The spread of Christianity. Polabian Slavs and Pomeranian Slavs. Socio-economic development. The spread of Christianity Who are the Polabian Slavs

Map of the settlement of the Slavs and their neighbors at the end of the 8th century.

Polaby, Polabian Slavs(N.-Lud. Połobske Słowjany, Polish. Słowianie polabscy, Kashubian Pòłabsczi Słowiónie) - a large group of West Slavic tribes, according to a common theory, inhabited from about the end of the 6th century. until the middle of the 13th century. n. e. east, north and northwest of modern Germany. These Slavs occupied a vast territory from the mouth of the river. Laby (Elbe) and its tributary river. Sala (Zale) in the West, up to the river. Odry (Vodry, Oder) in the east, from the Ore Mountains in the south to the Baltic Sea in the north. Thus, the lands of the Polabian Slavs covered at least a third of the modern German state. The Polabian Slavs were united in three tribal unions: Lusatians, Lutichi (velets or Wilts) and Bodrichi (encouraged, reregs). They were also related to the Pomeranian tribes who lived along the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, approximately from the mouth of the Odra to the mouth of the Vistula, and in the south, along the Notechi River, bordering on Polish tribes. The Germans have traditionally called and still call the primordial, indigenous Slavic population of Germany Wends.

History of the Polabian or Baltic Slavs

Polabsky or Baltic Slavs - a code name for various branches of the Slavic tribe that occupied the southern coast of the Baltic Sea and the river basin. Labs (Elbe) and crushed into a mass of small tribes. Of these, the Bodrichs (encouraging, reregs) in the northwest, the Lutici (Vilts, Velets) in the central regions, and the Lusatian Serbs (Serbs, Lusatians) in the south are of particular importance. Various local conditions left a peculiar imprint on the history of the Bodrichi, Lutichi and Lusatians: for example, the Bodrichi, due to their proximity to the Franks, at first often acted in concert with the latter, who supported the Bodrichi princes in their desire to increase power. Among the Luticians, on the contrary, the princely power was abolished and dominance passed into the hands of the aristocracy. Lusatians, neighbors of the Czechs, shared a common history with them for a long time. However, there are many similarities in the history of the Polabian Slavs.

Starting from the 9th and even the 8th century AD. e. their lives were spent in a bitter struggle against the constant attempts of the German invasion. The beginning of these endless attempts at conquest was laid by Charlemagne, who tried to unite under the rule of his empire all the neighboring tribes, both German by ethnicity and others - in particular Slavic. It should be noted that at first, when not all neighboring Slavic Slavs, the Germanic tribes were conquered and Christianized, often they acted together with the Slavs. For example, the army sent by Charlemagne to conquer the Sorbs (Lusatian Serbs) was destroyed by the Saxons, who at that time, like the Slavs, fought against Christianization and against joining the empire of Charles. But, gradually, as the subjugation and Christianization of the actual German tribes of Germany, the lands of the Polabian Slavs, in this region, become the only target of the organized offensive of the German Empire, encouraged and initiated by the Roman Catholic Church. X-XIII centuries characterized by frequent and bloody wars between the Polabian Slavs and the advancing Germans and Danes. These wars are accompanied by attempts to Christianize the Slavs. During these wars, certain lands of the P. Slavs for some time fall under the rule of the Germans, then the Slavs are freed from them and exist independently for some time, then everything repeats again. Often, the Slavs go on the counteroffensive. At this time, the German chronicles recorded frequent retaliatory campaigns of the Slavs on the lands of the Germans, during which they ravaged German settlements, burned cities and monasteries, robbed and killed inhabitants, and took away prisoners. For a long time, before King Valdemar I, Denmark paid tribute to the city of Arkona, the capital of the Ruyan tribe, which was part of the obodrite union. But King Valdemar I the Great finally destroyed Arkona. The irony lies in the fact that Valdemar was maternally the great-grandson of Vladimir Monomakh, after whom he received his name. In the end, approximately by the XII-XIII centuries, all the Slavic lands of Polabya ​​merge into one or another state German formation as part of the Holy Roman Empire and accept Christianity according to the Roman model.

After that, a gradual process of Germanization of the local population begins, which lasted several centuries. Huge masses of people were subjected to it. Germanization took place in several ways, including through the influx of German settlers to the lands of Poland, thanks to the legislative rooting of the German language, the assignment of German or “German-like” surnames to the Slavs, interethnic marriages, the influence of the church, etc.

The internal policy of the Polabian Slavs was characterized by frequent mutual strife, to some extent kindled and initiated by the Germans, the lack of constant, long-term coordination and organization. They never fully created their strong, centralized state, following the example of their neighbors, who adopted Christianity and established the central government of the Slavic and German peoples. This was one of the reasons for the defeat of the Polabian Slavs in the confrontation with the German feudal system.

The only part of the modern German population that still retains its Slavic language and culture are the Lusatians.

The rest of the Polabian Slavs, although Germanized, but not without a trace. From them, modern Germany inherited a huge number of topographic names (see - Slavic toponymy of Germany). In addition, having gradually become Germanized, the Polabian Slavs handed over to modern Germans a lot of Slavic surnames in origin (see - Slavic surnames of modern Germans in origin).

