Valuk (duke)

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The greatest possible extent of Valuk's "Land of the Slavs". For southern territory (yellow) there is no information. At the time of Valuk there were some aborigine population concentrations in Eastern Alps (light blue).

Valuk was a Slavic duke of Carantania. After the attempt to capture Constantinople in 626 failed, the Avars turned towards the west and attacked the territory settled by Slavs. The Slavs then united under their leader Valuk, and joined forces with Samo (the leader of a Slavic confederation of Czechs, Moravians, Slovaks, and Sorbs) to defend themselves against the Avars. Valuk was possibly the first Duke of Carantania. Carantania was the first Slavic state known to have been created. The capital was located at Karnburg, near Klagenfurt in present-day Austria. It is unknown if Valuk's bloodline was continued in that of the later Dukes of Carantania.