The Wends of Knýtlinga Saga

We previously spent some time on the religious aspects of the Knýtlinga Saga but that work contains plenty more regarding Wends.  Here are the other sections discussing Slavs, Wends or places that clearly are (or possibly could be) Slavic (mostly in the Palsson/Edwards translation).  We also include mentions of the Cours (Kurs) – a Baltic tribe of Kurland (and later of the Kurische Haff).  Notes in red with Danish monarchs names bolded to provide an easier chronology.

(We do not discuss everything that could be related to Slavs though.  Thus, we do not discuss Vidgaut the trader who is described as a Semgallian in the Knýtlinga Saga and whose story of conversion in Denmark seems very similar to that of Witscacus (Herbord) or Wirtscachus (Ebo) of the Life of Otto – who was described there as a “citizen of Szczecin” – though we did not discuss him there given the secular nature of the tale.)

Section 1
Dealings with Germany

“After his father’s death, Harald Gormsson was made king in Denmark.  He was a strong ruler, and a great leader in war, having conquered Holstein in Saxony.  He also possessed an extensive earldom in Wendland, where he founded Jomsburg and stationed a large military force to which he gave both pay and certain rights.  They governed the land under his authority and spent the summer on viking expeditions, but wintered quietly at home.  They were known as the Jomsvikings.”

[note: Harald Gormsson (circa 935 – 985/986) aka Harald Bluetooth, son of Gorm the Old, was a King of Denmark and Norway and likely the first Christian ruler of the country; also, speaking of the Jomsvikings, there is one mention of Palnatoki in the Knýtlinga Saga – not in the context of Slavs – for more see the Jomsvikinga Saga]

Section 5
Fighting and Family Matters

“…King Svein married Gunnhild, daughter of King Burizlav of the Wends, and their sons were Knut and Harald.  Later, King Svein married Sigrid the Ambitious [the Haughty – see Heimskringla – “world circle” (compare krąg or kręgle)], daughter of Skoglar-Tosti and mother of King Olaf of Sweden.  Her previous marriage had been to King Eirik the Victorious of Sweden.  King Svein and Sigrid had a daughter, Astrid, who married Earl Ulf, son of Thorgils Strut-Leg, and their sons were named Svein and Bjorn.  A daughter of King Svein Forkbeard, Gyda, married Earl Hakon Hakonarson, and their son was Earl Hakon whom Olaf the Saint took prisoner in Sauesund…”

[note: This refers to Svein Forkbeard (960–1014) who was the son of Harald Bluetooth; Gunnhild is likely Świętosława, the daughter of Mieszko I (and sister of Boleslaw of Poland); the name is hypothetical – solely based on an inscription of Santslaue being described as the sister of King Knut the Great and the assumption that that sister was named after her mother.  In other words, she may well have been a Wendish princess but her name may have been Gunnhild – note that, after the death of Dobrawa, Mieszko I remarried – taking as wife the German princess Oda so a German name would not have been surprising in his family.]

Section 6
Campaigns Abroad

“King Svein was a great man of war and the strongest of the rulers.  He plundered widely both to the east in the Baltic and south in Saxony.   Eventually he led his troops west into England and plundered far and wide, fighting many battles.  King Aethelred, Edgar’s son ruled there at the time…”

Section 11
Earl Ulf’s Escape

“As usual, Earl Ulf was among the foremost of King Knut’s men and pursued the fleeing enemy [the English] further than anyone else.  Then he found himself in this forest, so dense that though he tried all night, he could discover no way out until daylight came.  Then on some open ground before him he saw a full-grown youngster herding a flock of sheep.  The earl approached him and asked his name.”

“‘I’m called Godwin [son of the “farmer” Wulfnot aka Wulfnoth the thegn of Wessex – and also a traitor],’ he answered.  ‘Are you one of King Knut’s men?'”

[Godwin then helped Ulf reach his ships]

“… The earl then set Godwin on the high seat beside him, and treated him as equal with himself or his own son  To cut a long story short, the earl gave Godwin his own sister Gyda in marriage, and as a result of his brother-in-law Ulf’s friendship and backing, Godwin was awarded an earldom by King Knut.”

“These were the children of Godwin and Gyda: King Harald of England, Earl Tosti nicknamed Treespear, Earl Morkar, Earl Waltheof, and Earl Svein.  Many great men from England, Denmark, Sweden and east from Russia are descended from them, including the royal house of Denmark.”

“Earl Godwin’s son, King Harald, and a daughter, Gyda, who married King Valdemar of Novgorod, and their son, King Harald, had two daughters of whom more will be said later.”

[note: Earl or Jarl Ulf is Ulf Thorgilsson the father of Svein II. About the family of Godwin, Earl of Wessex see below]

Section 17
Knut Goes to Rome

“… Later when war broke out between King Olaf [Haraldsson of Norway] and King Knut, Knut and Earl Hakon went to Norway with an invincible army.  This took place towards the end of King Olaf’s reign. They conquered the whole kingdom and King Knut appointed his nephew Hakon to rule over Norway, while he himself went back to Denmark.  King Olaf fled abroad, traveling east to Russia but two years later he came back to Norway and fought a great battle at Stiklestad against his landed men, who had proved disloyal to him and had set up in opposition.  As everyone knows, he was killed there, and lies, a saint, in his shrine at Trondheim…”

[note: After a short reign of Harald II (1014-1018), his brother, Knut the Great (circa 995 – 1035) took the Danish (and English and Norwegian) throne.]

Section 22
Hostilities

“Svein Ulfsson was given the title of earl by King Magnus [so this is after 1042], and with it the effective rule over the Danish kingdom, when they met at the Goeta River, when Svein agreed on oath to the peace settlement.  Then King Magnus went back north to Norway and Svein crossed over to Denmark.  That same autumn the Danes made Svein Ulfsson their king, after which he laid the whole country under his rule and became king of it.  King Magnus learned of this and in the following spring sailed for Denmark with a great army.  He fought a battle that summer at Jomsburg in Wendland and won the victory, burning down the stronghold and many other settlements across the land.  In the autumn King Magnus fought another battle on the day before Michaelmas at the Konge River a little to the north of Hedeby on Lyrskov Heath, where he was fighting against the Wends.  King Magnus won the victory there aided by the sanctity and miraculous intervention of his father Olaf, an innumerable host of the heathen.  According to some Svein Ulfsson fought beside King Magnus in that battle as their agreement still held.  This is what Thorleik the Fair said in the poem he wrote about Svein Ulfson:”

“‘The princely gold-dispenser
dispatched the enemy,
in the clash of weapons
few Wends got away:
the carrion-birds croaked
on the necks of the corpses
strewn in their hundreds
on the heath north of Hedeby…‘”

[then that same autumn the saga relays that Svein and Magnus fought one another]

“…In the spring Harald Sigurdson, who was related to Svein by marriage, travelled to Sweden from Russia in the east.  Harald’s wife, Ellisif, was the daughter of King Jaroslav of Novgorod, and her mother Ingigerd was the daughter of Olaf the Swede, Svein Ulffson’s uncle.  Svein and Harald joined forces and gathered an army, then crossed to Denmark where they ravaged the whole land and laid it completely under their rule.”

“When King Magnus heard of this he went to face them with an army from Norway…”

[note: After the death of Knut the Great, his son, Harald Harefoot (circa 1015 – 1040) took over and after him, his brother Knut III or Harthaknut (circa 1018 – 1042) was King of Denmark.  However, after the untimely death of that King (alcohol poisoning/stroke or just poisoning), it was the son of Olaf II Haraldsson – Knut the Great’s competitor – who became the next king of Denmark – that was Magnús Óláfsson or Magnus the Good (circa 1024 – 1047).]

Section 23
King Svein’s Children

“…Torgisl, son of King Svein, travelled east to Russia where he had distinguished kin on his mother’s side, and was brought up and made king there so that he never came back to Denmark.  King Svein’s son Sigurd was killed in Wendland.”

[note: Sweyn or Svein II Estridsson (circa 1019 – circa 1074/1076), son of Jar Ulf]

Section 26
Tension

“…King Svein’s son, Knut [IV, the Saint], had been busy on viking expeditions in the Baltic with a large force of men and a fine fleet of shops, and it was on these expeditions to the Baltic that according to Karl Manason’s poem, Knut defeated ten kings.”

