The Chronicle of Moissac (Chronicon Moissiacense) is an anonymous compilation discovered in the abbey of Saint Pierre at Moissac. It was probably created in the first half of the 9th century. Its pieces can be put together from the primary manuscript in the National Library at Paris as well as from certain other manuscripts (for example the Chronicon Anianense). An incomplete text was published by Pertz for the MGH. A more complete version was added onto the Subsidia Anianensia, a dissertation by Walter Kettemann from the year 2000. In 2012, a study of the Chronicle was published in another dissertation or thesis by David Claszen.
Here is Claszen’s description of the Chronicle: “The Chronicon Moissiacense is mainly interesting because of its highly composite nature; it expands on an older, 8th century text that records history up to the year 741 and is a composition of ancient as well as early medieval authors. Bede’s 66th chapter of De Temporum Ratione forms the spine of the chronicle, but this text is heavily interpolated with fragments from Flavius Josephus, Eusebius, Jerome, Orosius, Fredegar, the Liber Historiae Francorum, and other sources. The Chronicon Moissiacense presents a continuation of this text up to the year 818, drawing on other sources such as the Annales Laureshamenses, multiple minor annals, and a ‘southern source’ believed to be lost today. The text attempts to connect Roman with Merovingian and Carolingian history in various ways, such as through the inclusion of a shared Trojan heritage, but also through a reworking of the chronology.”
The above description is, of course, accurate though there are interesting Suavic connections that hide thereunder. For example, under the year 805 we have, perhaps, the first attestation of the name Czechs (the more likely first attestation comes from the Annales Tilliani under the same year 805 (In terram Sclavorum qui vocantur Cinu which should have been Cihu).
Both the Kettemann and Claszen works are available online.
An English description (though not a translation) of some of the Suav related passages of the Chronicle can be found in Sébastien Rossignol’s “The Entry of Early Medieval Slavs into World History – The Chronicle of Moissac” (a chapter of “The Medieval Networks in East Central Europe: Commerce, Contacts, Communication” with Balazs Nagy, András Vadas and Felicitas Schmieder as editors).
The Suavic mentions in the text below come from the Claszen dissertation. Some though not all of the notes are also Claszen’s. Claszen used the following key which I retain:
AA BN lat. 5941 (Chronicon Anianense).
B Besançon, bibl. mun. 186.
Br Brussels, KBR, 17349-60.
Duch. Rome, BAV, MS Reg. Lat. 213, fols. 149-151. (Duchesne Fragment) Vienna, ÖNB, lat. 515. (Vienna Fragment)
FrV Mu Munich, BSB Clm 246.
P Paris, BN lat. 4886 (Chronicon Moissiacense).
S Leiden, Scaliger 28.
StP Sankt Paul, Stiftsarchiv, cod. 8/1.
AL Annales Laureshamenses
Here are the Suavic fragments of the Chronicle of Moissac.
Saint Pierre Abbey at Moissac
632 or 633
“In the tenth year of the reign of Dagobert it was reported that an army of Wends entered from Thuringia; he advances with the army of the kingdom of Austrasia towards the town of Metz, advances towards Mainz and orders the crossing of the Rhine. The Saxons sending ambassadors to Dagobert, ask for their tribute, [which they pay to the treasury], to be waived. The [Saxons] promised to oppose the Wends if the Franks limit the tribute from those lands. To this Dagobert agrees. All of these taxes, which the Saxons used to pay in the form of 500 cows per year, as ascertained by Clothar the Old [497-561], were thus lifted.”
“Anno X regni Dagoberti, cum ei nunciatum fuisset exercitum Winidorum Toringa fuisse ingressum, cum exercitu de regno Austrasiorum de Mettis urbae promovens, Mogontiam adgreditur, disponens Renum transire. Saxones missos ad Dagobertum dirigunt, petentes ut eis tributa, quas fisci dicionibus dissolvebant, indulgeret Winidos resistere spondent et Francorum limite de illis partibus custodire promitunt. Quod Dagobertus prestitit. Exinde iam Saxones tributa, quae reddere consueverant, per preceptione Dagoberti habent indultum, quingentas vaccas inferendales annis singulis, a Clotrio[g] seniore censiti, solvebant.”
779 or 780
“And in the following year, he brought together a great host, entered again into Saxony and reached even as the great river Łaba [Elbe]. And the Saxons delivered themselves to him and he accepted hostages both nobles and commoners [?] and he divided their country among bishops, presbyters and abbots and they preached and baptized there. And in fact many Wendish and Frisian pagans were [also] baptized. Then he departed for Italy leaving his sons Pippin and Charles in Worms.”
