Monthly Archives: July 2018

Sierpc Church Wall

PublishedJuly 31, 2018 Post authortorino

The Christian habit of taking over former native church cult places and, where possible, desecrating the various holy of holies by making them part of the new temple (usually placed in demonstrative disregard of symmetry) is well documented. The side benefit of this “power move” has been that it helped preserve a number of native monuments. Of course, these days it’s nearly impossible to distinguish the local cultic from the merely local elements that were made part of various churches’ stonework. Here is are a couple of examples from the church at Sierpc, northwest of Warsaw (the so-called Farny church of Saint Vitas, etc, etc):

Pretty wacky.

Hudud Al Alam – The Slavs of “The Regions Of The World”

PublishedJuly 28, 2018 Post authortorino

Here is the so-called Anonymous Persian Geography (written about 982 A.D.) which includes a few mentions of the Slavs (this is from the V. V. Minorsky, C. E. Bosworth translation). Also included are some passages about nearby regions (in the pictures). In the East. (You will notice that some of this represents a repetition from earlier Arab sources).

Notice also the references to V.n.nd.r. – a reference to Svaneti? Or the Veneti? Or are these the same? In any event, I include the V. V. Minorsky/C. E. Bosworth commentary on the topic here as well in the back.

35. Discourse on the Provinces of Adharbadhagan, Arminiya, and Arran, and their Towns

These three provinces are adjacent to each other. Their countrysides enter into each other. East of this region are the borders of Gilan; south of it, the borders of Iraq and the Jazira; west of it, the borders of Rum and the Sarir [sic]; north of it, the borders of the Sarir | and the Khazars [spelt : Ghazaran]. These places are the most pleasant among the Islamic lands. The region is very prosperous and pleasant, with running waters and good fruit. It is the abode of merchants, fighters for the faith and strangers coming from all parts. It produces crimson trouser-cords { woollen stuffs, rudina [madder ?], cotton, fish, honey, and wax. There (too) Greek, Armenian, Pecheneg, Khazar, and Slav slaves are brought…

42. Discourse on the Country of Rum, its Provinces and Towns

…Christianized Slavs [al-Saqaliba al-mutanassira], a province of Rum, in which live those Slavs who have become Christians [Saqlabl- yi tarsa gashta]. They pay land-taxes to the king of Rum. They are wealthy [tuvangar] people and their country is pleasant and safe…

43. Discourse on the Slav Country (Saqlab)

East of this country are the Inner Bulghars and some of the Rus; south of it, some parts of the Gurz sea and some parts of Rum; west and north of it everywhere are the deserts of the Uninhabited Lands of the North. This is a vast country with extremely numerous trees growing close together. The people live among the trees and sow nothing except millet. They have no grapes but possess plenty of honey from which they prepare wine and the like. Their vessels [casks] for wine are made of wood, and there are people who annually prepare a hundred of such vessels of wine. They possess herds of swine which are just like herds of sheep. They burn the dead. When a man dies, his wife, if she loves him, kills herself. They all wear shirts and shoes over the ankles. All of them are fire-worshippers. They possess string instruments unknown in the Islamic counties, on which they play. Their arms are shields, javelins and lances. The Slav king is called S.mut-swyt. The food of their kings is milk. The spend the winter in huts and underground dwellings. They possess numerous castles and fortresses. They dress mostly in linen stuffs. They think it their religious duty to serve the king. The possess two towns.

Vabnit is the first town on the east of the Slavs and some (of its inhabitants) resemble the Rus.
Khurdab, a large town and seat of the king.