Section 29
Law and Order

“King Knut was a strict and powerful ruler, who punished evildoers with great severity,  During the reign of Harald Whetstone, however, there had been little in the way of punishment for outrages committed wither by the Danes themselves, or by vikings plundering in Denmark, such as Courlanders and others from the Baltic region.  After Knut came to power he defended the land fiercely and drove all the heathen not only from his land but from the very seas: so that because of Knut’s authority and strength of arms, no viking would dare lay off the coast of Denmark…”

[note: after a short reign of his bastard brother Harald II Whetstone (circa 1040 – 1080) the throne came to King Knut IV the Holy (circa 1042 – 1086)]

Section 30
King Knut’s Brothers

“…Thorgisl Sveinsson was adopted as king east in Russia, as was written earlier, and never made claim to the throne of Denmark…”

Section 35
Blood-Egil

“One summer, Egil got ready to travel abroad with his band of fighting men.  He had eighteen ships and sailed for Wendland where he began looting as soon as he reached land.  The Wends gathered a huge army with which they confronted Egil and fought a great battle with heavy loss of life on both sides.  Brave and resolute, Egil stood forward and fought like a true warrior.”

“The fighting took place aboard the ships, and Egil’s lay closets to the one carrying the leader of the Wends.  When the battle was fiercest and none could really tell which way it would swing, Egil leapt from his ship onto the Wendish vessel, struck at the enemy chieftain dealing him his deathblow, and then vaulted backwards onto his own ship.  The Wends were routed sand Egil won a great victory and a great deal of plunder, but he was so exhausted he was barely conscious.  Then, aboard his ship, he sat up and asked for a drink.”

[note: at which point he drank blood because all the barrels had been broken in the fighting and all the drink they brought with them had been spilled as a result.  This caused him to earn his name but also caused issues with the blasphemy of blood drinking; since he also looted fellow Danes and other Christians, Knut IV eventually had him executed]

Section 42
Preparations For War

[note: this happens while the Danes and Norwegians are assembling for war against England; presumably Knut did not want to be attacked by the Wends while away fighting in England – though his subjects were not so patient]

“…King Knut had not yet arrived but he sent officers to the troops to inspect the levy and tell the men they would not have long to wait for him.”

“Seven night passed without the king’s arrival and the tops were far from happy about his failure to come.  But there was a reason why he failed to turn up at he appointed time: people had come to warn him that the Wends had mobilized their troops and meant to attack Denmark in the summer in revenge for the war Blood-Egil had waged against them The king sat and thought about this and decided to send messengers to the Wends with an offer of peace, and a warning not to attack his kingdom as it would be far beyond their capabilities to make war on him.”

“‘Many would suffer injury and grief for it.’ he said, ‘I want us to arrange a truce between our two countries so that neither will attack the other.'”

“The messengers set out to meet the Wends and the king said he would wait seven days for them as he did not wish to leave the country until he knew for sure that this war had been prevented.  The week passed and the messengers failed to return.  The Danes grew tired of waiting for they were all crowded together and found this hard to bear,  They considered it poor management to keep such a great army in one place for no good purpose, and the chieftains made long speeches about the problem.  In the need they decided to send messengers to the king sand asked his brother Olaf to undertake this mission, but he was reluctant and said tha the king would wish to come and go as it suited him.”

[note: Eventually the Danes, delegate Olaf, the king’s brother to go to King Knut IV.  Olaf goes reluctantly and gets imprisoned by his brother the king.  Eventually the king arrives but the Danes had already disbanded leaving the Norwegians the only ones there)].

Section 43
The Troops

[Knut IV then arrived; seeing that the Danes had already left, he thanked the Norwegians for staying true but ordered them to sail back to Norway as he had to deal with the Danes. He sailed back to Zealand]

“…He had a large force of men with him, and then the messengers he had sent to Wendland returned with the news that the Wends would be glad to keep peace and agreement with him.  Their reason for having troops offshore was that they thought he was not to be trusted, and had heard he meant to lead the huge army he had mustered against Wendland.  They had wanted to be ready to defend their country should it be attacked, but now they sent fine gifts and friendly words to Knut, who was delighted with the news.”

[note: Knut IV would eventually be killed in Odense cathedral during a farmers’ rebellion.  Incidentally, one of the leaders of that rebellion – Earl Asbjorn – is, according to the Knytlingasaga, said to have been eaten by rats (presumably for the crime of regicide) who attacked him, a la Popiel (and others), in a village inn (?) he was staying in, pursued him outside onto his ship and eventually got him on the open sea]

Section 70
Earl Eirik

“Eirik Sveinsson was still Earl of Zealand, in charge of the lands his brother King Knut had entrusted him.  Earl Eirik was a strong and popular chieftain, always having with him a large company of retainers.  He sailed on viking expeditions to the Baltic fighting against the heathen, but allowed all Christians and merchants to go in peace wherever they might wish.  For this reason he was renowned and popular throughout the Baltic and everyone of importance knew his name.  He journeyed all the way east to Russia, visiting the homes of chieftains and other great men all of whom welcomed him with friendship and respect , and he received fine gifts from powerful leaders.  In the words of Markus Skeggjason in his Lay of Eirik:

East in Russia the virtuous
adviser visisted
land-guardians lavish
to their lord, hating meanness.
Praised for his peacefulness
by the people, he won
their hearts in the eastlands,
all men honoured his excellence.

Earl Eirik got ready to leave Russia early in spring and as soon as the ice broke he launched his ships, sparing no expense in the preparations.  Early in summer he sailed home from the east to his lands in Denmark.  In the words of Markus:

The waster of the Wends
furnished well
his splendid ships, sailed
in summer from Russia,
heaved them into the hollow wave,
held out agains the storm, he,
the bane of traitor, bold,
beached his vessel in Denmark.”

Section 73
King Eirik’s Rule

“King Eirik turned out to be a strong and impressive ruler, and the most popular of kings,  He imposed harsh punishments on bad conduct, exterminated vikings and villains, had thieves and robbers put to death or else mutilated their hands of feet or inflicted other severe punishments, so that no evil-doer in the land could prosper.  He was a fair judge and observed the laws of God strictly, as Markus says:

The Wend-slayer wiped out
the wolves, subdued looters,
hacked off thieves’ hands
and punished bad habits:
none could say he was ever swayed,
sitting in judgment;
Gold’s law was the victorious one’s
guide for his own good.

King Eirik was a man of intelligence, a fine scholar and fluent in many languages, an eloquent speaker with a remarkable memory, as Markus says:

Wealthy, warm-hearted,
unblemished the warrior,
mighty in memory
and matters of the mind:
he had courage, each kind
of accomplishment; from his youth
he;d a talent for tongues,
he towered above most kings.”

[note: After Olaf I Hunger of Denmark (circa 1050 – 1095) who was mentioned above, the throne fell to yet another son of Sweyn II Estridsson – Eric I the Good (circa 1060 – 1103) who was a notorious philanderer and quite a “strapping fellow”]

Section 75
Emperor Heinrek

“At that time, the Emperor in Saxony was Heinrek, son of Heinrek the Black, a powerful ruler and great warrior.  When he heard that kIng Eirik had gone abroad, he gathered a large army from his empire and led it into Wendland where he plundered the province long ruled by the Kings of Denmark.  He conquered the entire province and all the inhabitants granted him their allegiance.  At that time the whole population of Wendland was heathen.”

“The emperor appointed many chieftains to govern the province he had laid under his rule, the most powerful being a man called Bjorn.”

“‘Sir’, said Bjorn to the emperor, ‘considering the great havoc we’ve created in this province of the Kings of Denmark, we’re going to be in great need of your troops and your trusty aid, so I’d like to ask for the hand in marriage of your sister, Lady Bothild, for it seems my position here isn’t altogether safe owing to the Danes.  you know about my family bacgrkiund and my capabilities.'”

“The emperor said he would grant him this and other such honours he might seek, provided he was ready to devote himself and all his strength to maintaining a grip on this great honour  they had won, and to defend this province against the Danes or anyone else who might claim it…”

“… After the Emperor Heinrek had conquered the province of the Kings of Denmark in Wendland he appointed his brother-in-law Bjorn to rule there, then returned home to Saxony, while Bjorn settled down with his troops in the Danish Kings’ province in wend land intending to hold it against the Danes.”