Description of the Polabian Slavs left by contemporaries

  • Titmar of Merseburg (earlier 1018) “Chronicle”: “There is a certain city on the land of the rataries, named Radigoshch, it is triangular in shape and has three gates, it is surrounded on all sides by a large forest, inviolable and sacred in the eyes of local residents. The two gates of the city are open to all who come; the third, the smallest, are turned to the east, leading to the sea, which lies nearby and looks terrible. At this gate, there is nothing but a temple skillfully built of wood, in which the supporting pillars are replaced by the horns of various animals. From the outside, as anyone can see, its walls are decorated with wonderful carvings depicting various gods and goddesses, and inside there are handmade idols of gods, terrible in appearance, in full armor, in helmets and armor, each carved with his name. The main one, who is especially respected and revered by all pagans, is called Svarozhich.
  • Geographer Adam of Bremen (c. 1066), "Acts of the Priests of the Hamburg Church":

“Slavia is ten times larger than our Saxony, if we count the Czechs and the Poles living on the other side of the Odra, who do not differ from the inhabitants of Slavia either in their appearance or language .... There are many Slavic peoples. Among them are the most western Wagris living on the border with the Transalbings. Their city, lying by the sea Aldinburg (Stargrad). Then follow obodrites, who are now called reregs, and their city is Magnopolis (Velegrad). To the east of us (from Hamburg) live the Polabings (polabs), whose city is called Racisburg). Behind them are lingons (clay) and warabs. This is followed by the Khizhans and through the Penyans, who are separated from the Dolechans and Ratarians by the Pena River and the city of Dymin. There is the limit of the Hamburg diocese. Khizhans and throughpenians live north of the Pena River, Dolenchans and Ratari live to the south. These four peoples, because of their courage, are called Vilians, or Lutiches. There are also other Slavic tribes that live between Laba and Odra .... of all of them, the most powerful are the ratari living in the center ... Their city - the world-famous Retra (Radigost, Radigoshch) - is the seat of idolatry, a huge temple was built there in honor of demons, the main of which is Radigost. His image is made of gold, the bed of purple. The city itself has nine gates and is surrounded on all sides by a deep lake, through which a log bridge was built to cross, but only those who go for the sake of sacrifice or questioning the oracle are allowed to cross it ... They say that from Hamburg to the Temple there are four days' journey.

  • Helmold von Bosau (mid-12th century), Slavic Chronicle reported:

“... The essence of other Vendian clans, they live between the Elbe and Oder rivers and extend far by noon, like the Guruli, Gevelds, who exist near the Gibal River and Dox, Levbuzes, Ivilins, Storrelans with others. To the western side is the province of the Vinuls, by which the Lenchans and Redari are called. Their glorious city is Retra, there is a great temple and their main god is Radegast ... "" ... There are four tribes and they are called Lyutichs, or Wilts; of them, Khizhans and throughpenians, as you know, live on the other side of Pena, but the ratari and Dolechans wanted to dominate due to the fact that they have ancient city and the most famous temple in which the idol of Radegast is exhibited, and they only ascribe to themselves the only right to primacy because all the Slavic peoples often visit them in order to receive answers and annual sacrifices ... "

  • Saxo Grammaticus writes: “The city of Arkona lies on the top of a high rock; from the north, east and south it is protected by natural protection ... from the western side it is protected by a high embankment of 50 cubits ... In the middle of the city lies an open square on which rises a wooden temple, of excellent workmanship, but venerable not so much for the splendor of architecture, but for the majesty of God, to whom an idol is erected here. All outer side the building shone with skillfully made bas-reliefs of various figures, but ugly and crudely painted. Only one entrance was into the interior of the temple, surrounded by a double fence ... In the temple itself there was a large, exceeding human height, idol (Sventovita) with four heads, on the same number of necks, of which two came out of the chest and two - to the ridge, but so that of both front and both rear heads, one looked to the right, and the other to the left. Hair and beard were cut short, and in this, it seemed, the artist conformed to the habit of rouyan. AT right hand the idol held a horn made of various metals, which was usually filled every year with wine from the hands of a priest for divination about the next year's fertility; left hand like an onion. Outerwear went down to the berets, which were made up of various types of trees and were so skillfully connected to the knees that only a close examination could distinguish the fugues. The legs were level with the ground, their foundation was made under the floor. In a small distance, the bridle and saddle of the idol with other accessories were visible. The viewer was most struck by a huge sword, a scabbard, the black of which, in addition to beautiful carved forms, was distinguished by silver trim ... In addition, this god also had temples in many other places, ruled by priests of lesser importance. In addition, he had a horse, completely white, from which it was considered impiety to pull hair out of its mane or tail ... Svyatovit was symbolized by various signs, in particular, carved eagles and banners, the main of which was called the village ... The power of this small piece of canvas was stronger than the power of the prince. »

