{"id":4563,"date":"2015-12-19T07:20:28","date_gmt":"2015-12-19T07:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jassa.org\/?p=4563"},"modified":"2023-08-02T22:20:32","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T03:20:32","slug":"conversion-of-the-caranthinians-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jassa.org\/?p=4563","title":{"rendered":"Conversion of the Carantanians – Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Conversio Bagoariorum et Carantanorum<\/em><\/strong> is a work of the Archbishopric of Salzburg – existing in nine manuscripts. \u00a0It was written in the 870s (the earliest remaining manuscript come to us from the 11th\/12th century) with the apparent purpose of justifying Salzburg’s dominance over Bavaria, Carantania and Pannonia. \u00a0The context was the trial at Regensburg of Methodius – then a papal emissary and also a representative of Byzantium. \u00a0Methodius tried to preach Christianity to the Slavs in these territories, thereby infringing upon the claims of Salzburg. \u00a0The author of the Conversio is at pains to demonstrate that these lands had always been “given” to Salzburg to indoctrinate and that Methodius, as an interloper, should stick to indoctrinating pagans somewhere else. \u00a0As a consequence of the trial Methodius was held in captivity for over two years.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

All that is background – of interest to the historian of the Christian churches but of little concern to those interested in Slav origins. \u00a0What interests the latter are pieces of information that the Conversio contains about events in the region and about its peoples. \u00a0For example, Samo, who here is referred to not as a Frank but as a Slav (Temporibus gloriosi regis Francorum Dagoberti Samo nominee quid am Sclavus manens in Quarantanis fuit dux gentis illius<\/em>) – this is contrary to Fredegar’s chronicle<\/a><\/span> (but somewhat consistent with the Gesta Dagoberti I regis Francorum <\/i>– a work of the beginning of the 9th century\u00a0<\/i>from which the references to Samo are probably borrowed in the Conversio<\/em>).<\/p>\n

\"incipit\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The first two chapters of the Conversio<\/em> deal with the Bavarians. \u00a0We leave them out of this piece. \u00a0We include chapter 3 through 6 in part I here. \u00a0We also include the so-called Excerptum de Karantanis<\/em>. \u00a0Chapters 7\u00a0through 14 we will describe later.<\/p>\n

Chapter 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Until now it was written how the Bavarians became Christians and of\u00a0the names of the Bishops and Abbots in the Saltzburg bishopric.”<\/p>\n

\"page1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Now it is to add how the Slavs who are called Carantanians\u00a0and their neighbors were taught the Holy Faith and became Christians and also how the Huns drove out the Romans, Goths and Gepids out of Lower Pannonia and took over the country until the Franks and Bavarians together with the Carantanians fought them [i.e., the Huns] in many battles and finally defeated.”<\/p>\n

\"page2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Those, however, who did not refuse the Faith and who received Baptism, were made tributaries of the kings and they remain in the country to this day against the payment of [such] tribute.”<\/p>\n

Chapter 4<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Now we should provide a summary report of the Carantanians. \u00a0In the days of the glorious King of the Franks Dagobert, there lived among the Carantanians a Slav by the name of Samo who was the duke of that people. \u00a0He had the arriving merchants of King Dagobert killed and robbed them of the King’s money. \u00a0When King Dagobert found out about this, he sent his army and ordered\u00a0reprisals for the damage done to him by this Samo. \u00a0And so his men did and they \u00a0made the Carantanians into subjects of the King.”<\/p>\n

\"page3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Not much later the Huns began to heavily oppress these Carantanians during a violent revolt. \u00a0Their [Carantanians’] duke was at that time [a man by the name of] Boruth and he informed the Bavarians that an army of Huns will come against them [Carantanians] and he begged [them] to come to his aid. \u00a0These appeared hastily, drove out the Huns, reassured the Carantanians [or reassured themselves of the loyalty of the Carantanians] and made them and their neighbors servants of the [Frankish] Kings. \u00a0Thereafter, they led away hostages with them to Bavaria. \u00a0Among them there came the son of Boruth by the name of Cacatius, who his father asked to be raised as and to be made a Christian. \u00a0And so it happened. \u00a0And the same he [Boruth] demanded of his brother’s son [by the name of] Cheitmar. \u00a0After the death of Boruth, the Bavarians on the order of the Franks and the pleas of these Slavs [i.e., Carantanians] sent the already Christian Cacatius back [to Carantania] and these [Carantanians] made him into a duke. \u00a0He died, however, in the third year after [his return]. \u00a0Now then, Cheitmar – who had [also] been made a Christian – was given back to these people upon the permission of the Lord King Pippin and upon their pleas [to do so]. \u00a0And priest Lupo (who had been placed by the Salzburg bishopric on the island Chemingi which was also called Auua) gave him [i.e., Chaitmar] his nephew Maioranus who had just taken his own priestly vows. \u00a0Since this priest Lupo was the other’s [i.e., Maioranus’] godfather, he taught him that he [Maioranus] should humbly submit himself to the teachings of the Salzburg monastery on how to fulfill his Christian duty.”<\/p>\n