“That was the time when King Eirik came back north from Rome, shortly after the Wends had broken their allegiance to him, and later it will be told how that disloyalty turned out for them.  As Markus says:

The Wends wanted their way,
that wickedness hurt them:
from the south came the story
of those snakes in the grass.”

[note: this is Emperor Henry IV (circa 1050 – 1106)].

Section 76
War in Wendland

“After King Eirik returned home to his kingdom and heard about the ate of war committed in his province in Wendland by the emperor, he held meetings attended by noblemen and farmers to discuss matters.  At one of the assemblies at which he spoke he had this to say.”

“‘Everyone knows,’ he said, ‘about the southerners’ aggression against the province of Wendland which our kinsmen, the Kings of Denmark have ruled for so long.  Now Iwant all my men to know that we shall either force back the aggressor or die ourselves.'”

“Then he sent a call to arms throughout the Danish empire, mustering a great army, and after assembling a fleet of warships he sailed with his troops to Wendland, as Markus says:

The king sailed ingot he storm,
the sea shook gunwales,
hammered hoarfrosted
prows off the Wends’ homesteads.”

“When the Wendish chieftains appointed by the emperor to take charge of the defenses heard that the Danish army was ready to fight them, they gathered troops and prepared for battle.  King Eirik was told that they had assembled there and that the Wends meant to prevent him from entering his province.  At that, he got ready for battle, put his troops ashore and formed up his large, well-equipped army.  His troops were drawn up in a wedge-shaped column so that the van functioned was a pointed breastplate, with a wall of shields protecting it at the sides.  As Markus says:

The bestower of gifts surrounded
his soldiers with shields
overlapping: the leader shaped
a wedge as they collided.”

“King Eirik had his standard carried forward and then the battle began.  He was towards the forefront of the column, helmed and wearing a coat of mail, fighting heroically, in the words of Markus:

The battle built round him
and the bearers of the standard:
iron-clad and helmed, the free-
handed one hastened to war.”

“Later the Wends took flight, hiding themselves away in various forts and castles, but the Danes sought them out and fought and killed many of them, as Markus says:

The host of the heathen
held there forts: the marchers
sped there, sprinted
to the slaughter: standards
blew in the breeze about the bold
Eirik in battle, the brands
beat out the song, spearmen
slept in warm piles.
Soaked in blood that sprayed
over the shield-wall. slaughtered
they lath, a multitude, mangy
a mailcoat smashed,
as the young warrior waded
into war, weapons clashing,
his force and his fame
enhanced in the fighting.”

“Once King Eirik had made such a fierce onslaught upon those of the heathens who had retired to the castles and fortresses, they saw that their best hope would be to surrender, to place themselves in King Eirik’s hands and expose themselves to his authority, as Markus says:

The company of heathen sought
escape from the old castle;
those defenders of the fortress
were forced to surrender.”

“The slaughter was on such a scale that no one knew how many had been killed.  The emperor’s brother-in-law Bjorn had died there with most of his men.  King Eirik seized a great deal of money as war booty but would take none of it for himself, and divided it all amongst his troops. He had settlements all over the country burnt to the ground, and though the heathen fled away in terror, many were subjected to severe punishment, particularly those who had broken their allegiance to King Eirik, as Markus says:

The hearts of the heathen
were heavy in Wendish homelands:
flames blazed about their forces
as King Eirik set fire
to their homes and their houses,
and their halls sank in ruin,
Night fell, and the flames
seemed to finger high heaven.”

“So it came about, as Markus says, that in this warfare and unrest many lost their lives by fire and sword, but some who had the opportunity escaped.  These men sought urgently to meet King Eirik, who imposed heavy fines on them. claiming as his own inherited possession that part of Wendland the Danish Kings had controlled since King Svein Forkbeard [see Section 6 above] had conquered it.  As Markus says:

Upraised was King Eirik;
they ran. the ruthless Wends,
promised him payment,
deprived of victory:
the king laid claim,
the commons obeyed him:
much loved, he ruled lands
that once lay under Svein.”

“After that, King Eirik appointed men to take charge of the defences in Wendland, and they held that province under his rule.  Then the king went to his ships and sailed victoriously back to Denmark from Wendland, calling in first at Oeland, as Markus says:

He set his ships
against the surf-beaten shore,
the rain-swept strand
he surrounded with ranged
spear-points and shields,
he plundered their shores,
isolated the Isle-Danes
with war-crimsoned arms.”

“Later, King Eirik settled down quietly in his kingdom, enjoying the fame this expedition brought him.”

Section 78
King Eirik’s Son

“King Eirik had taken captive, as the spoils of war, the Lady Bothild, sister of the Emperor Heinrek, who had given her in marriage to Bjorn in Wendland as we said earlier.  The king took the lady Bothild home with him to Denmark and had a son by her called after King Knut, the king’s brother.  At an early age he appeared both handsome and talented.  When the boy was still quite young, King Eirik had a word with the Lady Bothild…”

[note: this was prince Knut Lavard (1096 – 1131); Lady Bothild is Boedil (Bodil) Turgotsdotter (? – 1103) – her father was Ulv Galiciefarer or Earl Ulf discussed above]

Section 88
Lord Knut Marries

“At that time the king east in Novgorod was Harald, son of King Valdimar, son of Jaroslav, son of Valdimar who was foster father to King Olaf Tryggvason.  King Harald’s mother was Gyda, daughter of King Harald Godwinson of England.  King Harald was married to Kristin, daughter of King Ingi Steinkelsson of Sweden and sister to Queen Margret who at that time was married to King Nikulas of Denmark.  The daughter of King Harald of Novgorod and his wife Kristin were Malmfrid, who married King Sigurd the Crusader of Norway, and Engilborg.”

“After Vidgaut had stayed over winter on the friendliest of terms with the duke, Lord Knut asks him to go on a mission east to Novgorod and ask on his behalf for the hand of Engilborg, King Harald’s daughter…”

“…When Vidgaut was ready, he set sail with his companions and nothing is said of his travels until he came east to Novgorod, met King Harald, and got himself into the king’s good graces by offering him gifts…”

“…The duke thanked him for his labours, then made preparations for the wedding, while at the appointed time King Harald sent his daughter from Novgorod in the east with a  splendid retinue.  When she arrived in Denmark, the duke welcomed her warmly ,as did everyone else, and celebrated their wedding in grand style.  They had a number of children, who will be mentioned later.”

Section 89
Magnus Nikulasson

“…Magnus Nikulasson married Rikiza, daughter of King Burizlav of the Wends, and their sons were Knut and Nikulas.  Magnus always had a large following with him and spent most of his time at the court of his father King Nikulas, but sometimes each of them stayed at his own place.  He was a strong man and matured altogether early: they called him Magnus the Strong.”

[note: King Nikulas is Niels of Denmark (circa 1065 – 1134) who also killed Knut Lavard; His son was Magnus (Nikulasson) I of Sweden; his wife, the daughter of King Burizlav, is Richeza of Poland or Rikissa Burislevsdotter (1116 – 1156) who was the daughter of Boleslaw III Wrymouth (1086 – 1138). This was a political marriage arranged between King Nikulas aka Niels and Boleslaw III and aimed at the Pomeranians of Wartislaw (of the Life of Otto fame).  The “Knut and Nikulas” refers to Knut V Magnussen and Niels his brother]

Section 93
Lord Knut’s Children

“… When the holy Lord Knut fell, his wife Engilborg was pregnant, and that winter, while she was staying with her father King Harald east in Russia, she gave birth to a baby boy, and called him Valdimar.  He was born seven days after the death of his father the holy Lord Knut.  At an early age he was big and handsome, and better than others at most things.  He spent his childhood east in Russia with his mother’s family, and was soon very popular with most people.”