“Et in sequenti anno, congregans exercitum magnum, ingressus est iterum in Saxonia et pervenit usque ad flumen magnum Heilba et Saxones tradiderunt se illi omnes, et accepit obsides tam ingenuos quam et lidos et divisit ipsam patriam inter episcopos et presbyteros et abbates, ut in ea babtizarent et predicarent. Nec non et Winidorum seu et Fresonum paganorum magna multitudo baptizata est. Inde revertens, habiit in Italia et dereliquid filios suos in Wormacia, Pipinum et Karolum.”
789
“And in the following year, King Charles [Charlemagne] went through Saxony to the Calssclavos [Suavs] who are known as Vulti [Wiltzi] and the kings of these lands with their king Tranguito [Dragovit] to meet him, and they asked for peace, delivering all their lands to his sovereignty, and they themselves were delivered [submitted or, perhaps, in the sense of being delivered into God’s Grace]. The king [then] returned to Francia.”
“…Tunc iudicaverunt eum morti dignum. Rex autem, misericordia motus, noluit eum occidere, sed cum ipsius peticionem clericum eum fecit et retrusit in monasterio. Et perrexit rex in Baguaria ad Raganesburg et ibi venerunt ad eum Baguarii et dati sunt ei obsides et ordinata ipsa patria, reversus est in Francia. Et in sequenti anno, Karolus rex per Saxonia pervenit usque ad Calssclavos, [qui]* dicuntur Vulti** et venerunt reges terrae illius cum rege eorum Tranguito*** ei obviam, et petita pace, tradiderunt terras illas universas sub dominatione eius, et se ipsis traditi sunt. Rex reversus est in Francia. Obiit beatae memoriae Vulcadus, episcopus et doctor verbi Dei, VI idus Novembris in aquilonis partibus Saxoniae. Tres patricii ex Constantinopolim cum classe navium venerunt Italia, ut eam ad dicionem Grecorum revocarent, quos Langobardi cum misso Karoli regis debellati sunt. Et in alio anno habuit rex conventum in Wormacia, non tamen Magiscampum. Et ipso anno transiit sine hostae.”
* originally written here was possibly ‘qui’, and afterwards lost by a hole in the folio; ‘Sclavos’ in AL (Saint Lorsch Annals) corrected from ‘Sclavus’; ‘Sclavos qui’ in StP (Sankt Paul, Stiftsarchiv, cod. 8/1.), corrected ‘l’ added above.
** AA (BN lat. 5941.) says ‘qui dicuntur vulzi propie vero id est sua locucione welatabi dicuntur’ (‘that are called Wiltzes though in their language Velatabi [Veleti]’).
*** AA (BN lat. 5941.) has ‘tranvito’; StP (Sankt Paul, Stiftsarchiv, cod. 8/1.) has ‘traguuito’.
795(?)
“And they [Saxons] all came to him, with the exception of those whom I’ve already mentioned above and those that live on the other side of the Łaba [Elbe], those who killed the king’s vassal, Wizizin* – the king of the Obotrites. Therefore, they did not believe they were in his grace….”
* Wiltzan or Witzlaus or Vilčan of Obotrites, leader of the Obotrites (747-795).
“Sed et tunc omnes ad eum venientes, excepto his, quos iam supra comemoravimus et hii, qui trans Albia erant, ipsi ad eum pleniter adhuc non venerunt, eo quod vassum domni regis Wizizin, regem Abotrizarum, occiderunt. Ideo non credebant, quod in gracia eius pervenire potuissent. Caeteri autem omnes pacifici venerunt et iussonem suam promitentes implere. Et ita domnus rex, iterum credens eis, nullam voluntatem interficiens, fidem suam servando. Tunc ad Aquis palatio de terra Avarorum regulus quidam, nomine Todanus, ad domnum regem veniens, cum comitibus suis, quae domnus rex honorifice suscepit et baptizare iussit et eos, qui cum eo venerunt, cum magna honore et donis eum remeare fecit ad propria. Et in eo anno a parte Avarorum venerunt thesauri, magna multitudo, pro quibus domnus rex omnipotenti regi gracias agens, et distribuit ipsum thesaurum inter aecclesias et episcopos, seu abbates et comites. Nec non et universos fideles suos de eodem thesauro mirifice honoravit. Et in ipso hieme, id est VIII Kalendas Ianuarii, sanctae memoriae domnus Adrianus, sumus pontifex Romanus obiit, pro quem domnus rex, piissimus Karolus, orationes per universum christianum populum infra terminos suos fieri rogavit et elemosina sua pro eo multipliciter transmisit. Et epitafium, aureis literis in marmore conscriptum, iussit in Francia fieri ut eum partibus Romae transmiteret, ad sepulturam summi pontificis, Adriani papae.”
