Here are some fragments from the Arnold of Lübeck’s Chronicle that discuss Suavic religion including the unknown Deity Gutdracco (probably the name of a local river). The chronicle itself is a continuation of Helmold’s Chronicle and covers the years 1179 to 1209. The green portions below correspond to the portions published by Karl Heinrich Meyer in his Fontes historiae religionis Slavicae. The first piece deals with the siege of Lübeck and may loosely suggest that the city stood where once a Slavic cultic center was found. The second piece either confirms Slavic worship of rivers or else is the only mention of a Slavic Deity by the name Gutdracco.
Book II, 21
Concerning the Siege of Lübeck by the Emperor
“The emperor crossed the river and arrived at Luebeck. An army of Slavs and Holsteiners hastened to meet him. Also King Waldemar of Denmark came with a great fleet to the mouth of the Trave and so the city came to be surrounded from land and sea. Trapped inside were Count Simon of Tekeneburg, Count Bernhard of Aldenburg, and Count Bernhard of Wilpe with Markrad the governor of Holstein and Emeco of Nemore [Holstein?] with several very brave Holsteiners and a countless throng of citizens. King Waldemar appeared with a great retinue and presented himself lavishly with great pageantry in front of the emperor. Then he betrothed his daughter with the Duke of Swabia, the emperor’s son and then the wedding vows were solemnly consecrated and confirmed in the presence of the bishops. During the siege bishop Henry found himself in the city and it was to him that the citizens came saying: ‘We beg your holiness, most revered father to go to the emperor and to say to him in our name: ‘Lord, we are your servants. We are ready to obey your imperial majesty. And what have we done so wrong that we should be visited by you with this great siege. We have had this city in our possession thanks to the generous grace of our lord, Duke Henry and we have erected it as a firm stronghold of Christianity on what was once a place of fright and an empty wasteland; on this place where, now, as we hope, there is a house of God but where before there was a seat of Satan on account of the pagan false belief. And so this city we shall not deliver into your hands but we will instead persevere in defending its freedom with arms, as long as we are able to. But it is for this reason that we ask your eminence to permit us the grant of safety so that we can go to see our lord, the Duke, so as to learn from him what to do and how we may best take care of ourselves and of our city in this hour of need. And if he should promise us relief then it would be proper that we should protect the city for him and if not then we will do what pleases you. If you should not permit this, then know that we would rather die honorably protecting our city than live in ignominy having broken our allegiance.’ And so the bishop went to the emperor and conveyed the same carefully…”
De obsidione civitatis ab imperatore
Imperator autem transito flumine venit Lubeke, et occurrit ei exercitus Sclavorum et Holtsatorum. Waldemarus quoque rex Danorum cum multa classe venit ad ostium Travene, et obsessa est civitas terra marique. In civitate vero erant Simon comes de Tekeneburg et Bernardus comes de Aldenburg et equivocus eius comes de Wilepe cum Marcrado prefecto Holzatorum et Emecone de Nemore cum quibusdam Holzatis strenuissimis et multitudine infinita civium. Rex vero Waldemarus cum multo comitatu veniens in presentiam imperatoris, cum magna iactantia glorie sue ei se exhibuit et filiam suam filio ipsius, duci videlicet Suevie, desponsavit, et episcoporum iuramentis firmata sunt sacramenta coniugalia. In ipso autem tempore obsidionis domnus Heinricus episcopus in civitate constitutus erat, quem adierunt burgenses [scil. Lubicenses] dicentes: Rogamus sanctitatem tuam, reverendissime patrum, ut ad domnum imperatorem o exeatis et ei verbis nostris dicatis: „Domine, servi vestri sumus, imperatorie maiestati vestre servire parati sumus; sed quid commisimus, quod tanta obsidione a vobis conclusi sumus? Civitatem istam hactenus ex munificentia domini nostri Heinrici ducis possidemus, quam etiam ad honorem Dei et robur christianitatis in loco hoc horroris et vaste solitudinis edificavimus, in qua ut speramus nunc habitatio Dei, sed prius per errorem gentilitatis sedes Sathane fuit. Hanc igitur in manus vestras non trademus, sed eius libertatem viribus et armis, quantum possumus, constantissime tuebimur. Hoc tamen u rogamus apud magnificentiam vestram, ut data occasione pacis, eamus ad dominum nostrum ducem, percunctaturi ab eo, quid sit faciendum, qualiter vel nobis vel civitati nostre in presenti necessitate sit consulendum. Qui si liberationem nobis promiserit, iustum est, ut civitatem ei servemus; sin autem, quod placitum est in oculis vestris faciemus. Quod si facere nolueritis, sciatis, omnes nos pro defensione civitatis nostre magis optare honeste mori, quam fidei violatores inhoneste vivere.” Episcopus ergo veniens ad imperatorem hec diligentissime peroravit…
Book V, 24
Concerning the Death of Bishop Berno and Duke Henry
“At this time, Berno, bishop of Schwerin died. He had been the first bishop there. For the bishop of Schwerin was, in the days of the Ottonians, called the Mecklenburg bishop. But the seat of the bishop was moved [from Mecklenburg to Schwerin] out of fear of the Slavs who frequently attacked that bishop. Bishop Berno who’d been installed by Duke Henry was the first Christian teacher whom these people received. He suffered being beaten and slapped and was mockingly forced to witness their demonic sacrifices. Nevertheless, strengthened by his Christian faith, he eradicated the worship of demons, cut down the holy groves and made it so that they honored Bishop Gotthard* instead of Gutdracco** so that the Faithful were confident that he led his life well.”
* Saint Gotthard of Hildesheim
** This is unexplained. It may be the name of a river worshipped by the Suavic Warnowi – probably the Warnow river. The reason for this hypothesis is that a similar name appears in the Knýtlinga saga (chapter 119 has “Guðakrsá“) and in Saxo Grammaticus’ Gesta Danorum (Book 14, chapter 25, section 16 has “inde ad Gudacram amnem nauigatione discessum” – “From there they sailed off as far as the River Gudacra.”).
Heinrich Bangert edition
De Morte Bernonis Episcopi et Heinrici Ducis
Hoc dierum curriculo mortuus est domnus Berno Zverinensis episcopus, primus eiusdem tituli antistes. Qui enim nunc est Zverinensis, olim tempore Ottonum dicebatur Magnopolitanus. Unde eadem sedes propter timorem Sclavorum translata est, a quibus idem antistes sepius contumeliatus. Qui a duce Heinrico episcopus eis prefectus, primus nostris in temporibus doctor illis exstitit catholicus, alapas, colaphos ab eis pertulit, ita ut frequenter ludibrio habitus ad sacrificia demonum artaretur. Ille tamen per Christum confortatus, culturas demonum eliminavit, lucos succidit et pro Gutdracco Godehardum episcopum venerari constituit, ideoque bono fine cursum certaminis terminasse fidelibus placuit.
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