[note: King Harald refers to Mstislav I of Kiev – see below]

Section 99
Eirik the Unforgotten

“After the death of King Nikulas, Eirik Eirksson was made king over the whole of Denmark, in accordance with the will and approval of the people.  He was a strong ruler, and punished severely all those with whom he thought he had a score to settle: most of all, he was so ruthless towards those who had been on friendly terms with King Nikulas and his son Magnus, they thought they could scarcely live under his rule, and many considered that it would be a log time before they forgot his ruthlessness, so he was called Eirik the Unforgotten.  He married Queen Malmfrid, daughter of King Harald, son of Valdimar, son of Jaroslav of Novgorod in the east: Malmfrid was sister to Engilborg who had married Eirik’s brother, Lord Knut, and previously she had been the wife of King Sigurd the Crusader of Norway.”

[note: This is Erik II Emune (circa 1090 – 1137) was the son of Erik the Good; his wife was actually Malmfred of Kiev who was the daughter of Mstislav of Kiev (but who reigned in Novgorod the Great from 1088–93) and Kristina Ingesdotter of Sweden.  Mstislav is referred to as Harald after his grandfather.  Specifically, Mstislav was the son of Vladimir II Monomakh and Gyda Haraldsdatter of Wessex.  Vladimir II (or “Valdimar” as above) was the son of Vsevolod I whose father was  Yaroslav the Wise.  Therefore, it seems that the “Jaroslav” above refers to “Valdimar”‘s grandfather.  Gyda was the daughter of Harold II Godwinson (his father being Godwin, Earl of Wessex who is discussed above)] 

Section 101
King Eirik in Wendland

[For this section, see here]

Section 104
King Eirik the Wise

“At that time there were many people in Denmark descended from kings, and most of them were little more than boys.  They all thought they stood close to the throne, but the nobles failed to agree, some wanting to give their support and others speaking against it, as always happens when people are at odds over something.”

“By that time Valdimar, son of Lord Knut, had arrived in Denmark.  He was eight years old when his uncle Eirik the Unforgotten was killed.”

“The son of Eirik the Unforgotten was called Svein, and Knut was the name of the son of Magnus Nikulason the Strong: Knut’s mother was Rikiza, daughter of Burizlav, king of the Wends.  Olaf was the name of the son of Harald Kesja, and his mother was Ragnhild, daughter of King Magnus Bare-legs of Norway.”

“These were all promising young men, but because King Nikulas and Eirik the Unforgotten had been so unpopular, people were reluctant to serve their offspring, and it was the stated wish of most men to make Valdimar Knutsson king owing to his father’s popularity.  But because he was so young, it was agreed wiuththe consent of his mother and various friends that Eirik the Lamb should be made king.  He was to take charge of the kingdom and look after it until Valdimar was old enough to take over.  Eirik Lamb was an intelligent man and well-liked by the  Danes, who called him Eirik the Wise.”

[note: After the abdication of Eric III Lamb in 1146 a civil war erupted with multiple claimants to the throne and Valdimar emerged victorious.  The Knut above refers to Knut V (1129 – 1157 – killed at the “Bloodfeast of Roskilde” by Svein’s men).  Svein refers to Svein III Grathe (circa 1125 – 1157).  Valdimar Knutsson or Valdemar I (the Great) of Denmark (1131 – 1182) was the son of Knut Lavard. Valdimar survived Svein’s Bloodfeast of Roskilde and then killed Svein at the Battle of Grathe Heath – more on that civil war below]

Section 108
Crusaders

“About this time Jerusalem was captured by the infidel and messages came from Pope Eugenius that men should take up the cross for a journey to Jerusalem to battle agains the infidel.  On that Crusade the Emperor Konrad died.”

“When the news of this reached Denmark, both kings wanted to join the Crusade… both kings went to Dubbin, King Knut arriving first at Wismar harbor, then King Svein, the men of Fy, the Zealanders, the Hallanders and the men of Skaane.  Men came from Germany too, wishing to fight against the infidel for the sake of God.”

“…Following the winter he spent on Zealand, as we said before, King Svein levied troops in the spring and led them to Jutland against King Knut, accompanied by Valdimar.  King Knut was in Hedeby at the time, and when he heard about King Svein he gathered forces in Jutland.  They met in battle at Viborg, and King Svein and Valdimar gained the victory, while King Knut fled, first to Aalborg, then north to Kungaelv in Norway, and finally to up to Lodose.  In Goetaland he met his stepfather Sorkvir Karlsson who had married Rikiza, King Knut’s mother, and asked him for troops.  King Sorkvir offered him a province in Sweden enough to maintain his style of living, while he himself would take over King Knut’s province in Denmark, but King Knut would not hear of it.”

“Next, King Knut travelled east to Russia and back again, then south to Rostock to his maternal uncles but they were afraid that he wanted to take their country from them and refused to let him stay…”

[note: it’s not clear who these maternal uncles would have been; presumably the siblings of “Rikiza” or sons of Boleslaw III who divided his country up; Rostock was not part of Poland albeit the then various Polish princes made claims on Pomerania which had become a Polish fiefdom under Boleslaw III and which, technically, was supposed to continue as such subject to the rule of the Duke of Cracow.  Rostock, in the land of the Obodrites, though was just a port of landing as it was too far West for any Pomeranian claims] 

“…King Knut returned again to Saxony and stayed there for a short while, then travelled to Friesland where he presented each man with half an ortog in weight from the tribune they were supposed to pay the King of Denmark, so that they would support him against King Svein.  They agreed to do so, and built a large stronghold by the River Mildin which they called Mildinborg.”

“When King Svein heard about this he gathered forces at once and set out for Hedeby.  He had a fleet, and had his ships portaged from Slette to Hollingsted in Friesland.  A great battle had to be fought there before he was able to win Mildinborg, with slaughter on such a scale that men walked across the River Milden on human bodies without wetting their feet.  King Svein won the victory and yet again King Knut fled sough to Saxony to Duke Heinrek in Brunswick, where he stayed a while.”

Section 109
A Peace Settlement

“…they reached agreement, on the understanding that Valdimar would be free of obligations to King Svein were Svein to break the terms of the settlement.  This peace-meeting was held at Viborg.”

“After that, King Svein gave his half-sister Suffia, daughter of King Valadar of Poland, in marriage to Valdemar.  He also gave Valdimar a third of his possessions, for the sake of friendship and harmony.”

[note: this is Sophia of Minsk – she was the daughter of Richeza of Poland.  Richeza was first married to Magnus the Strong and gave birth to Knut V.  Magnus and his father were killed in battles against Eric II Emune (who was half brother to Knut Lavard – who was murdered by Niklas and Magnus) and his helpers from the Holy Roman Empire.   Thereafter, Richiza apparently returned to Poland (seemingly leaving her sons in Denmark).  Boleslaw III was still alive and arranged another marriage with Volodar Glebovich [?] of Minsk [or of Novgorod?].  From this marriage she had a daughter (Sophia of Minsk) and two sons.  She again returned to Poland in 1145 (leaving the sons behind but taking the daughter).  In 1148 Richeza married the recently widowed Sverker I of Sweden.  Sophia went with her to Sweden and was raised at the Swedish court.    Later she married Valdimar I (of Absalon/Arkona fame).  However, she was really Knut V’s half-sister – not Svein’s.  Also she was the daughter of Volodar of Minsk [?] not Valadar of Poland]  

“Valdimar had an illegitimate son called Kristoforus: his mother was called Tofa.”

[note: in Danish ballads, Sophia is typically described as a beautiful shrew and is said to have murdered  Valdimar’s mistress – Tove (aka Tofa).  Kristoforus is Christopher, Duke of Schleswig.  As a point of interest, Volodar never remarried, stayed in Minsk (or Novgorod?) and apparently outlived the entire Danish/Swedish crew (except his daughter Sophia) dying around 1186 (Sophia died in 1198)]

Section 110
Treachery

“King Svein raised a levy for an expedition abroad the winter following the agreement with King Knut and Valdimar, with the intention of attacking Sweden.  He sent word to King Knut and Valdimar for them to come with him but they refused, since Sorkvir King of the Swedes was married to Rikiza, the mother of King Knut and Suffia…”

“…Next morning King Svein fought the Wends at Kalvslunde where he won the victory and killed a great number of men.  All that year the agreement lasted between King Svein and King Knut.”

