Wends

Slavs known as Wends (Sorbs) were caught in a bind twice, once in Lusatia, a Slavic region in Germany, and again in Texas when in 1900 German became the lingua franca of that State. The studies done by search parties in 1853 had not prepared the Wends for this challenge and after arriving in 1854 they lost their language to German speakers and then to English speakers.

[Lolland-Falster, Vordingborg and the crusades - what the sources tell about the role of the region in Wendic wars and crusades in the period c.1100-1260]

In the beginning of the Nordic Middle Ages, the south-Danish islands of Lolland and Falster constituted a borderland between Denmark and Wenden, i.e. the lands along the south-western coast of the Baltic Sea inhabited by Wendic Slavs. Busy trade connections across the sea took place from the late Viking Age (c.950-1050) onwards, and numerous Wends appear to have settled in Denmark, especially on the islands of Lolland, Falster and Møn. Peaceful Danish-Wendic relations in Denmark are evidenced archaeologically and onomastically, the latter for instance with place-names in  itze,  gorke and Vinde-. When relations began to grow more hostile from around 1100, the south-Danish islands were severely marked by seaborne Wendic plundering, and when the military tide began to turn from the mid-twelfth century, the region became centre for the still more organized Danish attacks in the form of crusades to Rügen, Pomerania, Finland, Estonia and Novgorod. The present article presents Danish-Wendic relations for good and bad in the period c.1100-1260 as it can be determined from extant written sources as well as from archaeology, onomastics, administrative structure and parish churches, with special focus to the islands of Lolland and Falster, and the town of Vordingborg. This includes a new thesis on the possible background for the existence of a short-lived Dominican friary in Vordingborg (c.1253-1264).

The article, which is written in Danish, is published in "Lolland-Falsters Historiske Samfunds Årbog" 2017, pp. 55-85.

Knud Lavard's role in Danish history is mostly seen in connection with the succession to the Danish throne. This is not difficult to understand because the best-known incident of his life, namely his death at the hand of his cousin Prince Magnus Nielsen, was undoubtedly linked to the succession to the throne after King Niels. Moreover, the form Knud Lavard's afterlife took was to a large extent determined by the efforts made to secure the throne for his son, Valdemar the Great, and his immediate descendants.
Nevertheless, had Knud not been killed in 1131, and had Prince Mag¬nus duly succeeded his father as king, Knud Lavard would still have held a strong and independent position from which he might well have threatened the Danish position as gateway to the Baltic region, thanks to the strong and widespread political, commercial and dynastic network he had established. Even if Knud had been unable to hold on to the duchy of Schleswig, as Knes of Abodritia, with control of Liubice (Alt-Lübeck), he would still have been able to outmanoeuvre Schleswig as the main trade link between the Baltic region and western Europe, which was what Henry the Lion did only a few decades later. It is this aspect of Knud Lavards life that is the focus here.

The paper explores the scarcely researched  topic of germanization of the area between the Elbe-Saale and Oder-Neisse rivers, corresponding roughly with the former state of East Germany. The process  began in the 10th century after the Empire extended its authority beyond the Elbe and Saale rivers.  This process is still incomplete, taking into consideration that even today around Bautzen and Cottbus in Lusatia some Slavic speakers survive, being known as Wends or as they call themselves, Serby - the Sorbs. 

Basically, the article researches  two major elements in the germanization of these territories: colonization by German settlers and germanization of the local Slavic population.  It focuses on the political and social aspects of the process during the course of almost one millenium.  It explains  the mechanisms, modes and forces that caused the loss of Slavic identity on this territory.  It also includes a detailed case study for the region of Thuringia.  It concludes that a major factor in  the germanization of the area was the assimilation of the Slavic population with colonization playing a significantly lesser role.  This is a finding contrary to the common  assumption widely accepted even among  scholars.

W pamiętniku Cezara „O wojnie galijskiej”  (łac. Commentarii de bello Gallico), opisującym 9 lat wojen galijskich (58-50 p.n.e.), czytamy o wielu nazwach i ugrupowaniach plemiennych oraz o informacjach geograficznych, które wykorzystywano do rekonstrukcji obrazu antycznej Galii i Germanii. Problem w tym, że łacińskie transliteracje lokalnych nazw pozostawiają wiele do życzenia, a językoznawcy głowią się nad ich pochodzeniem. Niestety w tych zabiegach pomijają oni w ogóle możliwość ich wendyjskiej (prasłowiańskiej) etymologii, gdyż przyjmują bezmyślnie fałszywy paradygmat naukowy, że Wędów / Wendów (Prasłowian) wówczas nie było na tych terenach. Zapominają też przy tym o obecności Wenetów w Armoryce i Brytanii, którzy bezsprzecznie byli związanie z Wendami.

W tym krótkim opracowaniu staram się przekazać najważniejsze informacje z pamiętników Cezara o wojnie z Galami, Brytami, jak i Germanami, którzy często angażowali się w lokalne potyczki za lewym brzegiem Renu, stając po różnych stronach konfliktu. Bacznie przyglądam się też możliwym źródłosłowom poszczególnych nazw własnych i miejscowych podawanym przez Cezara. Dostrzegam w nich wendyjskie korzenie, co może wydać się szokujące po pierwszym czytaniu. Mam nadzieję, jednak, że po bliższym zapoznaniu się z faktami i przedstawioną przeze mnie argumentacją, niektóre propozycje etymologii wydadzą się przekonujące.

