The Wendish Crusade: Holy War or Political Ambition in the Baltic Frontier?
For centuries, the Polabian Slavs lived in their ancestral homeland around the Elbe River, in what is today Germany. Following their age-old traditional lifestyle, they excelled as largely peaceful herders, pastoralists and farmers whose lives embodied simplicity. Their home stretched from the north, on the coasts of the frigid Baltic Sea, and all the way to the south, where it slowly merged with the realms of Moravians, the Czechs, and other neighboring Slavic tribes. But to the west lay the Germans and the Danes, staunch Catholics and always hungry for expansion. They hated the Slavs for their ancient Pagan beliefs, and the rich resources that lay in their lands. And for that, they always wanted to rule them. At first, they tried to convert them to Christianity peacefully. When they failed, however, they resorted to war. Can that war be justified in modern times? Was it driven by simple greed and ambition, or something more profound?
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War Against the Wends: The Baltic Ablaze
Polabian Slavs lived by the river Elbe, and beyond it, for many centuries. A large part of modern-day Germany was once inhabited by Slavic tribes. In fact, some still live there as ethnic minorities, chiefly the Sorbs. There were many tribes amongst the Polabian Slavs. Some lived far to the north, on the coasts of the Baltic Sea and on the Jutland Peninsula, where they bordered the warlike Saxons and Danes with whom they had many conflicts. Others thrived along the coasts of the Baltic, on the many islands and lakes that existed there. And then there were those who lived far inland, in connection with the broader Slavic world, and the neighboring Germans as well. Some of these tribes were the Liutici, the Obodriti, the Wagrii, Pomeranians, Sorbs, Redari, Circipani, Stodorani, Veneti, and many, many others.
Bishop Absalon topples the god Svantevit at Arkona by Laurits Tuxen. (Public Domain)
For the most part, these tribes were allied, unified by the same blood and same identity, all of them being Slavs. However, they were not a unified political entity, but rather a loose confederation of tribes. And even though they shared the same heritage and blood, many of the tribes pursued independent and often conflicting policies, which only served to further complicate their relationships, and to make them generally weaker in face of their neighbors. But even so, their shared cultural identity was deeply connected to their old pagan beliefs. Their gods, such as Svarozic, Svantevit, Perun, Dabog, and others, were connected with war, fertility, fire, and nature. Their religious centers were temples and sacred groves, and symbolized their commitment to their pagan faith, but also their tribal unity. This was, of course, a stark contrast when compared to the rigid beliefs of the Catholic Christian church of their neighbors to the west and north.
Top image: AI image of Slavic male warriors in chain mail. Source: Ruslan Batiuk / Adobe Stock
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