Section 111
King Valdimar

“…After King Svein had been in Saxony a short while, he got tired of it and went from there to Wendland, where he paid the Wends to ferry him over to Fyn.  When King Knut and Valdimar heard this, they immediately levied troops for an expedition and crossed to Fyn…”

[note: this, again, is Svein III Grathe]

Section 115
Absalon

“…That same evening, six hundred Wendish ships were wrecked off the Jolu Isles.”

Section 119
Expeditions to Wendland

“After the battle [of Grathe Heath in 1157] King Valdimar became sole ruler of all Denmark, with the approval of the chief men of the kingdom.  He was the most popular of kings.  These things took place nine years after the death of King Eirik the Wise and one year after the killing of King Knut Magnusson.  About that time Ozur, Bishop of Roskilde, died and Absalon, Asbjorn Snare’s brother, was ordained bishop in his place.  Absalon was a remarkable cleric and a shrewd man, and later he was to become a great chieftain.”

“In the winter following the battle on Grath Heath, King Valdimar sent word throughout his kingdom that he meant to levy troops for an expedition abroad in the spring, to go to Wendland and, God willing, convert it to Christianity.  Many people of importance decided to join the king in this expedition: first of all there was Archbishop Askel, and Bishop Absalon of Roskilde, one of the greatest warriors ever to be born in Denmark, then there was King Valdimar’s [illegitimate by Tove] son Kristoforus, Gvenmar Ketilsson, Peter Stretch, Bishop Absalon’s brother Asbjorn Snare, and Ingimar.  This whole army came together in the lee of the island of Mon, south of Zealand.”

“They ran into a strong head wind and lay there at anchor until they had only seven days of provisions left for the entire army.  Then King Valdimar called his counsellors together ago consult them about what should be done, and Bishop Absalon gave this reply.”

“‘Yesterday there was sailing weather’ he said, ‘and the day before that it was quite good enough to set out but you lay at anchor and wouldn’t make a move.  If you want to sit quietly by when there’s sailing weather and make no move till things are perfect, you’re not fit for this kind of work and you might as well take your troops back home.'”

“The king was furious at these words of sharp criticism and said he was not turning back while he had anything to feed his troops with.  Next morning, the king ordered them to put out to sea, and they began rowing against a raging gale.  The king was aboard a fast sailing ship with Archbishop Askel but it broke up in the storm and King Valdimar flung himself with sword and banner aboard Ingimar’s ship, which people thought a remarkable feat.  All the men were rescued but the cargo was lost.”

“They sailed to Hiddensee where the king went aboard Bishop Absalon’s shop and lay down to sleep, but sent Gvenmar Ketilsson ashore in the evening to spy out the land.  He managed to capture the Wends’ lookout, then went back and met the king there n the fjord south of Hiddensee, where he told the king he had taken the Wends’ lookout-men captive.  Later they reached Wendland close to a large river and divided the troops for the landing; the king led a party on one side of the river, and Bishop Absalon on the other, but neither knew what the other was doing.  They burned down settlements over a wide area on both sides of the river and then went baclkto their ships, loading sixty of them with the booty they had taken in the raid.  After that, King Valdimar went home to his own country and stayed there the following winter.”

“In the spring, King Ingi of Norway sent a fine dragon-headed warship as a gift to King Valdimar. That summer King Valdimar sailed once more to Wendland and the dragon-ship was damaged.  They sailed up the Warnow River and fought against a Wendish leader called Mjuklat, whose son Fridleif had been taken prisoner by the Danes on an earlier expedition and stayed on with the king, and become a Christian.  The battle took place at a town called Urk, where King Valdimar gained victory and Mjuklat was killed after fleeing the battlefield.  The Danes took his head and impaled it on a certain tree near the town.”

[note: These wars were preceded by the Wendish Crusade of 1147.  Mjuklat or Miklo refers to the Obodrite duke Niklot who died in 1160 killed by Bernhad (of Ratzeburg?) at the Battle of Orle/Wurle (during the Obodrite war against both Danes and Germans).  Niklot tried to quit the German/Danish world (Mjuxit?) but, then as now, what one wants is not always what one gets.  His son (or one of three) was Pribislav (aka Fridleif?) who became the founder of the Mecklemburgian dynasty]

“King Valdimar went back to his ship and asked which of the chieftains was brave enough to ride to Brunswick and deliver a message from him to the Emperor Konrad’s son, Duke Heinrek – he was married to a daughter of King Henry of England and their sons were the Emperor Otto, the Count Palatine Henry, and William the Stout: their daughter was Gertrud.”

[note: “Duke Heinrek” actually refers to Henry the Lion whose spouse was Matilda of England, daughter of Henry II of England]

“Not many were keen to go on this journey, since there were few indeed who wanted to travel through Wendland, straight into the hands of their enemies.  Bishop Absalon, however, offered to undertake this mission for the king, and the king agreed.  The bishop travelled in a party of sixty men, taking Fridleif Mjuklatsson along with him as a guide.  They rode past the town where the head of Mjuklat was impaled, and when he saw it, Fridleif wept but said he could have expected things to turn out this way since his father would not serve the true God.  They came to Duke Heinrek, and he gave them a good welcome.  After they had stayed with him for a time and copleted their mission, they started back.  The duke offered troops to go with them but the bishop said that was unnecessary.  They rode off from Brunswick early in the morning, all wearing their armour, and pressed on till they came to an open plain, where they suspected that forces were being gathered in the neighborhood.  It was then that Fridleif spoke up and said this was where his father had been killed.”

“‘And if you’re caught’ he said, ‘you Danes will suffer the same treatment that you gave him.  The best thing now for every one of us is to sell his life as dearly as he can.'”

“The bishop thanked him for what he had said, adding that he had spoken like a man.  They rode singing through the settlements that day and showed no trace of fear.  When the local people saw them traveling they thought these must be the duke’s men riding so cheerful, and so the bishop’s party got back safe and sound to the ships, where the king sat reading the psalms happy to see the bishop and his men.”

Section 120
Ravaging in Wendland

“In the morning the king sailed east along the coast of Wendland to the River Svold, where the Wends lay with a large fleet but fled the moment they sighted the Danish sailed.  The king laid course to Byr, and sent his son Kristoforus to burn down a part of Wendland called Valong, but told him not to ride off until the whole army was aspire.  Kristoforus and his men were rather too keen to get on with the burning and when the Wends aboard those ships that had previously fled saw the flames, they began rowing at high speed hopping to take the Danes by surprise.  But then they saw King Valdimar coming up with some of his troops and raced off once again as fast as they could so that the Danes were unable to cause them any damage.”

“The Danes made for harbor and put up the awnings.  When the king’s ship had been covered, Archbishop Askel walked up to them. “

“‘You Danes are fast workers’ he said, ‘burying your men before they’re dead.'”

“The king asked him why he spoke like that.”

“‘I can see well be lying here for a long time amongst isles and offshore skerries’ he said, ‘before we can win a victory to equal the one we’ve just missed out of sheer hot-headedness.  Speed and sense are rare companions.'”

“Egged on by the archbishop, they went down to the ships, rowed across a river there, then charged ashore on horseback and burnt down everything in the district that lies behind Strele.  They spent the night there and next morning went to Valong, where they set the whole place ablaze.  After that they meant to go back home, but the following night the Rugeners came looking for them at Masnes, people who inhabit a place in Wendland called Rugen, a large and powerful province.  Their leader was called Domabur.  He talked about a settlement with the Danes, so the archbishop asked them to put themselves in King Valdimar’s hands and arrange to give him hostages.  Then Domabur offered the archbishop some advice.”

[note: as per Baltische Studien, Volume 1, Valong is probably the area around Schaprode on Ruegen (see Saxo’s Walungiam navigatum; see also reference to quartam mansionem in Wollungh que dicitur Szabroda); It’s not clear what Masnes refers to.  Saxo mentions an island off of Warnow called Masneta; Domabur was the leader of the Rani]

“‘You’re a young man’ he said, ‘ and you’ve only a vague notion of how things were done in the past.  Don’t ask us for hostages and don’t plunder our country: it’s better that you should go back home and keep peace with us till your own lands are as well-populated as ours are now.  A great deal of your land lies barren and empty.  Peace will suit you better than war.'”

