19th century, F. Nork wrote that the names of the three sons of Mannus can be extrapolated as Ingui, Irmin, and Istaev or Iscio.

[10] A few scholars like Ralph T. H. Griffith have expressed a connection between Mannus and the names of other ancient founder-kings, such as Minos of Greek mythology, and Manu of Hindu tradition.

Engraving of the three sons of Mannus ( Carl Larsson , 1893): Ingui plays with a model ship (the Ingaevones lived by the sea); Irmin wears a helmet and sword (the Irminones were famed as warriors); Istaev/Iscio digs in the earth and has a toy horse (the Istvaeones were horsemen and farmers).