\"page4\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“These people [Carantanians] received Chaitmar and gave him the duchy. \u00a0But that one [Chaitmar] had with him Maioranus who had taken his priestly vows in the Salzburg abbey. \u00a0 And this one [Maioranus] exhorted him [i.e., Chaitmar] to lean his head – in the service of God – towards the monastery. \u00a0And that one\u00a0[i.e., Chaitmar] made it so and promised to serve the bishopric. \u00a0And so he did this and served there yearly and always – for as long as he lived – he received from there teaching and instruction on how he ought to fullfill his duty as a Christian.”<\/p>\n

Chapter 5<\/strong><\/p>\n

“After some time had passed, the aforementioned duke [Chaitmar] had asked Bishop Virgil to visit the tribespeople and to strengthen them in their Faith. \u00a0But this one [Virgil] could not do so and so,\u00a0to teach that people, he sent in his place his bishop by the name of Modestus and with him his priests Watto, Reginbertus, Cozharius and Latinus as also the Deacon Ekihardus with other clergymen. \u00a0He also gave Modestus permission to consecrate churches and (in accordance with canonical regulations) to install clergy; on the other hand he [Modestus] was not supposed to claim anything that would contradict the rules of the Holy Father. \u00a0They came to the Carantanians, consecrated there a church of Holy Mary’s, another one in the town of Liburnia and one\u00a0ad Udrimas<\/em> and so also in many other places.”<\/p>\n

\"page5\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Modestus remained there till the end of his life. \u00a0When the bishop passed away, the duke Cheitmar asked once again of Bishop Virgil whether it would be possible for him [Virgil] to come to him [Cheitmar]. \u00a0However, this one [Virgil] refused since an uprising\u00a0took place that we call carnula<\/em>. \u00a0But he made up his mid and sent there priest Latinus. \u00a0Not much later there took place another\u00a0uprising and so the priest Latinus once again left that [country]. \u00a0After the end of the uprising, Bishop Virgil sent once again priest Latinus and after him priest Warmannus. \u00a0Since after the death of Cheitmar another uprising took place, there was no priest there for several years until the Duje Waltunc sent emissaries once again to Bishop Virgil and asked [him] to send priests there. \u00a0[Virgil] sent them thereafter priest Heimo and priest Reginald as also\u00a0Deacon Maioranus with other clergymen.”<\/p>\n

\"page6\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Soon thereafter he sent there once again that priest Heimo as also the priests Dupliter and Maioranus and other clergymen with them. \u00a0Further he sent them priests Gozharius, Maioranus and Erchanbertus; after them the priests Reginbaldus and Reginharius; and then priests Maioranus and Augustinus; and once more Reginbaldus and Gundharius. \u00a0And so it happened during [the time of] Bishop Virgil’s.”<\/p>\n