“‘I’m sure King Valdimar will be keen to follow your advice’ replied the archbishop, ‘and it’s much to my own liking.  Now go home’ he said, ‘and tell the Rugeners that we won’t expect any hostages until they offer them.'”

“After that, Domabur went home and King Valdimar brought his troops into a harbor in Rugen called Schaprode then marched them all ashore to a place called Arkona which had been taken by Eirik the Unforgotten, as was told earlier in this book.  There the Rugeners faced King Valdimar with a countless army of men, and fought a battle which Valdimar won, killing three hundred thousand of the Rugeners while the survivors fled for their lives.  Next the Danes went to Hiddensee.  While they were there, the Rugeners came and gave them four hostages, agreeing to accept all their conditions.  After this success, King Valdimar returned home to his kingdom.”

[note: Schaprode is Schaprode on the northwest side of Ruegen]

“On his next seafaring expedition, King Valdimar went to Strele.  There, Absalon rode inland and held a meeting with the farmers, telling them to go with the king to Wolgast and provide him with support.  The Rugeners did as he asked and went wight he king in large numbers, sailing to Kuaviz.  There the men of Wolgast came to meet them, handed over hostages, and pledged their allegiance.  After that the army went back home.”

[note: Strele presumably refers to somewhere around Stralsund; Kuaviz?]

“On his next seafaring expedition King Valdimar went to Gronsund, as the Rugeners wanted to break the agreement they had made with him earlier.  By then, they had submitted to Duke Heinrek of Brunswick and handed over hostages to him since he had laid claim to the whole of Wolgast and also plundered in Rugen.  When the Rugeners learnt that King Valdimar had arrived in Gronsund with the intention of attacking them, they went to meet him and surrendered themselves yet again into his power, after which King Valdimar returned home.”

“When Duke Heinrek heard about this, he accused the king of having taken hostages from Wolgast and attacked the inhabitants of Rugen, who were, he said, his own subjects.  He sent envoys to King Valdimar demanding compensation for the damage he had done his land, otherwise he threatened to take revenge and lead an army against Denmark.”

“While the envoys were on this journey the East Wends raised an unbeatable army and attacked that part of Wendland belonging to the duke, burning it and killing all the people in it.  Duke Heinrek blamed Bishop Absalon for this affair, though he was not responsible for it.  When the duke learned the truth about it, he immediately sent envoys north again to Denmark to see King Valdimar and seek reconciliation offering to join him on an expedition to Wend land, to which King Valdimar agreed since the men of Wolgast had once again broken their agreement with him.”

“Next spring, King Valdimar of Denmark and Duke Heinrek of Saxony levied an army and attacked Wendland.  The duke brought his troops to a place called Demmin and laid siege to a town there.  The native people gathered together to defend their land and one night their horsemen attacked the duke’s forces and killed two of his counts, one called Adalbrikt and the other Heinrek, as well as many other men of rank.  Four hundred and fifty of the duke’s men were killed and many wounded, while those who were able to get away fled.  The Wends hunted them down for a short distance, then came bad to the battlefield to rob the dead of their weapons and clothes.  When it began to grow light and the Germans saw what the Wends were up to, they rode back and fought and routed them.  Duke Heinrek took the town and killed an uncounted number of Wends.  In the next round of fighting King Valdimar led his troops to Wolgast and laid siege to the town, but the townsmen sued the King peace, surrendered themselves into his power and handed over hostages to him.  Next night they fled from the town without the king knowing.”

“When King Valdimar realised this, he put the town in charge of his men and went himself to a certain river crossed by a bridge known as Dunzar Bridge.  Next morning Duke Heinrel came from Grozvin and immediately joined King Valdimar aboard ship, amazed at the speed with which the king and his men could sail the distance.  On that occasion, everything was very friendly between them and King Valdimar proposed a marriage alliance with the duke on his son’s behalf which the duke agreed to, so they betrothed their children to one another though they were still in the cradle.  The boy, King Valdimar’s son, was called Knut, and the girl, Lady Gertrud.”

“In the morning, King Valdimar rowed to Stolpe, while Heinrek went to Demmin and leveled and burnt the whole town.  Next King Valdimar went back to the bridge, where Kassamar, who was then a lord in Wendland, came and handed over hostages to him and became his liege.  King Valdimar gave him tho thirds of Wolgast to defend and one third to the Rugeners.  Then the king went to Strele to consult with his troops, and gave the title of king to his son Knut, who was then a year old, with the approval of Bishop Absalon and other leaders.  After that, King Valdimar went back to Denmark.”

[note: Kassamar is Casimir (Kasimir) I (circa 1130 – 1180) of Pomerania-Demmin (son of Wartislaw of, as above, the Life of Otto fame and brother to Bogislaw I (circa 1130 – 1187) Duke of Pomerania); Demmin is the German town of Demmin – ironically, it may have been named after “dym”, i.e., smoke in the Polabian language; sadly, during World War II, it was also the site of a mass suicide by inhabitants right before the Red Army took the town; Stolpe is, probably, the Polish Słupsk]

“On his next seafaring expedition King Valdimar went first to Rugen, then to Valong which he set ablaze.  Once again Bishop Absalon and the Isle Danes were the swiftest travelers, so they and to wait seven days for the king at Hiddensee and then went back home.”

Section 121
Plundering in Wendland

[For this section, see here]

Section 122
Pagan Idols in Wendland

[For this section, see here]

Section 123
Fighting Against Wends and Cours

“During King Valdimar’s lifetime, eleven churches were built in Rugen, all consecrated by Bishop Absalon.  The see [that is the church “see”] is at a place called Usedom, and there are now one hundred and thirty churches in that diocese.  After Rugen became Christian King Valdimar went on no more military expeditions, but the money King Valdimar extracted from the Rugeners there caused dissension between the King of Denmark and Duke Heinrek, who claimed that Rugen was his territory and the money belonged to him.  So he ordered the East Wends to go plundering in Denmark.  When King Valdimar heard about this he told his son Kristoforus and Bishop Absalon to defend the country, but not wishing to make their stand within the kingdom itself, they ordered a levy of one ship from each district of Denmark for an expedition abroad.”

“When they were at sea in their warships, they heard that the Cours had taken their troops by sea and attacked Blekinge.  Though they were not sure that this was true, they decided something would have to be done, and the plan they adopted was that Kristoforus, Bishop Absalon and Asbjorn should set out in that direction and sail to Oeland, where they seized both goods and men.  When they got back to their ships, they head that the Cours were at Mon, so they set free the prisoners they had taken, headed straight for where the Cours were, and came on them at a harbor called Jarnloka.”

[note: this was in 1170 –  Jarnloka or jærnlukke or the harbor of “Iron Lock”? – a place on the island of Mon or Seeland?]

“When the Cours realized that troops were heading towards them they hauled their ships ashore and prepared to make a stand there.  They thought these were Swedes but an old man among the Cours said they were Danes.”

“‘And it’s not a good idea to wait,’ he said.”

“At that he rowed off in his ship, but the rest of the Cours stayed behind with nine ships.  Then Kristoforus and his companions came with all their men, and immediately began to attack: all the Cours were killed there and not even a single child escaped, while only two of the Danes were killed.  Then the Danes took their ships and goods and brought them home, having won a great victory.”

Section 124
More Trouble With the Wends

“Around midsummer this year, the relics of Lord Knut the Saint [see above] were transported from Ringsted and once again there were sublime indications of his saintliness.  Then King Knut, son of King Valdimar, was formally anointed king at the suggestion of his father and with the approval of the people of Denmark.  He was then only a few years old.”

“At the same time, an agreement was made between King Valdimar and Magnus of Norway; and Erling the Squint, father of King Magnus, arrived in Denmark to meet King Valdimar at Randers, where they discussed many matters concerning the affairs of the Kings of both Norway and Denmark.”

“King Valdimar thought he had a claim to the province of Oslofjord in Norway, since at the time Valdimar had given support to Erling and Magnus from his own kingdom for the conquest of Norway, there had been a private agreement that Valdimar should acquire the east part of Oslofjord.  But there was a close relationship between King Magnus and King Valdimar, King Valdimar’s mother was Engilborg, daughter of King Harald Valdimarsson, as was aid earlier, and her sister was Malmfrid, wife of King Sugurd the Crusader, their daughter being Kristin, the mother of King Magnus Erlingsson: the dealings between King Valdimar and the Norwegians are described in the Lives of the Kings of Norway.  On this occasion when Erloing came to Denmark to see King Valdimar, the king gave Erling an earldom and all the domains in Norway to which the thought he had a claim, so they parted in agreement and friendship, which they preserved with goodwill for the rest of their lives.”

