Obotrites
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Obotritic confederation | |||||||||||||||||||
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8th century–1167 | |||||||||||||||||||
Arms of the House
of Nikloting, princes of the Obotritic confederation | |||||||||||||||||||
Status | Independent confederation of Polabian Slavic tribes | ||||||||||||||||||
Capital | Veligard or Veligrad (German: Michelenburg) | ||||||||||||||||||
Common languages | Polabian, Old Saxon | ||||||||||||||||||
Religion | Polabian[a] Slavic paganism, the known major cults:
Witzlaus | ||||||||||||||||||
• 1160–1167 (last) | Pribislav | ||||||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||||||
• Formed | 8th century | ||||||||||||||||||
• Accepted Saxon suzerainty | 1167 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Today part of | Germany |
The Obotrites (
Obotritic confederation
The Bavarian Geographer, an anonymous medieval document compiled in Regensburg in 830, contains a list of the tribes in Central Eastern Europe to the east of the Elbe. The list includes the Nortabtrezi (Obotrites) - with 53 civitates. Adam of Bremen referred to them as the Reregi because of their lucrative trade emporium Reric. In common with other Slavic groups, they were often described by Germanic sources as Wends.
The main tribes of the Obotritic confederation were:[2]
- the Obotrites proper (Lake Schwerin);
- the );
- the );
- the Polabians proper (between the Trave and the Elbe).
Other tribes associated with the confederation include:[2]
- the Lenzen,
- the Travnjane near the Trave,
- the Drevani in the Hanoverian Wendland.
- the Ukrani in Prenzlau.
History
As allies of the
German missionaries such as Vicelinus converted the Obotrites to Christianity. In 1170 they acknowledged the suzerainty of the Holy Roman Empire, leading to Germanisation and assimilation over the following centuries. However, up to the late 15th century most villagers in the Obotritic area were still speaking Slavic dialects (Polabian language), although subsequently their language was displaced by German. The Polabian language survived until the beginning of the 19th century in Hanoverian Wendland, eastern Lower Saxony (bordering modern Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania).[3] The ruling clan of the Obotrites kept its power throughout the Germanisation and ruled their country (except during a short interruption in Thirty Years' War) as House of Mecklenburg until the end of monarchies in Germany in November Revolution 1918. Previously, the Obodrites were dominated by the Naconids; Eastern (Far) Pomerania was ruled by the Pomeranian House (Grifichi).
List of Obotrite leaders
Ruler | Reign | Notes |
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Witzlaus
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?–ca. 795 | |
Thrasco
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?–ca. 795–810 | |
Slavomir | ?–810–819 | Ally of the Frankish Empire. In 816, he joined the rebellion of the Sorbs. Eventually captured and abandoned by his own people, being replaced by Ceadrag in 818. |
Ceadrag | 819–after 826 | Ally of the Frankish Empire. He rebelled against the Franks with alliance with the Danes, but later was reconciled with Franks. |
Selibur | ||
Nako
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954–966 | Nako and his brother Stoigniew were defeated at the Otto I , after which Stoigniew was beheaded and Nako accepted Christianity, resulting in thirty years of peace.
|
Mstivoj and Mstidrag | 966–995 | Sons of Nako. They abandoned Christianity and revolted against the Germans ( Great Slav Rising ).
|
Mieceslas III | 919–999 | in 995 defeated by Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor. |
Mstislav | 996–1018 | |
Udo or Przybigniew | 1018–1028 | |
Ratibor
|
1028–1043 | |
Gottschalk | 1043 to 1066 | |
Budivoj | 1066 and 1069 | |
Kruto
|
1066–1069 and 1069–1093 | |
Henry | 1093–1127 | |
Canute & Sviatopolk | 1127–1128 | |
Sviatopolk | 1128–1129 | |
Zwinike | 1129–1129 | |
Canute | 1129–1131 | Great-great-great-great-grandson of Mstivoj |
Niklot | 1131–1160 | Born around 1090. Also ruled the subdued Polabian Slav tribes of Kessinians and Circipanians. |
Pribislav | 1160–1167 | Last Obotrite prince. Accepted Saxon suzerainty in 1167. |
The rulers of Obotrite lands were later the
See also
- List of Medieval Slavic tribes
- Praedenecenti
Notes
- ^ Compared to the original old Slavic religion, the pagan religion of Polabian Slavs was "reformed" (improved) by wooden temples and priesthood as a high social class with political influence. Almost every Polabian tribe had its own pagan cult of a deity of military function or some version of the supreme god, whose high priests had sometimes military retinue and were equal to the chiefs or politically stronger. This made a pagan cults more organized and the Polabian Slavs more resistant to Christianization than other Slavic peoples who had less organized paganism and was practiced as a folk religion. It also caused the creation of a local theocracies.
References
- OCLC 70122512.
- ^ a b Herrmann 1970, pp. 7–8
- ^ Polabian language
Literature
- Herrmann, Joachim (1970). Die Slawen in Deutschland (in German). Berlin: Akademie-Verlag GmbH.
- Müller-Wille, Michael (2002). "Zwischen Kieler Förde und Wismarbucht: Archäologie der Obodriten vom späten 7. bis zur Mitte des 12. Jahrhunderts." In: Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission, vol. 83, pp. 243–264.
- Turasiewicz A., Dzieje polityczne Obodrzyców od IX wieku do utraty niepodległości w latach 1160–1164, Warszawa, 2004, ISBN 83-88508-65-2(in Polish)
External links
Works related to Geographus Bavarus at Wikisource
- Emperor Charles the Great in 804 gave Saxon land to Obodrites, dispersed Saxons