44. Discourse on the Rus Country and its Towns

East of this country are the mountains of the Pechenegs; south of it, the river Ruta ; west of it, the Slavs; north of it, the Uninhabited Lands of the North. This is a vast country, and the inhabitants are evil-tempered, intractable, arrogant-looking , quarrelsome, and warlike. They war with all the infidels who live round them, and come out victorious. The king is called Rus-khaqan. It is a country extremely favoured by nature with regard to all the necessities (of life). One group of them practice chivalry. They hold the physicians in respect. They annually pay the tithe on their booty and commercial profits to the government. Among them lives a group of Slavs who serve them. Out of 100 cubits of cotton fabric, more or less, they sew trousers which they put on, tucking them up above the knee. They wear woollen bonnets with tails let down behind their necks. They bury the dead with all their belongings, | clothes, and ornaments. They (also) place in the grave, with the dead, food and drinks.

Kuyaba is the town [land?] of the Rus lying nearest to the Islamic lands. It is a pleasant place and is the seat of the king. It produces various furs and valuable swords.
S.laba, a pleasant town from which, whenever peace reigns, they go for trade to districts of the Bulghar.
Urtab, a town where strangers are killed whenever they visit it. It produces very valuable blades and swords which can be bent in two, but as soon as the hand is removed they return to their former state.

45. Discourse on the Country of the Inner Bulghars

East of it (live) the Mirvat [so spelt]; south of it, is the Gurz Sea; west of it, the Slavs; north of it, the Rus mountain. It is a country without towns. The people are courageous, warlike, and terror-inspiring. Their nature resembles that of the Turks living near the Khazar country. The Inner Bulghars are at war with all the Rus, but carry on commerce with all those who live around them. They possess sheep, arms, and implements of war.

Excerpts from the Commentary on the Slavs and Rus

Excerpts from the Commentary on the V.n.nd.r.

Keltomanen at Remagen

PublishedJuly 27, 2018 Post authortorino

This post does not require a commentary:

Poland 1399

Did the Ukrainians Found Poland?

PublishedJuly 23, 2018 Post authortorino

In all the debates about the Piast dynasty one theory has always seemed missing. We’ve had the following proposed as the (non-Polish) dynastic founders:

Scandinavian vikings from the North
Slav escapees from Great Moravia from the South
Rest-Germanen either from the West or local true remnants
possibly viking escapees from the East

But there are three interesting things about the Eastern direction. First:

Polanie tribe – what about the Polanie tribe? The Eastern Polans are attested in Nestor and then we suddenly have a Polanie dynasty starting about 1000 A.D.? While the idea of “dwellers in the fields” may be innocent enough, the name itself as a tribal designation does not appear among Slavic tribes, except in those two instances. Moreover, while Kiev sat on the edge of the steppe-forest zones, Gniezno of the Polanie would have been sitting in the middle of vast forests. It would make no sense to label the people living there as Polanie.

And then:

Nest – the capital of the Piast state (and before that a major burgh) was Gniezno, meaning “nest”. But there is another important “nest” location and that is Gnyozdovo (also one of the sites of the Katyn massacre) which was a site of a Slav-Varangian Rus town for quite a while.

Then, importantly:

Timing – importantly, Kiev where the Polans are said to have dwelt fell to the Rus sometime between 882 (traditional date) and about 900. At the same time, the first “new wave” grods of the Piasts in Greater Poland appear at the turn of the 10th century.

Weaker points? Well, Gnyozdovo may have been in the land of the Krivichs and not of the Polanie and the name itself is not attested till the 1600s. Those facts, however, are not disqualifying for the theory. For one thing, the settlement at Gnyozdovo dates way back before the first time the name itself appears.

But what about Nestor? He mentions Polanie in Ukraine and in Poland but does not draw a connection. Had he known about the connection, would Nestor have mentioned it? Well, maybe that could have given his Rurikid dynasty somewhat of a claim on Poland. But it would also have given the “exiles” a far more potent claim on Kiev. In other words, if the true rulers (or even some of their servants) had been expelled by the Rus, then there was a possibility that they might come back. Mentioning such a connection would then not be very expedient. As is, Nestor’s descriptions of the Kiev Polanie are sparse and general as he appears intent to focus not on the locals but on the local rulers who he clearly considers to be foreigners to the country,

(If this were true, then Boleslaw the Great’s excursion to Kiev could be seen as a sort of an attempted reconquista. Of course, this argument could also be made about any other of his expeditions to Bohemia, Lusatia, and so forth.)

