The ancient Romans called the Germanic peoples barbarians.
In that novel, there is a scene where savages attack a village.
Refers to 'primitive person' or 'uncivilized person' in an anthropological sense; less emotionally charged than 蛮人.
barbarian; savage
Standard kanji spelling; 蛮 carries a strong nuance of 'barbarian' or 'uncivilized'.
Alternate kanji form; 蕃 is an older character for 'barbarian' and is less common in modern usage.
Compound of 蛮 (ban, 'barbarian') + 人 (jin, 'person'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning 'barbarian person'.