see also

Notes

Literature

  • Venelin Yu. I. District inhabitants of the Baltic Sea, i.e. Lets and Slavs. - M .: In the University Printing House, 1846.
  • Veselovsky A. N. Russians and Wiltins in the saga of Tidrik of Bern (Verona) (Russian) // Proceedings of the ORYaS of the Imperial Academy of Sciences: magazine. - 1906. - T. XI. - S. 1-190.
  • Gilferding A.F. History of the Baltic Slavs // Collected Works of A. Hilferding. - St. Petersburg. : Ed. D. E. Kozhanchikova, 1874. - T. 4.
  • Gilferding A.F. The remains of the Slavs on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea (Russian) // Imp. Russian Geographical Society"Ethnographic collection": magazine. - St. Petersburg. : Type of. V. Bezobrazov and comp., 1862. - V. V.
  • Ivanova-Buchatskaya Yu.V. PLATTES LAND: Symbols of Northern Germany (Slavic-Germanic ethnocultural synthesis between the Elbe and Oder rivers). SPb. : Nauka, 2006.
  • Kotlyarevsky A. A."Legal Antiquities of P. Slavs" and "Tales of Otto of Bamberg" (1874)
  • Lebedev N."The last struggle of the Baltic Slavs against Germanization" (in the 2nd part - a review of sources)
  • Pavinsky"Polabian Slavs" (St. Petersburg, 1871)
  • Pervolf I. N."Germanization of the Baltic Slavs" (St. Petersburg, 1876)
  • // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
  • Shafarik P. "Slavic Antiquities" (vol. II, book III. Russian translation Moscow, 1848)
  • Shore T.W. Chapter VI. Roogs, Wends and native Slavic settlers // Origin of the Anglo-Saxon Race = Origin of the Anglo-Saxon Race: A Study of the Settlement of England and the Tribal Origin of the Old English People. - London, 1906. - S. 84-102.
  • Bogusławski a Hórnik, "Historija serbskeho naroda" (1884)
  • Giesebrecht L., "Wendische Geschichten" (Berl., 1843)
  • Siemawski, "Pogląd na dzieje słowian zachodno-połniocnych" (1881)

Links

Map of the settlement of the Slavs and their neighbors at the end of the 8th century.

Polaby, Polabian Slavs(N.-Lud. Połobske Słowjany, Polish. Słowianie polabscy, Kashubian Pòłabsczi Słowiónie) - a large group of West Slavic tribes, according to a common theory, inhabited from about the end of the 6th century. until the middle of the 13th century. n. e. east, north and northwest of modern Germany. These Slavs occupied a vast territory from the mouth of the river. Laby (Elbe) and its tributary river. Sala (Zale) in the West, up to the river. Odry (Vodry, Oder) in the east, from the Ore Mountains in the south to the Baltic Sea in the north. Thus, the lands of the Polabian Slavs covered at least a third of the modern German state. The Polabian Slavs were united in three tribal unions: Lusatians, Lutichi (velets or Wilts) and Bodrichi (encouraged, reregs). They were also related to the Pomeranian tribes who lived along the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, approximately from the mouth of the Odra to the mouth of the Vistula, and in the south, along the Notechi River, bordering on Polish tribes. The Germans have traditionally called and still call the primordial, indigenous Slavic population of Germany Wends.

History of the Polabian or Baltic Slavs

Polabsky or Baltic Slavs - a code name for various branches of the Slavic tribe that occupied the southern coast of the Baltic Sea and the river basin. Labs (Elbe) and crushed into a mass of small tribes. Of these, the Bodrichs (encouraging, reregs) in the northwest, the Lutici (Vilts, Velets) in the central regions, and the Lusatian Serbs (Serbs, Lusatians) in the south are of particular importance. Various local conditions left a peculiar imprint on the history of the Bodrichi, Lutichi and Lusatians: for example, the Bodrichi, due to their proximity to the Franks, at first often acted in concert with the latter, who supported the Bodrichi princes in their desire to increase power. Among the Luticians, on the contrary, the princely power was abolished and dominance passed into the hands of the aristocracy. Lusatians, neighbors of the Czechs, shared a common history with them for a long time. However, there are many similarities in the history of the Polabian Slavs.