Legendary Comics

PublishedJuly 22, 2018 Post authortorino

A reader points out that there are some terrific comic books out there put out, it seems, in the ’80s that cover various Polish legends. These include, the story of Krak and Wanda, of Popiel and finally of Piast the Wheelwright.

These stories came out in Polish but with side-by-side translations in (depending on the version) English, German, Russian and French.

This is the beginning of the story of “The Wawel Dragon and Queen Wanda”:

And here we have “König Popiel und die Mäuse”:

And finally, we have “Piast le Charron”:

The series apparently continued with more historical tales of “Mieszko I and His Son Boleslaw the Brave,” that is, Chrobry, of “Boleslaw the Wrymouthed” and “Wladyslaw the Short.”

Chronicle of Utrecht (in Latin for now)

PublishedJuly 19, 2018 Post authortorino

The Chronicle of Utrecht (Cronica de Traiecto) features some interesting mentions of Slavs. Much of this stuff may come from such earlier works as these:

the Venerable Bede, or
the Deeds of the Abbots of Fontenelle or
the Chronicle of Sigebert de Gembloux or
the Chronographia of Jan Beka (or Jan Beke)

Or perhaps the slightly earlier (than the Cronica de Traiecto) Chronicle of Gouda or Chronicle of Tiel. (That is, “perhaps” – the Chronicle of Gouda is dated to 1478 but the Chronicle of Utrecht covers the years through 1456 but has been dated to 1470-1500).

In any case, here are the relevant references (this time only in Latin) from the Chronicle of Utrecht (this is from the 1738 Matthaeus edition – the manuscript of the chronicle burned down in 1914 during WWI in Leuwen/Louvain):

…Quia quod modo est Hollandia fuit tota nemorosa ac silvestris & haec primo possessa fuit a feris hominibus, qui ex Anglia venerunt, quae tunc Albion, postea Britannia, modo Anglia vocatur, & Brutus veniens de Graecia, qui fuit genitus de Troja, vastavit eam, & Occidit multos generis gigantei, & de reliquiis illius populi expulsi fuit Hollandia prius possessa, ac incolata, ac ipsi nomen acceperunt, quod Slavi essent. Et hoc fuit ante incarnationem Christi circa annos mille vel DCCCC. & tempore Samuelis, qui fuit Judex in Israel, & David Regis Israhel. Et iste populus contraxit matrimonia cum inferioribus Saxonibus & Frisonibus & populus multiplicatus est. Et divisus est populus, sic quod quidam profecti sunt ad illas partes, quae modo Australis Hollandia est, & quidam ad partem inferiorem Gelriae, qui populus tunc vocatus est de Wilten.

Post hoc tempore Julii Caesaris & LVIII. annis ante incarnatiomen Christi missus fuit idem Caesar a Senatu, ut omnes istas inferiores Regiones Romano Imperio subjugaret, & sic venit ad istos Slavos & Wilten, & dextras dedit eis, & in gratiam recepit, quia Julius Caesar eorum Capitaneum vicit & occidit, qui fuit gigas magnus nomine Braban.

Deinde post tempore Claudii circa annos Domini XL. Claudius profectus est Britanniam, quia solitum tributum dare detrectabant, & in reditu pugnavit cum Slavis & Wilten, & vastavit eos, & ipse Imperator nominavit illud magnum nemus, quod modo est Hollandia, & Flandria, nemus sine misericordia, quod fuit diu sic vocatum…

…Et hoc fecit circa annum LXV. Et Antonius cum suis posteris possedit illud multis annis, usque dum isti Slavi & Wilti Anthoniam vastaverunt. Et stetit Antonia c. & XXI . annis.