“In the autumn King Valdimar raised a levy for an expedition overseers, and sailed to Jomsburg and Kammin, lying to the east of Wendland.  The king wanted to be out at sea but got himself into a narrow channel.  Then the Danes said they had been caught in a trap, and that this was one of Bishop Absalon’s clever schemes, and it was all his fault that they were stuck in a situation from which they could not escape.”

[note: Jomsburg is on the island of Wolin; Kammin may be Kamień Pomorski near Szczecin.  Kammin is named after a large stone lying in the water (it’s still there).  Now, why there is another Kammin on the River Lippe is another story] 

“‘Now there are troops hemming us in ashore,’ they complained to Absalon, ‘and a force of ships to seaward, and it’s happening just at the time we expected it to.  All you’re concerned about is your own ambition and reputation, and you always think you can get away with things. You may be a great fighting man and champion, but there’s no good reason why you should expect everything to be achieved by you, and nothing by anyone else, even though that’s the way things have been for quite some time.'”

“‘Since I’ve got you into an embarrassing situation,’ said Absalon very quietly, ‘it’s an embarrassment I’ll save you from, but I don’t want to hear any more of this.  We’re supposed to have the hearts of men, not women.  That’s why we mustn’t fear the future, nor complain if that future doesn’t seem too bright.  My men and I will go first, and then you must follow my advice. If you see that we can escape from the channel, act fast and charge ashore with your horses, then form up and attack the troops there, and we’ll see what happens.'”

“They did as the bishop suggested.  The Wends had a huge army there, both ashore and aboard ship, but before the Wendish fleet expected it the bishop rowed out towards them shouting the war-cry, at which all the ships there turned tail not daring to fight him.  Those on horseback rode ashore to the town, confronted the Wends and attacked them, while Bishop Absalon, having had no trouble with the ships, came up to reinforce them.  The Wends soon began to suffer heavy casualties, six thousand of them being killed by the Danes while the others either ran or, in many cases, were taken prisoner and brought down to the ships.”

“In the morning a messenger rode to them from inland and said that he wanted to negotiate a peace for the natives, but he was trying them out with lies and treachery.  Bishop Absalon had him taken and the truth forced out of him.  He was held by the bishop for four days and then his son redeemed him with one hundred marks of silver.  After that, the Danes sailed home.”

“Bishop Absalon travelled north to Oresund and seven days before the Feast of All Hallows he stopped at Hyljuminni with six ships, three of them beached and three lying in estuary.  Early in the morning while the bishop was singing Matins nine Wendish ships, all very large, came up and immediately began to attack them, but were chased off after a short skirmish.  The Danes captured one of their ships, but eight of them got away.  After that the bishop continued his journey home, arriving there seven days later.”

“The following summer there was yet another levy for an overseas expedition.  The troops were to assemble at Gronsund, where Archbishop Askel came with the men of Skaane, Bishop Absalon with the Zealanders, and Kristoforus with his own force.  Then they went to Bramnes, burning everything around, where a certain Count Hyrning, a great fighting man, came to confront them with a strong force and do battle with them.  However, he soon had to run, many of his men being killed and others taken prisoner.  Afterwards, the Danes went to the ships and met King Valdimar at Gedeso, and told him what they had done.  The Jutes were envious, saying the Zealanders got all the money and they got nothing.  Next, the king went with his troops to Strele, riding up to Tribuzis and towards Tripiden, setting everything ablaze, taking the town and killing the inhabitants.  After they had taken plunder there they went back home.”

[note: Tribuzis is Tribsees on the Trebel whereas the location of Tripiden (or Trippipen) is not clear and we won’t even guess as to Gedeso or Bramnes (Brunes?)); 

125 Absalon becomes archbishop

“…When that winter came to an end, King Valdimar raised yet another levy for an expedition overseas, and sailed to Wendland, up to Svinemuende as fas as Gorgasiam, burning everywhere.  Later he went to Szczecin and besieged the town for a long time, till th townspeople surrendered into the king’s power, and gave him money for reconciliation, and hostages, after which the king returned home to his kingdom, and things stayed quiet for a while…”

“…King Valdimar heard that during the period of reconciliation and peace with the Danes, the Wends had built two fortresses at Swinemuende.  This enraged King Valdimar and all the Danes, for their interpretation of it was that the Wends still planned to break the agreement.  Envoys went between King Valdimar and Duke Heinrek of Brunswick, and it was agreed that they should each raise a levy and go to Wendland, where they should meet together.  The duke went with his army to Demmin, while King Valdimar raised a levy yet once more from every part of Denmark and pillaged through Wolgast and Fuznon so that the whole population fled.  He burnt down three towns, Fuznon, Vinborg and Fuir.  Again, envoys went between King Valdimar and Duke Heinrek arranging that stye should meet at Grozvin: but though King Valdimar kept the appointment at the place where they had agreed to meet, the duke failed to appear.”

“Later, King Valdimar laid siege to a town called Gutznow, besieging it overnight and burning it the following night after which he went to his ships and departed in warlike fashion.  Then King Valdimar headed for Swinemuende and sailed out to sea, but the two fortresses built by the Wends had been completely demolished by the river in spate over the winter, so then the king sailed home.”

[note: Gutznow is probably Gützkow;  Swinemuende is, of course, Świnoujście; Grozvin (or Grozum) seems to be a region of Pomerania (compare Grozon, France!); Fuznon was probably on or a reference to Uznam or Usedom; the others we will not guess at] 

126 Another expedition to Wendland

“…When the winter was over, King Valdimar raised a levy throughout Denmark and the troops assembled at Gronsund: but King Valdimar would go no further himself, ordering the men to be obedient to his son Knut, and to Archbishop Absalon as his appointed commander, for he would not leave the country.”

“So they went to Wolgast and set everything ablaze there, then they went to Usedom and burnt everything, the town itself and all its buildings.  After that, Burizlav and a duke in East Wendland called Kassamar came to meet King Knut and Archbishop Absalon asking for mercy, handing over hostages from all their territories, and giving the king fifteen hundred marks and the archbishop five hundred in order that the settlement the Wends had made earlier with King Valdimar should stand, even though the Wends themselves had broken it.  They promised to keep the peace with all territories which the king did not wish them to plunder.  King Knut and the archbishop came back only nine days after they had left and met King Valdimar on Mon, telling him what had happened on their travels and delivering both money and hostages.  He was astonished at the speed of their journey, and thanked them for undertaking his expedition.”

[note: here “Burizlav” is probably Bogislaw I whereas Kassamar is his brother Casimir I; the “East” versus “West” Wends appears to refer to the division of Slavic Pomerania (in 1155) between the brothers with Bogislaw being the duke in the East (at Szczecin) and Casimir in the West (at Demmin).  The saga has this reversed seemingly although the split is correct below] 

Section 127
King Valdimar’s Death

“After that five years passed without a levy being raised, and during this peaceful interval the Wends built towns, castles and a good many forts on their country for the purpose of defense.  When Valdimar was told this he realised that the Wends would observe the present agreement not better than those that had gone before, so early in the spring he raised a levy for an expedition overseas, but when the troops assembled at Gronsund, King Valdimar was taken ill.  He spoke to his men, ordering them to carry on with ethe expedition as before and appointed his son King Knut and Archbishop Absalon commanders of the army, but they refused to leave him until they knew what turn his illness might take: so with the agreement of Archbishop Absalon, King Knut gave all the troops leave to return home.”

“King Valdimar died of this illness on the sixth of May.  His body was taken to Ringsted and there he was buried, deeply mourned by the people throughout the whole of Denmark.  He had by then been sole ruler of all Denmark for twenty-six years and had fought twenty-eight battles in heathen lands.  He had fought tin heathen men all his life, eager to defend God’s Christian faith.”