Starting from the 9th and even the 8th century AD. e. their lives were spent in a bitter struggle against the constant attempts of the German invasion. The beginning of these endless attempts at conquest was laid by Charlemagne, who tried to unite under the rule of his empire all the neighboring tribes, both German by ethnicity and others - in particular Slavic. It should be noted that at first, when not all neighboring Slavic Slavs, the Germanic tribes were conquered and Christianized, often they acted together with the Slavs. For example, the army sent by Charlemagne to conquer the Sorbs (Lusatian Serbs) was destroyed by the Saxons, who at that time, like the Slavs, fought against Christianization and against joining the empire of Charles. But, gradually, as the subjugation and Christianization of the actual German tribes of Germany, the lands of the Polabian Slavs, in this region, become the only target of the organized offensive of the German Empire, encouraged and initiated by the Roman Catholic Church. X-XIII centuries characterized by frequent and bloody wars between the Polabian Slavs and the advancing Germans and Danes. These wars are accompanied by attempts to Christianize the Slavs. During these wars, certain lands of the P. Slavs for some time fall under the rule of the Germans, then the Slavs are freed from them and exist independently for some time, then everything repeats again. Often, the Slavs go on the counteroffensive. At this time, the German chronicles recorded frequent retaliatory campaigns of the Slavs on the lands of the Germans, during which they ravaged German settlements, burned cities and monasteries, robbed and killed inhabitants, and took away prisoners. For a long time, before King Valdemar I, Denmark paid tribute to the city of Arkona, the capital of the Ruyan tribe, which was part of the obodrite union. But King Valdemar I the Great finally destroyed Arkona. The irony lies in the fact that Valdemar was maternally the great-grandson of Vladimir Monomakh, after whom he received his name. In the end, approximately by the XII-XIII centuries, all the Slavic lands of Polabya ​​merge into one or another state German formation as part of the Holy Roman Empire and accept Christianity according to the Roman model.

After that, a gradual process of Germanization of the local population begins, which lasted several centuries. Huge masses of people were subjected to it. Germanization took place in several ways, including through the influx of German settlers to the lands of Poland, thanks to the legislative rooting of the German language, the assignment of German or “German-like” surnames to the Slavs, interethnic marriages, the influence of the church, etc.

The internal policy of the Polabian Slavs was characterized by frequent mutual strife, to some extent kindled and initiated by the Germans, the lack of constant, long-term coordination and organization. They never fully created their strong, centralized state, following the example of their neighbors, who adopted Christianity and established the central government of the Slavic and German peoples. This was one of the reasons for the defeat of the Polabian Slavs in the confrontation with the German feudal system.

The only part of the modern German population that still retains its Slavic language and culture are the Lusatians.

The rest of the Polabian Slavs, although Germanized, but not without a trace. From them, modern Germany inherited a huge number of topographic names (see - Slavic toponymy of Germany). In addition, having gradually become Germanized, the Polabian Slavs handed over to modern Germans a lot of Slavic surnames in origin (see - Slavic surnames of modern Germans in origin).

Description of the Polabian Slavs left by contemporaries

  • Titmar of Merseburg (earlier 1018) “Chronicle”: “There is a certain city on the land of the rataries, named Radigoshch, it is triangular in shape and has three gates, it is surrounded on all sides by a large forest, inviolable and sacred in the eyes of local residents. The two gates of the city are open to all who come; the third, the smallest, are turned to the east, leading to the sea, which lies nearby and looks terrible. At this gate, there is nothing but a temple skillfully built of wood, in which the supporting pillars are replaced by the horns of various animals. From the outside, as anyone can see, its walls are decorated with wonderful carvings depicting various gods and goddesses, and inside there are handmade idols of gods, terrible in appearance, in full armor, in helmets and armor, each carved with his name. The main one, who is especially respected and revered by all pagans, is called Svarozhich.
  • Geographer Adam of Bremen (c. 1066), "Acts of the Priests of the Hamburg Church":

“Slavia is ten times larger than our Saxony, if we count the Czechs and the Poles living on the other side of the Odra, who do not differ from the inhabitants of Slavia either in their appearance or language .... There are many Slavic peoples. Among them are the most western Wagris living on the border with the Transalbings. Their city, lying by the sea Aldinburg (Stargrad). Then follow obodrites, who are now called reregs, and their city is Magnopolis (Velegrad). To the east of us (from Hamburg) live the Polabings (polabs), whose city is called Racisburg). Behind them are lingons (clay) and warabs. This is followed by the Khizhans and through the Penyans, who are separated from the Dolechans and Ratarians by the Pena River and the city of Dymin. There is the limit of the Hamburg diocese. Khizhans and throughpenians live north of the Pena River, Dolenchans and Ratari live to the south. These four peoples, because of their courage, are called Vilians, or Lutiches. There are also other Slavic tribes that live between Laba and Odra .... of all of them, the most powerful are the ratari living in the center ... Their city - the world-famous Retra (Radigost, Radigoshch) - is the seat of idolatry, a huge temple was built there in honor of demons, the main of which is Radigost. His image is made of gold, the bed of purple. The city itself has nine gates and is surrounded on all sides by a deep lake, through which a log bridge was built to cross, but only those who go for the sake of sacrifice or questioning the oracle are allowed to cross it ... They say that from Hamburg to the Temple there are four days' journey.