Dein post anno Domini CLXXXVI . tunc congregati sunt Wilti, hoc est, illi de auilonari Hollandia, & Slavi potenti manu, & obsederunt Antoniam, & vastaverunt eam, & multis interfectis ad solum usque dejecerunt, & construxerunt ibidem aliud valde firmum castellum, & vocatum est Wiltenburch, & habitaverunt ibi. Et erat populus inquietus & bella nutriens.

De hinc anno Domini CCC. tempore Valentiniani pace facta inter has omnes nationes, scilicet Frisones, Wiltones, & Saxones, collectis navibus multis profecti sunt super Renum in Almaengen, & multa damna ibi fecerunt, & etiam in Gallia, & multos occiderunt.

Quo audito Valentinianus adunato exercitu festinabat tali gentili populo obviare, quod & fecit. Nam captis omnibus navibus venit in inferiorem Saxoniam per Rhenum, & destruxit castrum Wiltenburg, & perdomuit Frisones, & omnem illum populum, & reversus est cum gloria ad sua anno Domini ccc. LXXXVII. Et propter nimia frigora ibidem existentia vocata est a Romanis tunc Frisia. Et terra ista mansit tunc infidelis usque ccc. annos. Et anno Domini ccc. XVI. tunc illi de inferiori Saxonia conglobati cum suo Rege Engisto & Horses fratre suo, & cum Slavis, profecti sunt in Britanniam, & expulsis Britannis dominati sunt ibidem, & regnaverunt illic…

Dein post coeperunt Frisones, & Saxones, & Wilti creare Capitaneos, & Wilti praefecerunt unum Capitaneum nomine Lemmen, & ipse reaedificavit Wiltanburch, & habuit filium nomine Dibbaut, qui postea factus est Rex Frisonum, & habuit conjugem de genere giganteo, de qua habuit filios plurimos. De eo etiam descendit Richardus, quem Slavi in Regem elegerunt, & vocatus est Eseloor, eo quod aures habuit afininas…

…Quod videntes Slavi, vel Hollandini, & Wilti, dextras petierunt & acceperunt. Quas tamen dextras non servaverunt memores Regis nimiae crudelitatis.

Circa annum DC. & XLI. fuit in Francia Rex Dagobertus primus, & fuit filius Lotharii. Iste Dagobertus perdomuit omnes Frisones & Slaves & Wiltos. Iste iterum destruxit WIltenburch, & fecit construi castellum cum magno ambitu in gyro super Rhenum, & vocavit Trajectum, & stetit Wiltenburch ab initio usque huc quingentis annis. Iste Dagobertus fecit fieri infra ambitum istius Trajecti primam Ecclesiam in honore Sancti Thomae Apostoli, & ordinavit ibi Presbyteros, qui converterent Frisones, quod tamen frustra fuit, & ista Ecclesia fuit facta anno Domini DC. & XLII. Et iste durus populus noluit converti tamen, sed destruxerunt istam Ecclesiam…

…Iste Pippinus ex parte Regis Franciae fecit Slavoniam vel Hollandiam vocari tunc orientalem Franciam. Et hoc fuit anno Domini DC. LXXXVIII…

…Et applicuerunt primo ad insulam, quae Walcheren vocatur, quae modo Zelandia dicitur, ad villam, quae Wstcappel vocatur, & ibi invenerunt idolum Mercurii, & Willibrordus confregit illud idolum in frusta, & cultos idoli percussit Willibrordum cum gladio, & vulneravit caput ejus, & conservatus a morte curatus fuit in brevi…

…Tunc fuit ibi Rex nomine Radbodus…

…Videns autem beatus Willibrordus, quod Radbodum cum suo populo non posset convertere, recessit inde, & rediit in Hollandiam, ut neophytum populum in fide confortaret, & dedicavit ecclesiam apud antiquam Slavenburgch, quae nunc Vleerdingen est, & collegit presbyteros multos, & sic venit Trajectum, quod venit sub Dominio Franciae…

