Speaking of Metz, thanks to Maciej for reminding me of this. I did want to mention the Slavic incursion of 1009 but the whole topic slipped my mind. Thietmar says this:
“Ecclesia namque una, quae extra Metensem stabat civitatem, et congregatio ibidem (Deo) serviens a Sclavis Deum non timentibus vastatur.””
Pertz claimed in the MGH that, “not so”, that these were Northmen. He then points to Alpert as proof and indeed Alpert does mention attacks of the Northmen. Problem is that he does not provide any dates.
The only dating comes from Sigebert of Gembloux’s Universal Chronicle. But he does not say that the Northmen invaded Metz. Rather he only mentions Northmen in Frisia in 1009 – though Frisia is aways from Metz.
And remember the attacks happened about 1009. Here are the dates when the three characters involved lived:
- Sigebert circa 1030 – 1112
- Alpert ? – 1024
- Thietmar – 975 – 1018
So it seems that the oldest contemporary here was Thietmar whereas Sigebert wasn’t even alive in 1009. Alpert must have been but he did not tell us when the Northmen ravaged Metz. He does say that Henry subdued the Winidi. It is also possible that both Slavs and Northmen raided Metz and Frisia that year.
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