  • Helmold von Bosau (mid-12th century), Slavic Chronicle reported:

“... The essence of other Vendian clans, between the Elbe and Oder rivers live and stretch far by noon, like the Guruli, Gevelds, who exist at the Gibal River and Dox, Levbuzes, Ivilins, Storrelans with others. To the western side is the province of the Vinuls, by which the Lenchans and Redari are called. Their glorious city is Retra, there is a great temple and their main god is Radegast ... "" ... There are four tribes and they are called Lyutichs, or Wilts; of them, Khizhans and throughpenians, as you know, live on the other side of Pena, but the ratari and Dolechans wanted to dominate due to the fact that they have the most ancient city and the most famous temple in which the idol of Radegast is exhibited, and they only ascribe to themselves the only right to primacy because all the Slavic peoples often visit them in order to receive answers and annual sacrifices ... "

  • Saxo Grammaticus writes: “The city of Arkona lies on the top of a high rock; from the north, east and south it is protected by natural protection ... from the western side it is protected by a high embankment of 50 cubits ... In the middle of the city lies an open square on which rises a wooden temple, of excellent workmanship, but venerable not so much for the splendor of architecture, but for the majesty of God, to whom an idol is erected here. The entire outer side of the building shone with skillfully made bas-reliefs of various figures, but ugly and crudely painted. Only one entrance was into the interior of the temple, surrounded by a double fence ... In the temple itself there was a large, exceeding human height, idol (Sventovita) with four heads, on the same number of necks, of which two came out of the chest and two - to the ridge, but so that of both front and both rear heads, one looked to the right, and the other to the left. Hair and beard were cut short, and in this, it seemed, the artist conformed to the habit of rouyan. In his right hand, the idol held a horn made of various metals, which was usually filled every year with wine from the hands of a priest for divination about the fertility of the next year; the left hand was likened to a bow. Outerwear went down to the berets, which were made up of various types of trees and were so skillfully connected to the knees that only a close examination could distinguish the fugues. The legs were level with the ground, their foundation was made under the floor. In a small distance, the bridle and saddle of the idol with other accessories were visible. The viewer was most struck by a huge sword, a scabbard, the black of which, in addition to beautiful carved forms, was distinguished by silver trim ... In addition, this god also had temples in many other places, ruled by priests of lesser importance. In addition, he had a horse, completely white, from which it was considered impiety to pull hair out of its mane or tail ... Svyatovit was symbolized by various signs, in particular, carved eagles and banners, the main of which was called the village ... The power of this small piece of canvas was stronger than the power of the prince. »

see also

Notes

Literature

  • Venelin Yu. I. District inhabitants of the Baltic Sea, i.e. Lets and Slavs. - M .: In the University Printing House, 1846.
  • Veselovsky A. N. Russians and Wiltins in the saga of Tidrik of Bern (Verona) (Russian) // Proceedings of the ORYaS of the Imperial Academy of Sciences: magazine. - 1906. - T. XI. - S. 1-190.
  • Gilferding A.F. History of the Baltic Slavs // Collected Works of A. Hilferding. - St. Petersburg. : Ed. D. E. Kozhanchikova, 1874. - T. 4.
  • Gilferding A.F. The remains of the Slavs on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea (Russian) // Imp. Russian Geographical Society"Ethnographic collection": magazine. - St. Petersburg. : Type of. V. Bezobrazov and comp., 1862. - V. V.
  • Ivanova-Buchatskaya Yu.V. PLATTES LAND: Symbols of Northern Germany (Slavic-Germanic ethnocultural synthesis between the Elbe and Oder rivers). SPb. : Nauka, 2006.
  • Kotlyarevsky A. A."Legal Antiquities of P. Slavs" and "Tales of Otto of Bamberg" (1874)
  • Lebedev N."The last struggle of the Baltic Slavs against Germanization" (in the 2nd part - a review of sources)
  • Pavinsky"Polabian Slavs" (St. Petersburg, 1871)
  • Pervolf I. N."Germanization of the Baltic Slavs" (St. Petersburg, 1876)
  • // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
  • Shafarik P. "Slavic Antiquities" (vol. II, book III. Russian translation Moscow, 1848)
  • Shore T.W. Chapter VI. Roogs, Wends and native Slavic settlers // Origin of the Anglo-Saxon Race = Origin of the Anglo-Saxon Race: A Study of the Settlement of England and the Tribal Origin of the Old English People. - London, 1906. - S. 84-102.
  • Bogusławski a Hórnik, "Historija serbskeho naroda" (1884)
  • Giesebrecht L., "Wendische Geschichten" (Berl., 1843)
  • Siemawski, "Pogląd na dzieje słowian zachodno-połniocnych" (1881)

Links

And the further the West moved along the time axis, the more educated and enlightened it became, the more and more popular (both for internal and external use) fairy tales about wild Slavs became. As a matter of fact, over time Russophobia also grew on these fairy tales. She lives now - in the mass consciousness of Western Europeans, in "scientific" studies about the "Tatar-Mongolian and Finno-Finnish" origin of Russians, about the "unprecedented in the history of mankind" atrocities of Ivan the Terrible, about the special predisposition and even love of Russians to slavery, etc. .d. etc.

And at the heart of all this, we repeat, Western European, primarily German, myths about the Slavs, as people of the second, and even third grade, incapable of either the development of civilization or self-government. And if they achieved something, they say, at a later time, then this is only thanks to the missionary work of the West.

The appearance of the Slavs in history

Despite numerous facts and evidence that the Slavs in Europe in the earlier Middle Ages reached a very high level of development, peace and grace reign in historical science. The falsified version, composed by the Germans and convenient for the German-speaking peoples, has become so monolithic and impenetrable by anything that it is almost impossible to fight it, and the efforts made by opponents cannot be called heroic.

