Rodulfus Glaber (985–1047) was a French monk and a contemporary of Adémar de Chabannes. Rodulfus’ main work is his Histories in Five Books (Rodulfi Glabri Historiarum Libri Quinque). This work was translated by the medieval scholar John France. Here are some excerpts that mention the Slavs and the Prussians.
Also, interestingly, in one of the chapters Rodulfus describes a certain fraudster deceiving the good people of France with his alleged healing techniques (“a common fellow, a cunning pedlar whose name and country of origin were unknown because in the many lands where he sought refuge he took false names and lied about his origins lest he be recognized.”). That fraudster apparently managed to perform some miracles (to “test” the Christians in their faith) and did so in the bishoprics of Maurienne, Uzes and Grenoble. What is interesting are the names of these which are listed as follows (Book IV, chapter 3 (6)): “Nec tamen Morianne uel Utzetice sue Gratinone…”
Book I
Chapter 4 (10)
At this time the Emperor Otto died, and his son Otto II succeeded to the empire; while he lived he ruled well. During his reign the venerable pontiff Adalbert (Voytech) left the province which the Slavs call Bohemia, where he ruled the church of St Vitus in the city of Prague, in order to preach the word of God to the Prussians. After he had preached many sermons to them and made many converts to the faith of Christ, he revealed to his companions that he was to receive the crown of martyrdom in that country; to save them from fear he gave assurances that none but he was to die. One day, at the order of this bishop, a certain evil tree situated by a river was cut down, for the common people had been accustomed in their superstition to sacrifice to it. The bishop built and consecrated an altar in that same place and he himself prepared to solemnize the mass. When he was engrossed in the sacrament he was pierced by javelins thrown by pagans; at the very moment that mass ended, his life ended too. Then his disciples, taking up the body of their lord, bore it back to his own country By his merits any men have received great benefits, even to this day.
Ipso igitur in tempore mortuus est predictus Otto imperator, suscepitque filiys eius, secundus uidelicet Otto, eundem imperium, quod satis strenue dum aduiueret rexit. Eodem ergo imperante, uenerabilis pontifex Adalbertus, ex prouintia qua lingua Sclauorum uocatur Bethem, in ciuitate Braga regens ecclesiam sancti martiris Vitisclodi, egressus ad gentem Bruscorum ut eis uerbum salutis predicaret. Dumque apud eosdem plurimam egisset predicationem, multique ex eis conuerterentur ad fidem Christi, predixit suis quoniam in eadem regione martirii coronam esset accepturus, ac ne pauerent eis pariter indicauit quia preter eum ibidem nemo ex eis erat perimendus. Contigit enim ut die quadam, precipiente eodem episcopo, quedam profana arbor sita iuxta fluuium, cui etiam superstitiose immolabat uniuersum uulgus, uidelicet excisa conuelleretur. Constructoque ac sacrato in eodem loco altare, missarum sollempnia per se episcopus explere parauit. Qui dum in ipsis sacramentis peragendis esset constitutus, ictibus iaculorum ab impiis perfossus, tandemque sacrum sollempne peractum, slmulque presentis uite imposuit terminum. Denique discipuli eius, accepto corpore sui domini, illud secum ferentes in propriam sunt reuersi patriam. Cuius etiam meritis usque in presens largiuntur hominibus plurima beneficia.
Book IV
Chapter 8 (23)
A battle between the Ljutici and the Christians of the north
Germany extends from the River Rhine to the northern parts of the world, and it is inhabited by many ferocious and intermingled tribes. The cruellest of all these lives in the furthest part of Second Raetia. First Raetia,* although both are called after the River Rhine, lies along its west bank and is vulgarly, though quite wrongly, called the kingdom of Lothar [Lotahringia]. It is in the other province of that name that the barbarous, cruel, and ferocious Ljutici live; their name comes from the word lutum meaning ‘mud’. They all live close to the northern sea amongst squalid marshes and that is why they are called ‘the muddy ones’. In the millennial year of the Lord’s Passion these people left their lairs and cruelly devastated the neighbouring provinces of Saxony and Bavaria, destroying Christian properties down to the bare earth, and slaughtering men and women. The Emperor Conrad raised a great army against them and in frequent skirmishes killed many of them, though not without loss to himself. Because of this the clergy and people of every church in his realm mortified themselves and prayed to the Lord that He might grant him vengeance upon this rabid people, and, for the glory of His name, grant victory over them to the Christians. Then the emperor flung himself upon the enemy and crushed the greater part of them. The remainder, completely terrified, sought safety in flight back to their inaccessible haunts amongst the marshes. This victory gave the emperor confidence, and so he raised a new army and marched through Italy to the very city of Rome, where he spent a year crushing all those who tried to rebel against him, He concluded a treaty of peace and friendship with Henry king of the Franks, son of that King Robert with whom the Emperor Henry had likewise made a pact; as a mark of friendship he sent a great lion to the king.** Later he married a virtuous woman called Matilda who came from one of the most noble families of his kingdom in Germany.
* This took place in 1035. The translator thinks the reference to Raetia is really to Redaria noting that Raetia was in the South but does not explain why another (or first) Raetia is identified with Lotharingia. For the Raetio-Norican origin of the Suavs, just see Nestor.
** The translator thinks this probably a reference pact between Conrad II and Henry I of France.
viii. De Leuticorum prelio aduersus Christianos in partibus aquilonis
Germania igitur, que a Reno flumine sursum uersus ad aquilonarem orbis plagam tendens sumit exordium, gentibus incolitur qualplurimis, ferocissimis tamen atque promiscuis. Inter quas una ceteris crudelior commanens in ultima parte secunde Retie. Nam prima Retia, licet a Reno utreque dicantur, in parte eiusdem Reni coniacet occidentali. Que scilicet corrupte regnum Lotharii uulgo nuncupatur. In altera, ut diximus, gens Leuticorum barbara omni crudelitate ferocior; cuius uocabulum a luto deriuatur. Est enim omnis illorum habitatio circa mare aquilonare in paludibus sordentibus, et iccirco Leutici quasi lutei uocantur. Hi quoque, anno a passione Domini millesimo, de suis egressi latibulis, uicinas sibi prouintias Saxonum ac Baioariorum nimium crudeliter deuastantes, Christianorum res ad | solum usque deleuerunt; uiros ac mulieres trucidantes exterminabant; aduersus quos imperator Chounradus cum exercitu permaximo egrediens multotiens plures ex illis cede prostrauit, non tamen sine dampno suomm; ob quam rem totius ecclesie clerus ac plebs regni sui, semet affligentes, Dominum rogauerunt, ut ultionis uindictam de tanta barbarorum uesania illi concederet, ut ad sui nominis honorem Christianis foret ex illis uictoria. Dehinc uero irruens super eos, maximam illorum partem contriuit. Ceteri fuge presidium arripientes, ad loca suarum paludum inaccessibilia nimium perterriti euaserunt; de qua uictoria isdem imperator accepta confidentia, rursum collecto exercitu, Italiam pergens, ad ipsam urbem Romam progrediens uniuersos rebelliones, qui contra eum insurgere temptauerant, anno integro ibidem degens, proterendo compescuit. Pactum etiam securitatis et amicitie, ueluti Heinricus cum patre illius egerat, cum rege Francorum Heinrico, filio Roberti, statuit, cui etiam leonem pergrandem amicitie gratia misit. Qui postmodum uxorem nomine Mathildem, moribus egregiam, de regno eius ex Germanie nobilioribus accepit.
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