The Turbulent History of the Land between the Seas

My dear readers and fellow medieval history enthusiasts,

The relentless military campaigns of the Frankish-Saxon forces under the Ottonian emperors against the pagan tribes of the Western Slavs in what is today Northern Germany were marked by extraordinary brutality. These confrontations saw severe atrocities committed by both sides. For example, the assassination of Slav nobles at a banquet orchestrated by the Saxon governor Gero epitomised the ruthlessness of the age. I bet I am not the only one instantly reminded of GoT’s Red Wedding – only here, we are looking at actual history.

One of the most important sources for this time and region is the chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum (Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church) penned by the 11th-century chronicler Adam of Bremen. During his travels, Adam visited the court of Danish King Sven Estridsson. In Book II, Chapter 38 of the chronicle, Adam recounts his conversation with King Sven, who expressed deep sorrow over the brutal treatment of Christians.

Slav uprisings, such as the one in 983, led to the destruction of churches and monasteries, underscoring the deep animosities. A culmination of devastation was marked by the destruction of Hedeby in 1066. The former emporium never recovered, and its functions as a trading centre were transferred to Schleswig on the other bank of the Schlei.

The conflicts between the Saxons, Danes, and Slavs were far from over and continued, with changing alliances, well into the 12th century. The stories of heroes, villains, intrigues, betrayals, and battles in the now tranquil, narrow strip of land between the North and Baltic Seas would certainly provide more than enough material for a number of "Game of Thrones" series (However, the dragons would be longships!).

In collaboration with Kaja Szewczyk of Jora Photo Tales and Bartosz Ligocki of Pracownia Projektów Historycznych, I created this newsletter's title image for my upcoming book to illustrate the Saxon-Slavic wars. Learn more and see the image at a higher resolution in my respective post.

Cornelius teaching at the Royal Armouries in Leeds

Cornelius was invited to teach and lecture at the seminar ‘I.33: The Heart of the Art of Combat' at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. In his lecture, he explained how relevant detail is encoded in multiple view planes, a typical feature of medieval illustration.

This subject is also addressed in detail in our I.33 online course.

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So, that's it for today. Take care, and keep your blade well-honed.

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Yours,

Roland

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