Meanwhile, what does historiography and archeology say about the Slavs? The initial reliably Slavic archaeological culture - Prague-Korchak - arose in the 5th-6th centuries AD. This culture has a direct continuation in the same authentically Slavic later cultures in the Czech Republic, Poland, the Balkans, Ukraine and Russia. Up to the Old Russian and Russian culture.

From the moment of their appearance, recorded by archeology, the Slavs appear in history. And at the same time they demonstrate enviable energy. Within two hundred years, a negligibly short period in historical terms, they populated the entire Balkan Peninsula, the forest zone of Eastern Europe to the Gulf of Finland in the north, the upper reaches of the Don, Oka and Volga in the east, the southern coast of the Baltic Sea from the Jutland Peninsula to the interfluve of the Oder and Vistula in west. They occupy almost the entire territory of the former GDR and the Elbe becomes the border between the Slavs and the Germans. And today Berlin, Leipzig, Mecklenburg, Altenburg and other cities have a Slavic etymology - Medvedev, Lipsk, Great City, Old City ...

By the way, little is known about this Western Slavic civilization in Russia. It is not as “hyped” as Kievan, Novgorodian or Muscovite Rus.

Polabskiy Kitezh

What was this civilization? Approximately from the end of VI to the middle of the XIII century AD. the east, north and northwest of modern Germany was inhabited by a large group of West Slavic tribes, which are now called Polabian Slavs.

They occupied a vast territory from the mouth of the Laba (Elbe) River and its tributary the Sala (Zale) River in the west, to the Odra River (Vodra, Oder) in the east, from the Ore Mountains (on the border with the Czech Republic) in the south and to the Baltic Sea in the north . That is, the lands of the Polabian Slavs covered at least a third of the modern German state. The Polabian Slavs united into three tribal unions: the Lusatians, the Lutichs (velets or Wilts) and the Bodrichis (encouraged, rarogs or rivers) and related tribes of Pomeranians who lived along the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, approximately from the mouth of the Odra to the mouth of the Vistula.

Settlement map of the Polabian Slavs

According to the reports of German chroniclers and Catholic preachers who visited their lands, some of them were ruled by their own kings - rulers who had full power and inherited it. In particular, Obodrites and the inhabitants of the island of Ruyan (now Rügen) had their own kings.

Numerous fortress-castles were built on the territory of each tribal union. Archaeological excavations made it possible to establish that they were powerful ring-shaped fortifications made of wooden log cabins and earth with a height of shafts of more than 10 meters. The settlements located around them consisted of one-two-storey log houses. The main occupation of the villagers was agriculture and animal husbandry, handicrafts, weaving, ceramics, brewing, iron and bone processing, and fishing.

Some cities of the Polabian Slavs amazed the imagination of contemporaries with their scale. For example, the 11th-century North German chronicler Adam of Bremen wrote about the city of Vineta: "It is truly the largest of all cities in Europe."

Archaeologists have found many creations of artisans, jewelers - scissors, keys, spurs, locks, chain mail, trade weights. Moreover, there were objects made on lathe- he was known to the inhabitants of Vineta. The streets of the city were paved with wooden decks. There is evidence that the city was originally surrounded by a dam. In general, there is very little resemblance to the wretched culture of Slavs sitting on trees.

It is worth adding to this that the Polabian Slavs had their own runic script. According to the testimony of German historians of the 17th century, the Wends continued to teach their children runic writing along with the Latin alphabet even at that time.

The fate of this Slavic civilization was tragic - they disappeared, like the legendary city of Kitezh, as a result of the expansion of their western neighbors - the Germans.

Drang nah osten

Attempts of the German invasion began as early as Charlemagne in the VIII century, who intended to annex all neighboring tribes to his state - both German, for example, the Saxons and Thuringians, and Slavic. It was he who founded the city of Hamburg on the borders with the Obodrites.

For a long time these wars went on with varying success. The Germans attacked and if they won, they overlaid the local residents of the "subjugated" regions with tribute. In addition, they usually established a bishopric, or other ecclesiastical authority. Then, as usual, a Slavic uprising took place or Slavic detachments came, and the Germans were expelled from the captured place, and their garrisons and Latin preachers were destroyed.

The independence that followed this liberation could last fifty, a hundred, or even more years. But in the end it all happened again. The Germans, having accumulated strength, attacked again. It happened that they were given a successful rebuff, but if they captured some kind of fortress, town, or region, then again they “founded” some kind of German settlement in its place (for example, in the place of Zverin - “Schwerin”, in the place of Ratibor - “ Ratzeburg", in place of Drezdzhan - "Dresden", etc.)

Slavic rati often went on retaliatory campaigns against the Germans. The German documents recorded numerous attacks by the Slavs on German cities and monasteries, the looting and destruction of German settlements and churches, and the hijacking of German prisoners. For example, the city of Hamburg alone, in the course of these wars, was burned fifteen times by encouragers.

