On Leibniz, Hammon, Swentebuek & Vitelubbe (& Radegast)

The name of Ebbekestorp appears in a number of German stories or, you will, legends usually describing a battle fought by the Germans against the Northmen or Danes.  However, one version of this story does not involve Northmen but rather Slavs.  It was compiled out of an ancient codex (with, as you’ll see below, some parts illegible) by Gottfried Wilhelm (Freiherr von) Leibniz (a Slavic name of the town, of course  – and yes “that” Leibniz) in the first volume of his collection on the ancient writers of Brunswick (Scriptores Rerum Brunsvicensium) in the year 1707.  (The story itself apparently derives from a 14th century Codex Antverpensis, the location of which is at this time unknown).

There are two reasons why this story is interesting.  First, it lists some of the Polabian Slavic Gods that we have seen before and some that we have not, e.g., Swentebuek [Svantovit?] and Vitelubbe [appellative of Vitu lubi?].  Second, it is a story that comes from the town of Hamburg and it strongly hints at that town basically being Slavic or, at least, in Slavic country – you can decide yourself whether you think that Harucht and Herina – the ruling couple of Hamburg as per below – were Slavs (or just heathens).

Without further ado, here is the story of the Slavs of Hamburg and the martyrs of Ebbekestorp:

“This is what is written in the Chronicle of Charles the First [Charlemagne] who is called the Great.  A true Christian, God fearing, a zealot of the Christian faith, its defender and champion with all his strength.  Among his acts that commended the grace of God, he completed the conversion of Saxony, Thuringia, Westphalia, Hesse, Friesland, Slavonia, Holstein [Holtsacia?] with all their neighboring countries to the Catholic faith – acting both with illuminating teaching and [also] with a strong hand – so that the people left the errors of old and did not desert the Catholic faith but preserved it inviolate.”

“After his death, he was named the most serene Emperor Charles the Great but the strong hand was missing and false Christians, especially beyond the Elbe, left the Christian faith compelled by the enemy of the human race and again erected their idols that they had previously thrown out including, among others, of Hammon [Carthaginian/Phoenician (Venetian?) god], Swentebuek [Svantovit?], Vitelubbe, and Radegast.  This happened after the death of Charlemagne during the reign of Ludwig I who was Charles’ son.  For many years thereafter, the priests from [various] orders and priests outside of orders rebuked this apostasy and scolded it with all strength but with little success for this apostasy remained hidden to the neighboring countries and lands and because the Emperor Ludwig always remained concerned about the Church in Italy, France, Gall and the other above-named countries.  After his death his son Ludwig II followed him as Emperor.  In these days the errant evil of the Slavs showed itself clearer beyond the Elbe and began to be better known in the neighboring countries and lands for at that time they defied the scoldings and teachings of the priests of Christ even more and began to attack [these lands] with arms.  Back then there were in those lands many cities, namely Lauenburg, Razeborch, Old Stargard [?], Stettin among the other towns, castles and villages.”

(Hinc est quod in kronicis reperitur, Karolus primus, qui Magnus dictus est Vir Christianissimus verus Dei Cultor Christianaeque fidei Zelator, Defensor ac totis Viribus propugnator.  Inter caetera quae commendabilia Dei gratia suffragante perfecit Saxonoiam, Turingiam, Westfaliam, hassiam, frisiam, slavoniam, holtsaciam cum suis confiniis ad fidem catholicam doctrinis praedicationibus illuminatorum virorum pariter & armata manu convertit, ut relictis erroribus perpetuis temporibus ipsam catholicam fidem non desererent, sed inviolabiliter ipsam conservarent;  post mortem vero praenominati Karoli Magni Serenissimi Imperatoris quidam non veri Christiani sed falsi praecipue trans Albeam, quia potenti manu ad fidei Christianae susceptionem quodammodo compulsi sunt, fuadente generis humani totiusque nostrae salutis hoste crudelissimo susceptam fidem Christi relinquentes idola sua projecta Hammon scilicet Suentebueck, Vitelubbe, Radegast cum ceteris erexerunt & in loca sua pristina statuerunt & ut ante susceptam fidem relicto Deo vero coluerunt.  Haec facta sunt post mortem Karoli, sicut profertur tempore Ludowici primi, qui Karoli filius fuit.  Quam tamen Apostasiam religiosi plures & seculares Presibiteri Deum timentes annis pluribus redarguentes ac viribus totis corripientes, parum prosecerunt.  Quia multis annis haec Apostasia vicinis terris & regionibus occulta permansit & Serenissimus Imperator Lodowicus primus Veri Dei Cultor Christianaeque Religionis Amator in Italia, Francia, Gallia ceterisque superioribus partibus in hiisque pertinent ad sactae matris Ecclesiae profectum sollicitus perseveranter erat.  Quo feliciter in Domino defuncto fillius ejus qui Lodowicus secundus dictus est in imperio successit.  Hujus igitur temporibus apostatica malitia Slavorum trans Albeam lucidius apparuit, & cepit latius in vicinas partes ac provincias divulgari, quia tunc amplius correctiones & informationes Christi Sacerdotum contempserunt, & armatis in eos manibus violenter irruere ceperunt. Erant tunc temporis in illis partibus plures civitates Levenborch scilicet, Razeborch, antiqua Stargardia, Stedzyn cum ceteris opidis castris & villis:) 

