The German Annals of Magdeburg contain several mentions of paganism in the Suavic lands. The following comes from Meyer. The English is in substantial part from the Juan Antonio Álvarez-Pedrosa compilation (translators of the Latin texts include Julia Mendoza Tuñón and Sandra Romano Martín as well) with some exceptions and expanded by the addition of certain parts quoted by Meyer that Álvarez-Pedrosa’s book does not include. As usual, I also changed some of their English to better reflect (at least in my view) the text.
Entry under the year 938
“We do not consider it idle to dedicate a few words to the tradition of the ancients regarding the first founding of such a famous city, and where it go its name of Parthenopolis or Magdeburg. For that extremely powerful Caesar, called Julius as he was of the old line of Julus, son of Aeneas, once he had reached the category of dictator of Rome in the company of Crassus and Pompey, as he received all of Gaul as the third part of the Roman Empire, to subjugate through arms, when he arrived to the land of that people who had been entrusted to him, whether to rest more securely with his army, or whether to more easily dominate the tribes of the area, he founded several cities in suitable places for them, some of which he ordered tbe provided with wooden and earth walls, and most with a stone wall, so that, once the work was done, it would serve a multitude of people arriving en masse. Among these cities, and not the smallest, he founded this one in honor of Diana, as the pagans, in their absurd error, believed that she was the goddess of virginity; she was called parthena, from the word parthenu, which is how you say ‘virgin’ in Greek; and thus, from parthena, that is, Diana, he called the city Parthenopolis, that is, the city of the parthena. The Barbarian name is also recorded, because Magadeburg is how to say city of the virgin. Caesar himself also built within the city, according to the story, on the bank of the Elbe River, a temple, and inside an idol of Diana herself, where, having anointed many maidens to the practice of this religion, he arranged the sacred ceremonies for the goddess that posterity celebrated… Charlemagne… destroyed the altars of this idol and ordered that a chapel to protomartyr Saint Stephen be consecrated there.”*
[*note: The town of Magdeburg was also called Děvín in Czech (and Dziewin in Polish). This is generally assumed to be a late translation from 1700 of the German etymology of the city’s name, that is a city of women – from “Magd,” a young woman. Hence also the annalist’s reference to Parthenopolis – a city of maidens same etymology as that of the Parthenon – Παρθενώνας, Parthenónas – referring to “unmarried women’s apartments” being, most likely, a reference to Athena. A connection with the Parthians – their country being Parθava – is unlikely though given where the Greeks located the Amazons, possible. Other “Greek” names appear in Central Europe. For example, Partęczyny (Groß Partenschin). On the other hand, the annalist’s Diana reference brings to mind the Suavic Goddess Devana (also venerated apparently among the Sorbs) and provides an independent argument for an earlier dating of Děvín/Dziewin.]
Entry under the year 1147
(this describes the so-called Wendish Crusade)
“In the same year around the feast of SaintPeter’s, urged on by divine inspiration and Church authorities and reminded [of their duty?] by the many pious, a great host of Christians, taking with them the life-giving sign of the cross, went forth against the heathens who dwell in the north, in order either to bring them into Christianity’s fold or, with God’s help, to destroy them. In this fellowship there went Frederic the Archbishop of Magdeburg, Rudolf [the first] Bishop of Halberstadt, Werner [von Steußlingen Bishop of] Münster, Reinhard [Raynard of Querfurt the Bishop of] Merseburg, Wiggar [Bishop of] Brandenburg, Anselm [Bishop of] Havelberg, Henry [Zdík aka Jindřich Zdík, Bishop of] Moravia [Olomouc] and Wibald [of Stavelot aka Stablo] the abbot of Corvey; margrave Conrad [the Great], margrave Albert [the Bear], count palatine Frederick, count palatine Herman and many companions and sixty thousand armed fighters. In the meantime another group formed with Albert [the second] Archbishop of Bremen, Dietmar [the second] Bishop of Verden [an der Aller], Henry [III, the Lion] duke of Saxony, Conrad duke of Burgundy [?] [and] Hartwig, an esteemed leader with many companions and nobles and other armed men numbering forty thousand fighters. Also the King of Denmark [joined], with the bishops of his land and with the whole strength of his people; he collected a large number of ships and delivered an army consisting of about a hundred thousand soldiers. Also the brother of the duke of Poland came forth with twenty thousand fighting men. And his older brother [duke Bolesuav IV the Curly] also went forth against the barbarian Prussians and stayed there for a long time. The Ruthenians,* who, although they were not all Catholic, at least in name were Christians, by the unfathomable will of God, also joined the campaign against the Prussians with a large number of armed men.** All of them with a large apparatus of war and convoy and admirable devotion entered different places of the pagans’ land and the entire country trembled before them, and, traversing the country for almost three months, they destroyed everything, they set fire to the cities and towns, and they burned the temple along with the idols that were outside the city of Malchon*** together with the city itself.”