798
“The year 798… And in the meantime, our Suavs who are called Obotrites,* came together with the king’s ambassadors to those Saxons and had victory in a battle over those weakings. There fell in this battle 2,801 Saxons…”
* Under Thrasco, Drażko or Drożko (ruled circa 795-808).
“Anno DCCXCVIII. Ipso anno fuit rex Karolus in Saxonia et apud Aristallio Novo ipsum hiemem ibi resedit et ibi celebravit pascha. Quem locum, ut nos audivimus, ipse rex ita appellavit, quia ab hostae ipso, ipse mansiones in qua habitabant, constructae sunt. Et in ipso aestatae pervenit cum exercito suo ad Bardunwico et illi omnes se tradirunt in manus eius et tulit inde illos capitanios, quos voluit, et obsidibus, quantum ei voluntas fuit. Et interim congregati sunt Sclavi nostri, qui dicuntur Abotridi*, cium missis domni regis ad illos Saxones** congregaverunt*** se in unum et comiserunt proelium et habuerunt victoriam. Et ceciderunt in ipso die Saxones in ipsa pugna duo milia DCCCI. Et in Toringas ibi pervenerunt aliqui ad regem et honoravit eos rex, ut digni erant, mirifice. Et inde rex remeavit in Francia et de ipsos Saxones tulit secum quos voluit. Et ipse pervenit ad Aquis palatio et ibi gemavit.”
* ‘Abodriti’ AA.
** in AA ‘ex parte Saxonum’ instead of ‘in ipsa pugna.’
*** congregaverunt – ‘voluit’ not StP, FrV, instead: ‘tamen fides christianorum et domni regis adiuvavit eos et habuerunt iuctoriam’ (‘victoriam’ FrV) ‘super saxones et ceciderunt de ipsis saxonis ante eos in ipsa pugna duo milia DCCCI et in north thuringas ibi perveneunt ipsi sclavi ad domnum regem et honoravit eos domnus rex ut digni erant mirifice et inde domnus rex remeavit ad francia et de ipsis saxonis tulit secum quos voluit et quos noluit’ (‘voluit’ FrV) ‘dimisit’; ‘congregaveruntque’ AA.
804
“In the year 804, Charles [Charlemagne] the Emperor of the Franks pushed forth with a great army of the Franks passed through Saxony and stayed beyond the river Alara* at a place called Oldonastath.** There came to him the king of the Obotrites by the name Irosuc*** and brought him many gifts…”
* The river Aller, a tributary of the Weser, Germany.
** Hollenstedt, a municipality in Lower Saxony, Germany
*** Thrasco, Drażko or Drożko (ruled circa 795-808).
“Anno DCCCIIII, aestatis tempore, Karolus imperator movit exercitum magnum Francorum et perexit in Saxonia et habiit ultra Alaram ad locum, qui vocatur Oldonastath. Et venit ad eum ibi rex Abotritorum, nomine Irosuc et detulit ei munera multa. Et inde transmisit imperator sacras suas in Wimodia, et in Hostingabi, et in Rosogabi* et ut illa ingentem foras patriam transduceret. Nec non et illos Saxones, qui ultra Albia erant, transduxit foras et divisit eos in regnum suum, ubi voluit. Et postea, cum magno gaudio ipse imperator remeavit in Francia et pervenit ad Aquis palatium, sedem regiam, ibique hiemavit atque celebravit pascha.”
* Hostingabi is “Ostingabi, Ostegau; Gau around the river Oste, in Lower Saxony, Germany”; Rosogabi is “Gau between the Weser and Elbe. Kettemann, Subsidia Anianensia. Vol. 2, 106.”
805
“In the year 805, Charles the Emperor sent his son, Charles the King, with a great army to the Beowinidi* and another army with Audulf and Werinar, that is the Bavarians. The third crossed with the Saxons over Werin fields and the land of the Dalaminzi and there they fought a battle against their king, Semela** and defeated him. And he gave two of his sons [as hostages] as a token of his loyalty. And the three armies went together over the Erzgebirge and went to the river that is called Ohře [Eger] and then went towards Canburg which they razed and burned down the countryside on that part of the Łaba [Elbe] and on the other side of Łaba [Elbe]. And thereafter, with victory, King Charles returned to his father in Francia. The fourth part of the army [together] with ships left the Łaba [Elbe] [region] and went to Magdeburg and there they ravaged the region of Genewana. Thereafter, they returned to the fatherland.”