Chapter 6<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Likewise, it is [fitting] to briefly say something of the Avars. \u00a0In the old times the Romans controlled lower Pannonia – south of the Danube and the neighboring regions. \u00a0They built there for their defense castles and fortifications as also many other structures, as one can see\u00a0to this day. \u00a0They even subjugated the Goths and the Gepids. \u00a0But after 377 years after the birth of the Lord and thereafter, the Huns left their seats in the desolate lands north of the Danube and chased out the Romans, Goths and the Gepids. \u00a0Nevertheless, there live there some of the Gepids till this day. \u00a0Then, however, as the Huns were driven out, there came the Slavs and began to settle the different regions in the Danube lands. \u00a0Now, however, we want to tell how the Huns were driven off from there, how the Slavs began to settle [there] and [how] that part of Pannonia was attached to the Salzburg diocese.”\"page19\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“In the year of our Lord 796, did the Emperor Charles [Charlemagne] namely determine that Count Erich and with him a great army should drive out the Huns. \u00a0They almost did not resist and, through the aforementioned count, submitted themselves to the Emperor Charles. \u00a0In the same year, Emperor Charles sent his son Pippin with a great army into the land of the Huns. \u00a0He [Pippin] advanced to their famous settlement – that was called Rinch – where all their dukes once more submitted themselves to Pippin. \u00a0As he returned back, [Pippin] entrusted it to Bishop Arn of Salzburg until the arrival of his father – the Emperor Charles – to govern and to teach the Christian faith to those people of the Huns and Slavs that remained and to organize church life in the part of Pannonia on Lake Balaton [Pelissa] and on the other side of the River Hrapa and from there up to the River Drava and further until the [place where] Drava flows into the Danube, as far as his [Bishop\u00a0Arn’s] power reached.”<\/p>\n

\"page20\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Later in year 803 , Emperor Charles came to Bavaria and came in the month of October to Saltzburg and [there] repeated and confirmed \u00a0in the presence of many of his followers by virtue of his absolute power the above-mentioned gift of his son’s and determined that it should be valid [and] unbreakable for all time.”<\/p>\n

Chapter 7<\/strong><\/p>\n

In much the similar way did Bishop Arn, who followed Virgil, fulfill the duties of the pastoral ministry of the Salzburg bishopric. He ordained priests everywhere and sent them into the land of the Slavs and indeed not just to Carantanian lands but too to Lower Pannonia to those dukes and counts just as Virgil had done before him. One of them was called Ingo. He was beloved and valued by the people on account of his wisdom. All the people followed him and no one dared to ignore his orders even when receiving a blank page [of orders]. He also acted in astonishing ways… [to come]<\/p>\n

Excerptum de Karantanis<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Bishop Modestus was the first to undertake missionary activity amongst the Carantanians. \u00a0He was sent and consecrated by Holy Virgil during the reign of Pippin, King of the Franks. \u00a0After that one – in the presence of Emperor Charlemagne and Archbishop Arn – there was sent and consecrated Bishop Theodoric. \u00a0After that one Bishop Otto was consecrated by Archbishop Aderamm. \u00a0After that one, Bishop Hosbald under Archbishops Liupramn and Adelwin. \u00a0Pope Nicholas wrote two canonical letters to this Osbald (which [letters] are preserved in the body of decrees. \u00a0After that one, some time passed before such time that a Slav by the name of Methodius came out of the land of Istria and Dalmatia; who invented Slavic letters and celebrated mass in Slavic and thereby replaced the Latin [mass]. \u00a0Finally, he escaped from the Carantanian lands to Moravia and died there.”<\/p>\n

\"katz\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“During the time of Dagobert, the King of the Franks, the Carantanians were ruled by duke Samo, after him Boruch, after him Karast[us] and after him Chenmar[us] after him Waltunc. \u00a0Likewise there ruled under Charlemagne and his successors Priwizlauga, Cemicas, Zpoimar, Etgar.”<\/p>\n

“After the expulsion of the Huns, the following counts were placed in the east of Bavaria by Charlemagne and his successors: Gerold[us], Gotteram[us], as the second Werehar[ius], the third Albric[us], the fourth Gotfrid[us], the fifth Gerold[us], and after these, the dukes Helmwin[us], Albar[ius], Pado, and the above mentioned dukes of the Carantanians were placed under these\u00a0counts and dukes.”<\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a92015\u00a0jassa.org All Rights Reserved<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Conversio Bagoariorum et Carantanorum is a work of the Archbishopric of Salzburg – existing in nine manuscripts. \u00a0It was written in the 870s (the earliest remaining manuscript come to us from the 11th\/12th century) with the apparent purpose of justifying Salzburg’s dominance over Bavaria, Carantania and Pannonia. \u00a0The context was the trial at Regensburg […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-slovenes"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jassa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jassa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jassa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jassa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jassa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4563"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.jassa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18815,"href":"https:\/\/www.jassa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4563\/revisions\/18815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jassa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jassa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jassa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}