In this form, the situation has developed for more than one century. But over time, the Slavic armed resistance is gradually fading away. The Polabian Slavs fought at the level of inter-tribal conflicts, just as they had fought during previous centuries, they did not have a unifying ideology and organizing policy, which the Germans got acquainted with by adopting Christianity and assimilating many of the principles by which the Roman Empire was built.

Nevertheless, the Polabian Slavs resisted German aggression with weapons in their hands for about five hundred years! Apparently, these were the longest in the history of mankind, on the one hand, the conquest, and on the other, the defense of any land.

Women's national clothes of Lusatian Serbs (Sorbs)

Today, of all these tribes and peoples, only a handful of Lusatian Serbs (Sorbs) in modern Germany and the remainder of Pomors - Kashubians in Poland continue to exist, without completely dissolving among their neighbors. All the rest of their brethren over the past centuries have either been Germanized or Polonized.

Beginning of Russian history. From ancient times to the reign of Oleg Tsvetkov Sergey Eduardovich

Polabian, Pomeranian and Vistula Slavs (Lechites)

Polabian, Pomeranian and Vistula Slavs (Lechites)

In the north and northwest, the Slavic tribes belonging to the Lechit branch, in the 6th-7th centuries. moved to the Baltic Sea, occupying coastal lands in the lower reaches of the Vistula, Oder and Elbe. The remnants of the local Venetian population, finding themselves in a Slavic environment, quickly merged with it.

German settlements on the Elbe as early as the 5th century. were completely abandoned by their inhabitants who went west, so the Slavo-German merger did not occur in this area. But, moving up the Elbe, the Slavic settlers densely populated the South Danish (Schleswig-Holstein) lands, leaving traces in the place names and anthropological appearance of the local population.

In these territories, several Slavic tribal associations arose. The most powerful among them were the unions of the Obodrites and the Vilians (Lutichs), each of which, according to the Bavarian geographer (mid-9th century), consisted of four tribes. The union of the Vilians-Lutichs was formed by the Kessins, Zhirzhipans, Tollens (from Lake Tollen) and Redaria; The Obodrite tribal union included Vagrs, Polabs, Obodrites proper and Varnas (after the name of the Varnov River). Each of these tribes was ruled by its leaders, had its own gods and settlements. In the middle of the ninth century the Vilians had 100 settlements, the same number were among the Obodrites. The Scandinavians admiringly called the Slavic Pomerania “Gardy”, “Gardariki”, that is, “the country of cities”. Thus, the “Ynglinga Saga” tells about the journey of the god Odin from the legendary Asgard “first to the west to Gardariki, and then to the south to the Land of the Saxons” (modern Saxony). Later the name "Garda" will be transferred to the Russian land.

According to the authors of the 8th-9th centuries, the Obodrites settled on the lands of present-day East Holstein and West Mecklenburg, between the rivers Elbe, Travna, Varna and the Baltic Sea, thus being the westernmost group of Slavs. The first written mention of them is contained in the “Frankish Annals” under 789. The power of the Obodrite prince extended to the tribes of the Drevans, Linons (Clays?) and Smeldings (Smolins?), which, however, were deposited from the Obodrites already in 808. The political center of the tribal Union obodrite was a vast and well-fortified city, which arose, as expected, no later than the 7th century. Its Slavic name was Veligrad ("great, big, main city"); the Saxons called it "Michelenburg", the chronicle of Adam of Bremen speaks of "Magnopolis" - in both cases the meaning of the Slavic name is preserved. Later, at the mouth of the Oder, the famous city of Wolin arose - the largest shopping center Northern Europe.

To the north-west of the Obodrites, on the large island of Rane (otherwise Rue, Ruyan, now Rügen), off the coast of Denmark, the Rane (Ruyan, Rugi) lived. According to the German chroniclers, they were revered as the main, senior tribe among all the Baltic Slavs.

Wilts (otherwise velets, and later Lutiches) early medieval writers called the vast Polabian group of Slavic tribes adjacent to the Obodrites, who occupied the lands between the mouth of the Havel, the Elbe (Laboy) and the Baltic Sea. The ethnonym "Viltsy" is probably of totem origin - from the Slavic word vilci - "wolves". The Wilts were subordinated to the Slensians, Dedoshans, Gavolians and some other tribes. The most famous city of the Wilts was Retra, where the tribal pagan sanctuary of Radogost was located. Local priests led the entire tribal union of the Wilts, who never knew a strong princely power. In battle, the Wilts were famous for their ferocity and ferocity.

The area between the middle reaches of the Oder and the Vistula was occupied by a clearing. The Bavarian geographer counted "400 castles" (tribal and tribal settlements) in their lands. The Polans created their own tribal union, which included Goplians (near Lake Goplo in Kuyavia), Lenzitsans (near Lenchitsy), Saradzan (near Saradz). In the future, he was destined to form the core of the Polish state.

Polabian Slavs in the VIII-X centuries.

To the north of the glades, on the Baltic coast between the Vistula and the Oder, the Pomeranians lived. The Pomeranian union also included the Kashubians, a Baltic tribe that lived on the Kashubian Upland.