During the Middle Ages, rulers from different regions in Europe aspired to an idea of imperial hegemony over a territory. On the other hand, there were rulers who deliberately refused to be elected as emperors, although their reign showed some characteristics of imperial rule. This essay ask for the reasons why some rulers such as Otto I strove for an imperial agenda and how the expeditions of his margraves across Elbe were legitimized by contemporary writers. According to the idea of universal expansion including both Christians and pagans from all over the world, the Ottonian kingdom became an empire, an intrinsically Christian one, however, which followed the Carolingian model.

This is the introduction to a family history book, a Sorb (Wendish) family who settled in Western Victoria (some of my ancestors). I was given instructions not to be academic! - hence there are no references and  some acknowledgements are left out . There are some mistakes. I plan to rewrite this. The title is sexist, and should include the family matriarch, Maria nee Gude.

The Wendish Crusade of 1147, one of the Northern Crusades and a part of the Second Crusade, took place at a critical phase in the evolution of crusading rhetoric. The initiators and apologists of the campaign employed rhetorical devices to justify the occupation of a region and conversion of a population under the auspices of a crusade. A detailed examination of the primary sources shows that the justification of a crusade against apostates was not only a German endeavour, or the pope’s will, but a political reality of the twelfth century. Therefore, the attitude of the papacy is shown to be reactive rather than proactive. https://www.routledge.com/The-Wendish-Crusade-1147-The-Development-of-Crusading-Ideology-in-the/Dragnea/p/book/9780367366964

This study has provided a brief analysis of the linguistic interactions and verbal communication between Germans and Wends. What we noticed is that there is no Slavic language which has been unaffected by the political and social influences from other dominant cultures. In the second half of the tenth century, cultural identity was linked more with political alliances than with language. Learning of German was a political reality which varied according to time and context. In order to maintain good relations with the Saxon nobility, the Wendish elites needed to know German. This would have ensured a direct, unambiguous communication. Translators could interfere the messages and generate conflicts. Some of the Wendish elites could have known Latin as well. As tributaries of the Saxon margraves and dukes, they could have signed documents regarding their obligations. Therefore, a sort of ethnic consciousness was more developed among the Wendish upper classes than lower class.

As a concept the Wendish crusade is closely linked to the redefinition of crusading goals that were formulated by Pope Eugenius III and Bernard of Clairvaux allowing crusaders to target pagans or enemies of Christendom elsewhere than the Holy Land. Nevertheless earlier crusading ventures against Wends had been both planned and executed. While the Wendish Crusade of 1147 ended in a dismal failure later expeditions during what can be called a “permanent crusade against the Wends”, did lead to both the Christianization of the Wends and the conquest of their territory. While the First Crusade had not aimed at the conversion to Christianity of those targeted, this became a major objective in the Wendish and later crusades, and the means to obtain this, as described in Bernard of Clairvaux’s writings, have initiated fierce debates among modern scholars as to the exact meaning of  "either the religion or the nation [the Wends] be wiped out (Lat. aut ritus ipse, aut natio deleatur)".

Artykuł komentuje jeden z fragnetów kroniki Gesta Danorum Saxo Gramatyka dotyczący pojedynku Duńczyka ze Słowianinem, na tle innych relacji o legendarnych lub rzeczywistych pojedynkach z tej epoki.

Article comments on one of the chapters of chronicle Gesta Danorum of Saxo Grammaticus for the duel between the Danish and Slav, as compared to other accounts of legendary or real duels that time. (English text without footnotes.)

Reakcja pogańska" jako forma realizacji polityki zewnętrznej połabskich organizmów politycznych Summary "Pagan reaction" as a form of realization foreign policy by Wendish political centres There are evidences, that West Slavic pagan political centers used so-called pagan reaction in theirs foreign policy. Best exeples for that are 3 rd insurection of Wends, overthrow of Obodrites dukes (Mstislav in 1018 AD, and Gotszalk in 1066 AD), Rugian intervention in Szczecin while Otton of Bamberg second missionary trip, 11 th century revolution in Poland, and related with it separation of Pomerania from Piast monarchy. Stroimir insurection was inspired from abroad too, however it ware Bavarian political influences behind it. Special feature of this type of events (excluding Rugian expedition on Szczecin) was useing of propaganda in order to revolt local citizents against authority and christianity. As a main inspirators we found two north-wendish political centres: Lutician Federation and Rugian tribe. Ideological and propaganda basis of such events was based on established vision of relationship between comunity that intervented and the greatest divinity in wide accepted pantheon. Sources shows, that was happening by character "Svarog's son", namely famous Svarozic from Rethra. It was manifested in overtribal magnitude of sanctuaries related with mentioned political centres (Rethra, Arkona). Contents of narration could be placed in well known in region ethnogenetic myth, which emphasizes community uniqueness, her ancient traditions and special place in region history. Wendish federations and tribal states in this way become a kind of "Chosen people". Successes of political center were factors that strengthened credibility of propaganda. Without them devine hierarchy might change. Mentioned propaganda contents reach recipients by oracle activity, or council summoned ad hoc. Under the pretext of counteract sacrilege and with use of internal opposition, members of a neighboring tribes were incited against the authority. Factor that facilitate this way of intervention was ruler cultural alienation towards his subjects.

From the Germans of Danzig (now Gdansk, in Poland) to the Turks of Rhodes: the «Europa etnografica» map (1:6.000.000) of the Atlante internazionale del TCI (1st ed., 1927). For a later version of this map (3rd ed., 1929) you can see www.davidrumsey.com