* The Bohemians – this entry from the year 805 is, arguably, the first ever mention of Czechs. As you can see below the name given is ad Beuwidines. This has been variously read as super Windones or ad euhuvidines but also as Cichu-Windones. This last reading would, of course, be the first historically attested mention of the Czechs. The AA reads a Beuhuvidines which suggests Bohemians.
** Semela – Semil, Semiu or Siemił.
“Anno DCCCV. Karolus imperator misit filium suum, Karolum regem, cum exercito magno ad Beuwidines* et alium exercitum cum Audulfo et Werinario, id est cum Baguarios. Tercium vero transmisit cum Saxonibus super Werinofelda** et Demelcion*** et ibi pugnaverunt contra regem eorum, nomen Semela et vincebant eum. Et ille dedit duos filios eius pro fidelitatae. Et tunc perrexerunt super Fergunna**** et venerunt ad fluvium, qui vocatur Agara,***** illi tres hostes insimul, et inde venerunt ad Canburg, qui et illum occiderunt et vastaverunt regionem illam in circuitu, in ista parte Albiae et ultra Albiae. Et postea, cum victoriam, reversus est Karolus rex ad patrem suum in Francia. Quartus vero exercitus, cum navibus perrexit in Albia et pervenit usque ad Magedoburg et ibi vastaverunt regionem Genewana. Postea reversi sunt in patriam.”
* AA ‘a Beuhuvidines’;
** Hwerenofelda – east of the Soława [Saale].
*** Demelcion, the Dalaminzi area of the Głomacze or Dolomici or Dalemińcy, Polabian Slavs living near the middle Łaba [Elbe]. See also Kettemann, Subsidia Anianensia. Vol. 2, 107.
**** The Ore Mountains, Erzgebirge, in Saxony, Germany, and Bohemia.
***** The Ohře, or Eger in German, a tributary of the Łaba [Elbe].
806
“The year 806. Charles the Emperor Charles [Charlemagne] celebrated Eastern at Nijmegen and sent his son King Charles to Thuringia to a place that is called Waladala* and there he had his host muster. And from there he sent his armies over the Łaba [Elbe]. He himself came over the Soława [Saale] into the Guerena field. And there it was that the proud King Milito** who had ruled over the lands of the Sorbs was killed. And then he [Charlemagne] turned back to Łaba [Elbe] and he ravaged those lands and destroyed their burghs. And the other kings of the same [Sorbs] came to him and promised to serve the Lord and the God-Fearing Emperor and they gave hostages in accordance with his will. And these King Charles ordered to build two burghs, one north of the Łaba [Elbe] opposite from Magdeburg and the other East of the Soława [Saale] at a place that is called Halle. After that he returned to his father. In these days the deacon Albin shone in France”
* Waldau. Potentially connected with Veleda.
** Miliduh or Miłyduch.
“Anno DCCCVI. Karolus imperator celebravit pascha ad Neumaga et misit filium suum, Karolum regem, super Duringa ad locum, qui vocatur Waladala*, ibique habuit conventum suum. Et inde misit sacras suas ultra Albia. Ipse vero movit exercitum suum ultra Sala, super Guerenaveldo. Et tunc fuit interfectus Milito,** rex superbus, qui regnabit in Siurbis. Et postea remeavit Albiam et vastavit regiones illas et civitates eorum destruit. Et ceteri reges ipsorum venerunt ad eum et promiserunt se servituri domno et pio imperatore tradideruntque obsides, sicut ille volebat. Et mandavit eis rex Karolus hedificare civitates duas. Una in aquilone partem Albiae contra Magadaburg. Alteram vero in orientalem partem Sala*** ad locum, qui vocatur Halla. Deinde reversus est ad patrem suum in Francia. His diebus Albinus diaconus in Francia claruit.”
* AA Walada
** AA Melito
*** AA Sola
808
“The year 808. Charles the Emperor [Charlemagne] sent his son, Charles the King, over Saxony through the Łaba [Elbe] land to those Suavs who are called Linai,* and [he] ravaged a great part of their lands. However, some of our men fell. And Godofred,** king of the Normans went over to those Suavs that are called Abotrici and ravaged a great part of their lands and destroyed some of their cities. And in that place Riginold,*** his nephew, died and many Northmen fell there.”
* Probably the area of Linones aka Linaa (Bavarian Geographer) aka Glinianie.