…Interim quum S. WIllibrordus fuit Romae, ventus urens surrexit, & orientalis, & evertit omnes arbores, & una nocte per totam Frisiam & Slaviam, quae fuit orientalis Francia, quod fuit mirabile multum…

…In anno Domini DCC. & LII. Bonifacius imminere martyrium suum ordinavit sibi successsorem Sanctum Gregorium, & Bonifacius cum suo suffraganeo Eobano, & Wintingo, Waltero, & Alberto sacerdotibus, & Haymundo, Sacbaldo, & Basato diaconibus, & Wackero, Gundato, Hidero, & Tulso monachis. Isti triginta viri descenderunt per Slaviam, & venerunt ad populum incredilum, ibique explicabant tentoria sua, & paululum quieti se dederunt…

Interestingly, Gouda was previously known as Tergouw or Ter Gouw. The Gouwe is the name of a river nearby (terram quandam junta Goldam) but that is not the only explanation of the name.

Wincenty of Kielce’s Report on Pagan Practices

PublishedJuly 16, 2018 Post authortorino

The Polish priest, Wincenty of Kielce (Wincenty z Kielczy) (circa 1200 – circa 1262) in his Legenda sancti Stanislai (aka Vita minor) wrote in 1230-1257 that:

“even till this very day, during feasts thrown by Slavs, one encounters pagan songs, hand clapping and [pagan] greeting toasts.”

“…Longas consessiones ad mensam non in usu habebat, nocturnas autem potaciones, cum esset uir sobrius, quasi ueneni poculum abhorrebat. Has enim introduxit uetus error gentilis et abusio praue consuetudinis. Vnde in conviviis Slauorum adhuc cantilene gentilium, plausus manuum mosque salutancium servantur usque in diem hodiernum…”

Interestingly, the Slavic term pląsać meant the same as to clap hands. The similarity with words like applause is striking.

Bernard of Clairvaux Calls For Yet Another Crusade

PublishedJuly 14, 2018 Post authortorino

One of the more noxious characters from the Middle Ages was the fanatical Frankish Cistercian monk (Saint) Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153). Here is a letter calling for a Crusade against Niklot and the Suavic Wends. It was written sometime in March, 1147. The idea was that the same privileges would apply to the actions of these northern crusaders as those accorded to the crusaders of the Second Crusade. Interestingly, the Wends rebelled at the time of that crusade was taking place and it is likely that they did so with the knowledge that Frankish armies would be otherwise occupied in their pillaging of Canaan giving the Wends a chance to free themselves.

The brutal language of the letter is particularly striking given that just the year before Bernard spoke against the persecution of Jews in the Mainz area (“Is it not a far better triumph of the Chiurch to convince and convert the Jews than to put them all to the sword?…Who is this man that he should make out the Prophet to be a liar and render void the treasures of Christ’s love and pity?”)

Interestingly, the Cistercians later made similar haughty statements about Polish Suavs.

Miriam squirting breast milk into Bernard’s mouth (not kidding – some weird shit)

The translation is from Bruno Scott James.

“To his lords and reverend fathers, the archbishops, bishops, and princes, and to all the faithful of God, the spirit of strength and deliverance, from Bernard, styled Abbot of Clairvaux.”