“Their inhabitants united themselves in an alliance and in mutual defense and fought back many of the foreign nations who raised themselves against them.  Among the most famous of these towns was Hochburg, today’s Hamburg…  Harucht was the lord of both castles – the one on this the south side of the Elbe where now the church of the Virgin Mary stands and the other on the North side around the river called Alster – and of the entire city.  His wife was named Herina.  They were both of nobleblood but they lived in the manner of pagans and were [only] elevated by earthly power…  A messenger was sent from a Christian people [of the land] to the Emperor Ludwig, the son of King Charles [but the chronicler means Ludwig II, Charlemagne’s grandson].  The Emperor followed the messenger with many knights and in his entourage there went the Pope Benedict, seven bishops – that is Theoderic of Winden, Dudo of Padeerborn, Anfrid of Utrecht, Reinbert of Hamburg and Erlorf of Berden – seven dukes [and] fifteen counts.  The Slavs could not resist their might, they sent out peace  messengers and, after peace was granted them, they [however] attacked the killed in many ways the God beloved people.  The Chirstians collected the corpses and brought them to Ebbekestorp in order to bury them there.  But the pagans, who knew nothing of God, carried many prisoners away and imprisoned them and place many heads of the slain martyrs on spikes and raised them as signs of victory on the battlements and the towers of the fortresses Stargard and Gdansk/Danzig…”

(Quorum inquilini data fide pacis inter se concordiae que foedera juraverunt; statuentes sibi mutuis auxilis quibuscunque necessitatibus aut causis incombentibus fortiter fideliterque subvenire; ut hoc modo pacis optata dulcedine retenta suas terras pacifice quieteque possiderent.  Et roboris eorum divulgata virtute nationes alienas insurgentes contra se potentius debellarent.  Inter has autem Civitates praenominatas & plures alias Hochburgh nunc Hamborch defamosioribus suit… duo magna & robusta castra, unum in parte Australi circa ALbeam, in illo loco, in quo nunc beata Maria Virginis est fundata pariter & consecrata Ecclesia: Aliud vero in parte Aquilonari circa flumen quod Alstria nuncupatur.  Eratque Dominus istorum castrorum toriusque Civitatis Harucht, contoralisque sua dicebatur Herina: Fueruntque pariter sanguine generosi, gentili tamen ritu viventes, potentia terrena sublimes … Imperatori Lodewico Karoli Regis Filio mittitur nuntius a populo Christiano, quem ipse cum ingenti sequitur militia in paganorum confinia; habens in Comitatu Papam Benedictum, Pontifices septem, Theodiricum Myndensem Episcopum, Dudonem Paderbornensem Episcopum, Drogonem Osnaburgensem Episcopum, Dodonem Mimigar devordensem Episcopum, Asfridum Trajectensem Episcopum, Rembertum Hamburgensem Episcopum, Erlorfum Verdensem Episcopum; Duces septem; Comites quindecim.  Quorum vim Slavi non ferentes praemittunt nuncios pacem petentes, sed data pace irruunt & dilectum Deo populum variis mortibus intermunt.  Christiani cadavera congerunt & in Ebbekestorp sepelienda convehunt.  Pagani vero Deum nescientes quosdam captivos abduzerunt & incarceraverunt, & multa capita caesorum martyrum hastis praesigentes in titulum victoriae super pinnaculum defixerunt, & super murum urbis, quae appellatur Stargart, altera vero Danzeke …)

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