Under Merovingian dominance, the pagi (gouw/gau) system of Roman administration persisted, and many of these geographical regions still have a striking resemblance to the previous Roman framework. They frequently followed geographical boundaries and undoubtedly drew inspiration from the tribal domains of the Germanic people who inhabited the area at the time. According to Germanic custom, the tribe’s soldiers chose the tribal leaders. Additionally, they were in responsibility of conducting local justice on “Ding” days. Frequently three times a year, with the spring meeting being the most significant when the upcoming season’s campaign is considered. In accordance with Germanic customs, counts were initially selected to lead pagi as its administrative leaders throughout the Carolingian period.

Pagi in Mid and Eastern Netherlands:

Betuwe (Upper-Betuwe)
Drenthe
Flethite or Flethetti (Veluwe) (Utrecht Hills, Gooi and Gelre Valley)
Opgooi or Upgoye (Lower Rhine area)
Isla and Lake (Holland IJssel and Lek Rivers) (Lopikerwaard and Krimpenerwaard)
Hamaland
Salland
Teisterbant (Vijfherenlanden and Lower-Betuwe)
Twente

Pagi in Scheldt – Meuse – Rhine area:

Niftarlake (Utrecht and along the River Vecht)
Hettergouw (eastern Meuse shore between Cuijk and Roermond)
Duffelgouw (Land of Meuse and Waal)
Keldagouw
Mulgouw (land between Meuse and Rhine, from Arcen (Netherlands) to Erkelenz (Germany)
Walacra (Zeeland western Scheldt, between Easter Scheldt en Wester Scheldt)
Maasgouw, original Masau (western Meuse shore between Cuijk and Maastricht)
Tubalgo
Hattuaria

Pagi in Southern Netherlands, Belgium, North France, Luxembourg:

Toxandria (Brabantine Kempen)
Haspengouw, at the Treaty of Meerssen consisted of four counties
Luikgouw (pagus Leuhius)
Condroz
Woëvre (county Ivois)
Arrelais
Ardennengouw (pagus Arduennensis)
Methingouw
Lommegouw (pagus Lomacensis)
Brabantgouw (pagus Bracbatensis), at the Treaty of Meerssen consisted of four counties
Henegouw (pagus Hanoniensis)
Cambresis or Kamerijkse
Vlaanderengouw (pagus Flandrensis), including Kortrijk, Waas, Gent
Doornikgouw (pagus Tornacensis), including Mélantois, Caribant and Pévèle
Artesië (pagus Artabatensis), including Oosterbant, Leticus, Scarbeius
Terwaan (pagus Taruanensis), including Ternois and Boonse
Mepsegouw (pagus Mempiscus)
Rijen or Rien (pagus Renensium)

The Dutch gouw and German gau is formed from the last part of the singular of pagi, pagus. The French Pays is also derived from pagi and most of the French pays are still more or less the same as the old pagi.

The inhabitants of these territories during the Merovingian era still strongly identified as members of a tribal group with whom they had “contractual” relationships. When we discuss Franci, Burgundiones, Angli, Saxones, Gothi, etc., we must remember that these tribes were not yet political at the time. Beginning in the early eighth century, it becomes apparent that these groupings are also beginning to be viewed as political entities. Society began to become more structured on social groups rather than kinship and tribe. a procedure that wasn’t fully finished until the fourteenth century.

However, as we even see in modern times, kinship and group awareness still continues with the developed economies in Europe as well as elsewhere; especially in some of the rural and regional areas. However, at a political level and especially in cities social groups have gradually become the dominated grouping of how people see themselves.

      Brabant on the border of the Merovingian Empire
The majority of the inhabitants in the Roman Empire’s northern borderlands had vanished during the turbulent third century. The 2,000-year-old farming communities of Oss were all left in ruins. Additionally, it has been stated that the area was no longer suitable for settlement due to the significant rise in water levels. A serious plague epidemic also hit the area in 275, perhaps at the same time as the devastation caused by war? It remains a puzzle what happened with all the people who once lived there, did they fled with the Roman troops, was there wholesale murder involved, was it the plague, nobody knows. In less than 15% of settlements that were occupied during the Roman period, archeological evidence shows any continuation of farming activity, again more along the river Maas (Macharen, Lith, Teeffelen, Grave, Heusden) than elsewhere . 

In Oss, it appears that those who remained relocated to the Heuvel, a 6-meter-high hill from which the medieval city emerged and which was located just to the south of the original towns. This may suggest that actual climate changes did occur and compel people to relocate to higher land. How much of the population were newcomers and how many were relics of the original populace? Many of the place and field names are still in use, which could suggest that there has been at least some continuance. However, Brabant remained mainly vacant from 250 to 400/500. Life returned to the pre-Neolithic subsistence level, with settlements once more being limited to one or two small farms. House constructions were poorer than those from the Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Roman periods.

Around 550/600, a slightly better picture of the situation in this area starts to take shape. Salli/Frankish culture had already firmly established itself by this point. This is proof of the traditional Frankish-Merovingian funeral customs. Burial grounds during this time period display numerous rows of tombs and a variety of presents, including weaponry like the sax, a short sword. Coffins are used to bury some of the dead. At the same time cremation also seemed to have continued be it in a minority of cases. This tradition lasted for a century after which these people are again disappearing from the archeological picture. In Brabant these rows of graves have been unearthed on the sandy grounds that had seemed to be totally abandoned after 275. Settlements in Brabant of these people were found in Meerveldhoven, Geldrop, Bergeijk, Veldhoven, Westerhoven, Hoogeloon, Dommelen, Ravenstein, Escharen, Nistelrode and Alphen. They seemed to have been occupied for not much longer than 100 years.

A further indication that climate change may have had an impact on the population of the people between 250 and 800 is the fact that many of the Merovingian settlements are located on higher ground. This is because high ground water levels make it more difficult to establish farms in lower-lying areas.

The discovery of impressive Merovingian warrior artifacts in Ravenstein and Macharen suggests that there was still some form of community in the area surrounding Oss. The relatively significant number of artifacts from this time period that can be linked to “war” fits very well with the chaotic period that followed the passing of the first Merovingian chieftain Clovis.

These war lords are seen as the predecessors of a new class of elite that started to emerge: the nobility.

The very rare Merovingian coin treasure at Escharen is also an indication of this upcoming class.

 As treasure was limited the Merovingian chieftain started to pay their warlords in land.

The chieftain/King had automatically made himself the owner of all land that was not developed and he started handing that out as a payments/awards for (military) services. In order to increase the value of the land development was needed and farmers were recruited by these local lords to do this; first they were free farmers, but increasingly they became employed and later on they were ‘owned’ (serfs) by the war lords.

The increased movement of these war lords and their warriors also brought about new changes; it is unknown whether this interaction was friendly or hostile. However, from 650–700, the number of warrior tombs began to rise.

Locals were once more being forced to live along a border, but this time it was between the Merovingians and the Frisii. Christian influences are beginning to spread in the border region as the Merovingian chieftain role has become firmly established as the head of state in Christianity, although the mass of the population remained adhered to their pagan beliefs.

 Under the influence of Christianity cremation was forbidden and that is shown in the excavations of the burial grounds after 700. Missionaries now also started to arrive in these regions.

This is also the time of saintly relics, fitting perfectly in the transition from pagan to Christianity; 

A continuation of magic.