“Without doubt it has been heard in your land, without doubt the news has gone forth in oft repeated words that God has stirred up the spirit of kings and princes to take vengeance on the pagans and to wipe out from Christian lands… [MS. defective]. How good and great is the bounty of God’s mercy! But the evil one sees this and resents it, he gnashes his teeth and withers away in fury, for he is losing many of those whom he held bound by various crimes and enormities. Abandoned men are now being converted, turning aside from evil and making ready to do good. But the evil one feared far more the damage he would incur from the conversion of the pagans, when he heard that their tale was to be completed, and that the whole of Israel was to find salvation. This is what he believes to be threatening him now at this very time, and with all his evil cunning he is endeavoring to see how he can best oppose such a great good. He has raised up evil seed, wicked pagan sons, whom, if I may say so, the might of Christendom has endured too long, shutting its eyes to those who with evil intent lie in wait, without crushing their poisoned heads under its heel. But the Scriptures say: ‘Presumption comes first, and ruin close behind it.’ And so God grant that the pride of these peoples may be speedily humbled and the road to Jerusalem not closed on their account. Because the Lord has committed to our insignificance the preaching of this crusade, we make known to you that at the council of the king, bishops, and princes who had come together at Frankfort, the might of Christians was armed against them, and that for the complete wiping out or, at any rate, the conversion of these peoples, they have put on the Cross, the sign of our salvation; and we, by virtue of our authority, promised them the same spiritual privileges as those enjoy who set out towards Jerusalem. Many took the Cross on the spot, the rest we encouraged to do so, so that all Christians who have not yet taken the Cross for Jerusalem may know that they will obtain the same spiritual privileges by undertaking this expedition, if they do so according to the advice of the bishops and princes. We utterly forbid that for any reason whatsoever a truce should be made with these peoples, either for the sake of money or for the sake of tribute, until such a time as, by God’s help, they shall be either converted or wiped out. We speak to you, archbishops and bishops, and urge you to oppose any such plan for a truce with all your strength, and to watch with the greatest care this matter, and to apply all the zeal of which you are capable to seeing that it is carried through manfully. You are the ministers of Christ, and therefore it is demanded of you with all the more confidence that you should watch faithfully over God’s work, which, because it is his work, should be especially your concern. And this is what we too pray for from God with our whole heart. The uniform of this army, in clothes, in arms, and in all else, will be the same as the uniform of the other, for it is fortified with the same privileges. It has pleased gathered together at Frankfort to decree that a copy of this letter should be carried everywhere and that the bishops and priests should proclaim it to the people of God, and arm them with the holy Cross against the enemies of the Cross of Christ, and that they should all meet at Magdeburg on the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul.”

Genschow’s Niklot – Schwerin Castle

The Sacramentary of Henry II – Bamberg Anno Domini 1059

PublishedJuly 8, 2018 Post authortorino

The year was 1059. Bolesław II the Bold had been duke of Poland for a year now having taken over from his father Casimir the Restorer who passed away in 1058. Whatever pagan rebellion may have happened in the 1020s and 1030s in Poland was long over. Poland was once again “Christian” even if worship of the Old Gods persisted for hundreds of years more. Its southern neighbor, Bohemia had not had major issues with “pagans” since at least 935.

And yet…

Henry II’s Sacramentary

To the southwest of Bohemia, in Upper Franconia, on April 13, 1059 a diocesan synod was taking place at Bamberg and what was firmly on the bishops’ minds were Slavs and, especially, Slav paganism. It would seem that as late as 1059, the Bamberg province was still predominantly Slavic and largely pagan.

The synodal notes from that meeting were noticed by Philipp Jaffé in time for his edition of Monumenta Bambergensia in 1869 and were later reedited by Erich von Guttenberg, They reside in the first few folios of the Sacramentary of Henry II’s. (This is the same Henry II who as Emperor from 1002 till 1024 was engaged in three wars with Bolesław I the Great). The sacrementary was given by Henry II to the Bamberg Cathedral and resided there as part of the Treasury until the Napoleonic Wars.

Henry II had a special relationship with the Bamberg Archbishopric as he was instrumental to setting it up back in 1007 at the synod in Frankfurt where one of the main reasons for setting up the Bamberg bishopric in the first place (from pieces of bishoprics Würzburg (founded 741) and Eichstätt (founded 745-746)) was the conversion of the Slavs.

Bamberg Slavs

We have previously looked a bit at some of those “Bamberg” Slavs who were known as the Moinu-Winidi and Ratanz-Winidi. They may have been mentioned in the Life of Saint Emmeram as residing in the area about the year 650.

We’ve also come across them when examining Charlemagne’s Order to Bishop Bernwelf regarding missionary activity to the Slavs of the River Main and Regnitz. That was about the years 793-794.