** Gudfred
*** Ragnvald
“…Anno DCCCVIII. Karolus imperator misit filium suum, Karolum regem, super Saxonia ultra Albia ad illos Sclavos, qui vocantur Linai, et vastavit maximam partem regionis ipsius. Sed et aliqui ex nostra partem ibidem ceciderunt. Et Godofredus, rex Nortmannarum, venit super illos Sclavos, qui dicuntur Abotrici, et vastavit magnam partem regiones eorum et aliquas civitates dextruxit. Et ibidem fuit Riginoldus, nepus eius, qui primus post eum in illo regno fuit, interfectus et multi de populo Nortmannorum ibidem corruerunt.”
809
“The year 809. The saintly Emperor Charles [Charlemagne] was at his palace at Aachen. In that summer he sent three of his armies to the borders and some of the Saxons over the Łaba [Elbe] and with our Wends* they destroyed there the town that is called [by the] Semeldinc** Connoburg.*** And in that year many came from the East and passed into the West. And the Emperor Charles celebrated Easter in his palace at Aachen.”
* In particular the Obotrites. Kettemann, Subsidia Anianensia. Vol. 2, 112.
** Curiously the Semeldinc reference smacks of the earlier king Semela (as in “the people of Semela”) of the Dalaminzi.
*** Connoburg of the Smeldingi. Its precise location is uncertain. Kettemann, Subsidia Anianensia. Vol. 2, 112. It seems to be different than the Canburg mentioned above in the context of the Bohemian campaign of 805.
“Anno DCCCVIIII. Karolus imperator pius sedit apud Aquis palatium. Et in illo estatae misit sacras suas ad marchias et aliqui de illos Saxones venerunt ultra Albiam et fregerunt ibi unam civitatem cum nostris Guinidinis,* quei appellatur Semeldinc** Connoburg**. In illo anno venit mortalitas magna animalium ab oriente et pertransiit usque in occidente. Et celebravit pascha apud Aquis palatium Karolus imperator.”
810
“And Godafred, the king of the Normans, sent his vassals as peace envoys and they deceitfully killed Drosco,* the king of the Obotrites…”
* Thrasco, Drażko or Drożko (ruled circa 795-808).
“Et Godafredus, rex Nortmannorum, misit quasi pacifice per insidias vassallum suum ut in dolo Drosocum, regem Abdritorum, occidisset. Quod ita factum fuit. Et occulte, misit piratos cum navibus in Frisia, quae fecerunt ibi magnum damnum de Christiano populo. Et postea ille Godafredus fuit interfectus a suo vassallo et perdidit regnum cum vita. Et Karolus imperator misit sacras suas ad marchas, ubi necesse fuit. Et mandavit civitatem hedificare ultra Albia in loco, qui vocatur Essesveldoburg* et mandavit illis hominibus, qui custodirent civitatem. Deinde reversus est in Francia, ad Aquis, sedem regiam.”
* According to Kettemann, ‘Eisesfeld an der Stör, today Itzehoe’. Kettemann, Subsidia Anianensia. Vol. 2, 114. However, this is not certain and ‘veldo’ may suggest the Wiltzi or Veleti.
811
“The year 811. Charles the Emperor [Charlemagne] sent armies of Franks and Saxons and [other?] enemies to those Suavs that are called Lanai* and Bechelenzi** and they ravaged their lands and built again a castle in the place called Abochi.*** And there was also a killing of many Northmen and Anolo [?] who fell there. In the same year Charles the King died, the son of Charles the Great [Charlemagne], the Emperor.”
* Linones or Linaa (Bavarian Geographer) or Glinianie.
** Bethenici (Bavarian Geographer) or Bytyńcy.
*** Hochbuoki or Höhbeck castle, Lower Saxony, Germany.
“Anno DCCCXI. Misit Karolus imperator exercitum Francorum et Saxonorum et hostem ultra Albia ad illos Sclavos, qui nominantur Lanai et Bechelenzi* et vastaverunt regiones illas et aedificaverunt iterum castello in loco, qui dicitur Abochi. Fuit quoque occisio magna Nortmanorum et Anolo ibi corruit. Eodem anno obiit Karolus rex, filius Karoli magni ymperatoris.”
* Bethenzi AA
812
“The year 812. The Emperor Charles [Charlemagne] sent three armies to those Suavs who are called Wilti. One army came with him by the Obotrites and two came to meet him at the border but these Wilti lifted their right hands and gave hostages and promised to give the lands to Charles the Emperor. And then the people went home.”
“Anno DCCCXII. Misit Karolus imperator tres sacras ad illos Sclavos*, qui dicunt Wilti. Unus exercitus venit cum eis super Abotridi** et duo venerunt obviam ei ad illam marcha, sed et illi Wilti dextras dederunt et obsides obtulerunt et promiserunt se dare partibus Karoli imperatoris. Et postea sic reversus est populus ad propria.”
* clavos AA
** Abodoritos (!) AA
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