[*note: the Ukrainians/Rus]
[**note: This section appears to refer to the separate campaigns of Bolesuav IV the Curly (Kędzierzawy) against the Prussians which lasted from 1147 to 1166]
[***note: Malchow in Mecklenburg-Schwerin]
Entry under the year 1169
“In Syria, the Earth shook the foundations of Antioch and other cities, one of which a watery abyss attempted to swallow. Valdemar, king of the Danes, accompanied by the princes of the Lutici, went forth against the Rani, and burned their gods and, having taken much gold and silver from their famous temple, he imposed upon the Rani a semblance of Christianity, which in a short time, both because of his own greed, as well as the shortage of missionaries and apathy, ended. Daniel, the bishop of Prague died [in 1167 as per Prague Annals]; he was followed by Friedrich [Bedřich] from Magdeburg.”
Sub anno 938
“Sed antequam de hac fundatione plenius dicamus, non ociosum putamus, si de tam famose civitatis prima fundatione, et umde hoc nomen Parthenopolis sive Magadeburg suscepit, penes tradicionem veterum paucis perstringamus. Cesar igitur ille quondam potentissimus, ab Yulo Aeneae filio stirpis dirivatione cognominatus Iulius, dictatoris ordine cum Crasso et Pompeio sublimatus Romae, cum totam Galliam trinae divisionis Romano imperio armis subiugandam suscepisset, in has susceptae gentis partes veniens, tum ut eo tucius cum exercitu pausaret, tum ut circumpositas nationes facilius coerceret, plures competentibus in locis civitates condidit, quarum momnullas terrae lignique materia circumvallatas plerasque etiam murorum ambitu cinctas munire studuit, quantum opere festimato valuit inhianter accedens multitudo. lnter quas et hanc non infimam ad honorem Dianae condidit, quae quia apud gentiles dea virginitatis stulto errore credebatur, a parthenu , quod Grece virgo dicitur, ipsa parthena quoque vocabatur, sicque a parthena, id est Diana, Parthenopolim , id est parthenae urbem, appellavit. Quod etiam barbarum momen testatur, quia Magadeburg quasi virginis urbs dicitur. Fecit quoque idem Cesar intra urbem, ut fertur, iuxta ripam Albiae fluminis templum, immo ydolium eiusdem Dianae. ubi ad supplementum religionis pluribus virginibus dicatis, sacra deae statuit quae posteritas celebravit. Decursis post haec pluribus annis cum summae virtutis Karolus magnus sceptra regni gerens, ut suo in loco plenius digessimus, Saxoniam continuis bellorum procellis subactam ad fidem Christi convertisset, huius ydolii aras destruxit, et oratorium prothomartyris Stephani ibi dedicari fecit, et diocesi Halberstadensi ipsam civitatem subiecit.”
Sub anno 1147
“Eodem anno circa festum sancti Petri, divina inspiratione et apostolice auctoritatis exortatione et multorum religiosorum ammonitione, magna christiane militiae multitudo contra paganos versus aquilonem habitantes assumpto signo vivifice crucis exiverat, ut eos aut christiane religioni subderet, aut Deo auxiliante omnino deleret. Ubi in una societate convenerant Fridericus archiepiscopus Magadaburgensis, Rotholfus Halverstadensis episcopus, Wernherus Monasteriensis, Reinhaldus Mersburgensis, Wickerus Brandeburgensis, Anshelmus Havelbergensis, Heinricus Moraviensis episcopi et Wibolt Corbegensis abbas, Conradus marchio, Adalbertus marchio, Fridericus palatinus comes, Hermannus palatinus comes cum multis comitibus et armatis bellatoribus sexaginta milibus. Interim in alia societate se in unum collegerant Albero Bremensis archiepiscopus, Thietmarus Fardensis episcopus, Heinricus dux Saxonie, Conradus dux Burgundie, Hartwigus princeps prenobilis cum multis comitibus et nobilibus et ceteris armatis numero quadraginta milibus pugnatorum. Rex eciam Dacie cum episcopis terre illius et cum universo robore gentis sue, maxima multitudine classium collecta, circiter centum milibus exercitum paraverat. Item frater ducis Poloniae cum viginti milibus armatorum exiverat. Cuius etiam frater maior cum infinito exercitu adversus Pruscos crudelissimos barbaros venit, et diutius ibi moratus est. Contra quos etiam Rutheni, licet minus catholici tamen christiani nominis karacterem habentes, inestimabili Dei nutu cum maximis armatorum copiis exiverunt. Hi equidem omnes cum maximo apparatu et commeatu et mirabili devotione in diversis partibus terram paganorum ingressi sunt, et tota terra a facie eorum contremuit, et fere per tres menses peragrando omnia vastaverunt, civitates et oppida igni succenderunt, fanum eciam cum idolis quod erat ante civitatem Malchon, cum ipsa civitate.”
Sub anno 1169
“lm Syria Antiochia et aliae civitates terre motu a fundamentis concussae sunt, quarum una terre hiatu absorpta stagnantis abyssi faciem pretendit. Waldomarus rex Danorum, adiumctis sibi Liuticiorum principibus ad Rugianos profectus, deos eorum succidit, et multo auro et argemto de precipuo fano ipsorum ablato, umbram eis christianitatis impressit, que im brevi tam ipsius avaricia quam doctorum penuria et desidia abolita est. Daniel Pragensis Boemie episcopus obiit, cui subrogatur Fridericus, assumptus de choro Magdeburgensi.”
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