Some of the trading emporia established by the Carolingians were located in the nearby Slav area as well as discussed in the Double Capitulary of Thionville (aka the Diedenhofener Kapitular Karls des Grossen). That was in 805.

Slavs were mentioned too – as a people from whom the bishopric was allowed to collect taxes – in a document issued by Arnulf of Carinthia in 889. That document is allegedly a reconfirmation of the same rights to be found in the foundational documents of the bishopric of Würzburg from the year 741 – see here.

They are also mentioned in the documents from the Frankfurt Synod establishing the Bamberg Bishopric in the year 1007 – another topic for later discussion.

For now, here is a simple document mentioning what happened at the Bamberg synod in 1059.

(This is just a sampling of the documents and these same Bamberg Slavs are further mentioned in various land deeds and diplomata throughout the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th centuries). (The last mention of the Bamberg Slavs appears to be from 1111).

The Bamberg Synod
April 13, 1059

In nomine sanctae et individuae trinitatis. Notum sit omnibus tam praesentis aetatis quam futurae posteritatis, qualiter ego Guntharius quintus Babenbergensis episcopus propter multimoda meae aecclesiae negocia synodum universorum mihi subiectorum tenui.

Erat enim plebs huius episcopii, utpote ex maxima parte Sclavonica, ritibus gentilium dedita, abhorrens a religione Chistiana, tam in cognatarum conubiis quam in decimationum contradictione decretis patrum omnino contraria. Quapropter communi omnium iudicio confirmatum est, ut, qui sponte canonicis decretis nollent obedire, compellerentur intrare; et qui canonice banno constrictus non decimaret, bonis suis a domino suo abdicaretur, donec resipiscere compelleretur.

Huic synodo Eberhardus comes, Wirzeburgensis advocatus, superveniens, decimationes quasdam novalium nostrorum per prolocutorem suum Aepelin de Constat Wirzeburgensi aecclesiae expostulavit. Sed emo advocato Wolframmo per prolocutorem suum Kaezelinum de Hamfenfeld respondente ac domno Meinardo cartam de eadem re coram omnibus perlegente, synodali iudicio expostulatio illa infirmata est et supradicta decimatio nostrae aecclesiae adiudicata, sucit ego meique fideles protestati sunt domnum nostrum imperatorem Heinricum huius episcopii terminos suo praedio a Wirzeburgensi aecclesia commutasse.

Hii autem sunt testes, qui huic synodo interfuerunt: Herimannus huius Babenbergensis aecclesiae praepositus, qui canonice interrogatus omnium assensu iudicium fecit; Poppo decanus; Kazelin, Penno, Luizo, Adelunc, Gozbreht, Hartunic, Gundolt, Icco, Uodalric, Gunzo, Hartuuic; Meinnard scolasticus; Adalbero decanus de Duristat; Huno, Arnold de Sieslice, Oze de Stafelestein, Sigelo, Ruothart, Nencer, Adalbreht, Uodalric et fere omnis clerus Babenbergensis aecclesiae.

Laici autem isti erant: Cuono palatinus comes, Pertolt et Fridericus filius eius, Gotescalc et Frideric filius eius, Eppo de Nuheim, Gozuuin comes, Adalbreht de Vorst, Sterchere comes, Gozwin comes, Reginboto comes et filius eius Diemar, Kraft comes, Immo, Walpoto.

Iudices isti affuerunt: Gumpreht et filius eius Meingoz, Heriman et Volferat, Ebo, Vocho, Aescuuin, Adelolt de Trubaha et frater eius Hemmo, Erbo de Wizenaha.

Ministeriales autem isti: Wiccer, Mazelin, Arnolt de Sichendorf, Teimo, Toticho et frater eius Babo, Deipolt et alii plures quos nominare longum est.

Acta Idibus Aprilis indictione IIII, anno dominicae incarnationis MLVIII, anno episcopatus domni Guntharii III.

