The Vandals of Henry Huntingdon

The Chronicle of Henry the Archdeacon of Huntingdon (circa 1088 – circa 1157), i.e., Historia Anglorum (The History of the English) is not a well known source of Slavic information but it does contain some bits here and there.  (Note it is a different history from Matthew Paris’ later namesake book).

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For example, there is this report at the beginning of Book V which potentially refers to the Wends (as Vandals):

“In the early days of the English church religion flourished with so much lustre, that kings and queens, nobles and bishops, as I have before related, resigned their dignities, and entered into the monastic life.  But in process of time all piety became extinct, so that no other nation equalled them for impiety and licentiousness; as especially appears m the history of the Northumbrian kings.  This unpiety was not only manifest in the royal annals, but extended to every rank and order of men.  Nothing was held disgraceful except devotion, and innocence was the surest road to destruction. The Almighty, therefore, let loose upon them the most barbarous of nations, like swarms of wasps, and they spared neither age nor sex; viz. the Danes [Dacos] and/with Goths [Gothis], Norwegians [Norwagenses] and/with Swedes [Suathedis], Vandals [Wandalos] and/with Frisians [Fresis].  These desolated this country for 230 years, from the beginning of the reign of King Ethelwulf [King of Wessex from 839 to 858], until the time of the arrival of the Normans under the command of King William.  France also, from its contiguity to England, was often invaded by these instruments of the divine vengeance, as it richly deserved. With these explanations I will now resume the course of my history. [continues with AD 837]”

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And this one in Book VI, which has Vandals but has been interpreted as an attack (dated to 1019 AD) on the Wends:

“In the this year of his reign, Canute, with an army composed both of English and Danes, went over to Denmark to war with the Vandals.  He had come up with the enemy and was prepared to give battle the day following, when Earl Godwin, who commanded the English troops, made a night attack on the enemy’s camp, without the king’s knowledge.  Taking them by surprise, he made great slaughter and entirely routed them.  At daybreak the king, finding that the English were gone, supposed that they had either taken flight or deserted to the enemy.  However, he marshaled his own force for the attack, but when he reached the camp, he found there only the corpses of the slain, blood, and booty.  Whereaupon he ver afterwards held the English the highest honour, considering them not inferior to the Danes.  After this he returned to England.”

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(The above are from Thomas Forester’s 1853 translation; Latin version from Thomas Arnold’s 1879 edition).

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May 18, 2016

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