“King Valdimar and Queen Suffia had these children: King Knut and Valdimar the Old who later became King of Denmark and was one of the most renowned kings here in Northern Europe.  Olaf Thordarson stayed with him, acquieiring much learning from him, and had a great many remarkable stories from him to tell.  King Valdimar Knutsson’s daughter Engilborg married King Philip of France, father of King Louis of France, who conquered Damiette.  Another daughter of King Valdimar was Rikiza, who married Eirik Knutssson, King of the Swedes, their children were King Eirik of Sweden and Engilborg, who married Earl Birgir of Sweden, and whose children were valdimar, King of the Swedes, Eirik, and Rikiza who married kIng Hakon the Young of Norway.  King Valdimar’s third daughter married Wilhelm the Stout son of Duke Heinrek of Brunswick, brother of the Emperor Otto.  Duke Kristoforus was the son of King Valdimar and Tofa, as was said earlier.  He was illegitimate and died ten years before his father King Valdimar.”

[note: this is Knut VI Valdemarsøn] 

Section 128
King Knut Valdimarsson

“After the death of King Valdimar Knutsson, his son Knut assumed power over the whole of Denmark, and all the Danes gave him their allegiance.  When the Emperor Fridrek was told that King Valdimar had died, he dispatched envoys at once to King Knut asking him to become his liege and hold Denmark on his behalf.  King Knut consulted with Archbishop Absalon and other advisers on how he should answer this.  They recommended him to give a mild reply and say that although the emperor could easily give him so much power that he would become his liege, for Denmark’s sake he could not do this.  With this reply from King Knut the emperor’s envoys returned home.”

“When these envoys were making their journey, Burizlav of Wendland sent his representative, Prida to the emperor with his greeting, promising that within not more than a year he would see to it that the King of Denmark became the emperor’s liege.  The emperor thanked him for his words: he embraced the envoy and gave him a fine horse, a coat of mail, a shield, helmet and full set of weapons, as well as excellent furs and clothing.  Then he gave him leave to return home and bade him tell the emperor’s dearest friend and liege Duke Burizlav to honour faithfully all the promises he had made him.”

“After that, Burizlav levied a great army meaning to go to Rugen and lay that region under his rule, but when the Rugeners heard this, Jarismar sent envoys to Archbishop Absalon telling him that the East Wends had mobilized a great army and were only waiting for the West Wends before attacking the Rugeners.  He asked the archbishop to support them if he wanted to retain his grip on their country: the archbishop told him to make a brave stand, and he would come and help them.”

[note: for more of the Pomeranian-Rugian squabbles, see, for example, here]

“Then the archbishop raised a levy and sailed to Wendland against Burizlav, who had five hundred ships but was still waiting for the West Wends.  When the archbishop confronted Burizlav a fierce battle took place with the outcome that Burizlav fled with fifty of his ships, but the archbishop and his men captured all the others.  Some of the crews aboard them got ashore and some were drowned abut most were slaughtered.  This battle took place in the spring, about Whitsuntide.  Afterwards the Danes divided up the plunder and went back home.”

[note: here Burizlav is correctly (if implicitly) associated with the East Wends]

Section 129
Wendland Subdued

 “That same summer, King Knut raised a levy from Denmark.  First he went to Rugen and ordered the people there to go with him to Wolgast.  Many of them joined King Knut and he next went to Wolgast where he plundered and burnt all around.  They besieged the town for some time.  Archbishop Absalon went ashore with his men and set ablaze two towns which had been built on the road into Swinemuende, then when he had destroyed them he went back to the king.”

“Next Burizlav arrived in the country, and sent men to the archbishop to arrange a meeting.  The archbishop was aboard his ships, but Burislaf planned to betray him at the meeting thinking that once he was dead all would be won.  He asked him to come ashore for a talk saying that he would guided but he archbishop’s foresight when making his agreement with King Knut, nut the archbishop would not go ashore, suspecting that Burizlav had some trick in mind, as was indeed the case, so there was no meeting.  Burizlav had saved his town, however, by having supplies carried into it while the discussions with the Danes were taking place.  On Saint Peter’s Day, King Knut made an assault on the town but fought without being able to capture it, so he took things easy there for six days, then went away as most of his provisions had been used up. Then Wends came in pursuit, killing nearly sixty Danes, and after that King Knut took all his troops back home.”

“That autumn, King Knut raised a levy for an overseas expedition seven days before Michaelmas, and sailed to Rugen.  From there he took a large force to Tribuzis and from there up to Tripipen, where he plundered and burnt throughout the district.  He rode to their market town and burnt it, and all the forces of King Knut  assembled there, staying for three days, while their ships lay off Strele.  Next morning they went over to Tikarey with the idea of destroying Voztroza but the wind was in the wrong direction so they were unable to burn it down.”

[note: Voztroza nowadays has a very German name] 

“Burislaf heard about this and set sail with two ships, wanting to make a settlement with King Knut, though it was treachery he had in mind, but as King Knut was short of provisions to feed his army he went back home to Denmark.”

“In the spring, King Knut raised a levy in Denmark for an overseas expedition, this time in the company of Archbishop Absalon, Bishop Asbjorn, and many other leading men.  They had  a large army and sailed to Wolgast where they burnt their way up both banks of the river as far as Kammin, setting the whole country ablaze.  King Burizlav had narrow escape, leaping from his horse’s back over a fence and so getting into the town just as King Knut and Archbishop Absalon came riding up.  Burizlav beckoned them over, asking for a truce and a chance to talk to them, but they told him that if he wanted message delivered to them, he should send envoys.  When his envoys came to Bishop Asbjorn they asked him to plead with the king and the archbishop on his behalf, to allow him to leave the town and talk to them.  The envoys said they wanted to have an honest talk, adding that they were more trustworthy that him.  Burizlav‘s message was that he was eager to keep his word, and asked them to arrange a meeting between himself and the king, a meeting that he would attend in three days time.  King Knut said he would agree to the appointment with him, but that meanwhile he planned to devastate the area as he had always intended, including the farms near the town.  Burizlaf told the king he must burn whatever he wished, but said he still wanted to meeting with the king, and asked him to spare their farms and minsters.”

“Then women came from the farms and fell at the king’s feet, begging him not to burn their farms, and the king granted their wish.  After that the king went to burn inland, and spent the night setting fire to everything, after which, in the morning, he went back to the ships.  Then Burizlav came to King Knut and the archbishop asking them for mercy, handing over as hostages to the king the sons of the best men in the land, and gave the king three hundred marks and the bishop eight hundred.  With that, King Knut assumed power and protection over the whole of Wendland, and then went back home to Denmark.”

Section 130
The Death of Burizlav

“In the spring before Easter, Burizlav came to see King Knut at Roskilde and stayed with him o e very best of terms over Easter, acting as the king’s sword-bearer.  When he left to return home, King Knut presented him with fine gifts and they parted friends.”

“In Lent of the following year Burizlav grew ill, and sent word to his counsellors to consult with them, saying that if he recovered from his illness he would like to see King Knut, but if his fate was to be otherwise, he wanted King Knut to dispose of the country’s affairs in accordance wi the king’s wishes: also, he asked the king, for God’s sake, to grant his children friendship, and divide everything between them as he desired, for he saw that his brother Jarizmar had always benefitted from his loyalty to King Knut.”

“During Lent, Burizlav died of his illness.  Then Burizlav‘s envoys went to see King Knut telling him that Burizlav was dead, and delivering the messages he had left for King Knut asking the king to help his sons and divide everything between them as he wished.  A meeting was arranged between them at Vordingborg which Nikulas and Heinrek, the sons of Burizlav, attended and King Knut divided the land between them and appointed men to watch over them.”

[note: this is unclear; if Burizlav refers to Bogislaw I (death on March 18, 1187), then his sons’ names were Casimir II and Bogislaw II]

“In consultation with Archbishop Absalon, King Knut had now appointed overseers and controllers all over Wendland, and the whole country was now in their power.  In all the battles they had fought against the Wends since the death of King Valdimar Knutsson, Archnbishop ABsalon had acted as commander and as counsellor to King Knut, and had he not been there they would not have gained such victories, for he came close to being the greatest ever campaigner and warrior here in the north.”

“So ends the history of the Kings of the Danes.”

Copyright ©2016 jassa.org All Rights Reserved