The Fulda Donation

PublishedJuly 3, 2018 Post authortorino

In a deed from the year 824 issued at Fulda we have the following interesting language testifying to the presence of Slavs on the River Main at that time (consistent with other reports from the area):

“I, in the name of God, Nidgoz, deliver to Saint Boniface, whose body rests in the sacred Fulda monastery where the venerable man Hrabanus is abbot and presides over a community of monks, given that I want to forever, for the remedy of the soul of Huswart, to deliver whatever property I have in the village which is called Thurpfilin, which lies on the bank of the river Main, in the country of the Slavs, on the condition that, from the present day the aforesaid abbot and then his successors, thanks to the charity of Huswart, and for all their uses, should own, hold and possess – [and Huswart’s] descendants relinquish perpetual possession – without any impediment or hindrance from others.”

“Done in the monastery of Fulda, on the 11th year of the reign of the Emperor Louis [the Pious], in the month of February, on the 16th of that month, in front of these witnesses: Nidgoz, who asked for this document to be produced, Abolt, Bernolf, Erming, Masso, Herirat, Nandgis, Gerperaht, Nordpraht, Gadumar, Hruodolf, the unworthy deacon who wrote down this document.”

Ego, in Dei nomine Nidgoz, trado ad sanctum Bonifatium, qui in monasterio Fulda sacro requiescit corpore, ubi vir venerabilis, Hrabanus abbas, multitudini praeest monachorum, traditum que in perpetuum esse volo, ob remedium animae Huswarti, quicquid proprietatis habeo in villa, quae vocatur Thurpfilin [aka Thurphilun/Thurpfilun], iuxta ripam fluminis Moin, in regione Sclavorum, ea conditione, ut à die praesente tam praedictus abbas, quàm successores eius, in eleemosynam Huswartes, & in ipsorum utilitatem, habeant, teneant, atque possideant, suisque posteris perpetuo possidendum relinquant, absque ulla contradictione vel impedimento aliorum. Actum in monasterio Fulda, anno XI. regni Hludouici Imperatoris mense Februario, die XVI. eiusdem mensis, eoram istis testibus, signum Nidgozi, qui hanc traditionis chartulam fieri rogavit, signum Albolti, signum Bernolfi , Ermingi, signum Massonis, Herirati, signum Nandgisi, Gerperahti, signum Nordprahti, Gadumari. Hruodolf, indignus subdiaconus, iussus scripsit.

The language seems to indicate that Huswart had died and that his soul needed some help on the way to Heaven. So, in order to help this Huswart, his some/all of his possessions in the form of the village of Thurpfilin “in the land of the Slavs” were donated to the Fulda monastery by a certain Nidgoz. Huswart’s heirs were thereby deprived of their inheritance but, hey, it was a good cause. What the relationship of Nidgoz was to Huswart is, of course, unclear but, at least in the optimistic version, Nidgoz was a relative of Huswart’s. Interestingly, Nidgoz as well as several of the other names listed above such as Masso, Gadumar could have been Suavic. Were the Suavs trying to turn their village to the Fulda Abbey, perhaps because they did not get along with Huswart or with his progeny? Or was this simply intra-Frankish business?

In any event, this is found in the Corpus Traditionum Fuldensium (number 343) under the name Traditio bonorum in villa Thurphilun as well as in Book II (number 126) of the earlier Pistorius publication Rerum germanicarum scriptores in the subpart Traditiones Quae Continentur in Libris III Fuldensium under the name Traditio bonorum in villa Turphfilin. The same was also in the Codex diplomaticus Fuldensis published by Dronke.

Thurphilun or Turphfilin is probably the same as Dörfleins northwest of Bamberg. You can see other Slavic names on the map below Drasen, Schesslitz (Sieslice), Lesau?

This map is from the Atlas nouveau portatif à l’usage des militaires, collèges et du voyageur…. Tome 2 by monsieur Georges-Louis Le Rouge.