All these tribal associations did not show any desire for political rapprochement and often cruelly feuded with each other, as, for example, obodrites and Wilts. Some semblance of unity was observed only within tribal unions, but even there tribal differences were reinforced by special customs and religious cults that existed in each of the clans and tribes that were part of the union.

This text is an introductory piece.

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The Polabian and Pomeranian Slavs are by now almost completely assimilated by the German and Polish peoples. Of the numerous tribes that inhabited the vast territories of Polabya ​​in the 6th - 11th centuries AD, now only Lusatians (Federal Republic of Germany) and Kashubians (Polish Republic) associate themselves with the Slavs.

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From the end of the 5th - beginning of the 6th centuries AD, Slavic tribes who came from the east began to settle in the interfluve of the Sala (Zale), Laba (Elbe), Vodra (Oder), Spreva (Shpre) and Nysa (Neissa). Here they replaced the East Germanic tribes, who moved west around the 4th century AD. From about the 10th - 11th centuries, the German tribes began to return back, while encountering the Polabian Serbs. Gradually, in the course of a sharp struggle, the overwhelming majority of the Polabian Slavs were assimilated by the German ethnos. The process of assimilation began already in the 12th-13th centuries and has almost ended to this day. The number of people in Germany who consider themselves Lusatians is constantly declining. As for the Kashubians, they consider themselves an independent ethnic group, different from the Polish, but the number of Kashubians over the course of the 20th century did not increase, but decreased.

In the Middle Ages, the main tribes of the Polabian and Pomeranian Slavs were the Lusatian Serbs (Deleminians, Milchans, Glomachs, Dechans, Lusatians); encouraging (bodrichi, vagry, polaby, drevane); lyutichi (Vilts, Rotary, Dolechans, Chrezpenians, Khizhans); Pomeranians (Kashubians, Slovenes, taverns). Each of these groups consisted of smaller tribes that were not linked into an independent state association. The groups were independent of each other. The Polabian and Pomeranian Slavs were pagans. They worshiped Svyatovit, Triglav, Chernobog, Radigost, Zhiva, Yarovit. Temples and groves were dedicated to the gods. Until now, in the lands inhabited by Polabian and Pomeranian Slavs, evidence of pagan culture is found. One of them is the Zbruch idol, as well as the microjin runic stones. In 1168, on the island of Rügen (Ruyan), located in the Baltic Sea, the Danes destroyed the sanctuary of Svyatovit, Arkona, which was the end of Slavic paganism in Polabye.

Only danger sometimes forced the Polabian Slavs to unite for a while with each other or with other West Slavic tribes. In 623, Polabian Serbs, together with Czechs, Slovaks, Moravians, Black Croats, Dulebs and Horutans, united under the leadership of the merchant Samo to resist the Avars. In 789 and 791, together with the Czechs, the Polabian Serbs again oppose the Avar Khaganate, participating in the campaigns of Charlemagne.

In the 9th century, part of the Polabian Slavs submitted to the Germans, the other part became part of the Great Moravian state that arose in 818. Under the successors of Charlemagne, the Polabian tribes several times got out of Saxon power and again fell into dependence. In 928, the Polabian Slavs united to successfully resist the Saxon king Heinrich the Fowler, who seized the territory of the Polabian-Serbian tribe of the Glomachs and imposed tribute on the Lyutichs. However, under Otto I, the Lusatian Serbs were again completely enslaved by the Germans, and their lands were given into fief possession to knights and monasteries. The German feudal lords, appointing their petty princes in the Polabsky lands, pursued a policy of "divide and rule." Scattered Slavic tribes could not provide proper resistance to the conquerors, who gradually captured more and more new lands.

Pomeranian Slavs in VI-X centuries led a sedentary lifestyle, engaged in fishing, farming, salt production. At the turn of the 8th-9th centuries, they began to actively develop trade with Scandinavia and Slavic tribes living far from the Baltic Sea. In the 10th century, the eastern group of the Lechit tribes united (Mazovshans, Vishlians, Polyans, etc.), and in 960 they formed the Polish state. Mieszko I began the struggle for mastering the mouth of the Odra and access to the Baltic (Venedian) Sea. In the second half of the 10th century, Pomerania was annexed to Poland.

The main occupation of the Polabian and Baltic Slavs was agriculture. They sowed rye, wheat, oats, cultivated flax and hemp, were engaged in gardening and horticulture. There was a two - and three-field system of agriculture. Plow and plow were used. Cattle breeding was also developed, large and small cattle, pigs, horses were bred. Fishing played an important role. For fishing, light, mobile vessels were used.

Tools of labor testify to the high development of handicrafts. In addition to the plow and plow, there are harrows and sickles. The Slavs wove linen and cloth, were engaged in leather dressing and pottery. There were up to 20 types of crafts for the manufacture of weapons and military equipment: axes, swords, chain mail, helmets, etc. The production of products from bone and horn was developed. Salt deposits were developed in some places. High level reached the carpentry and building craft, as evidenced by the temples and public buildings wood and sandstone. The chronicler Titmar of Merseburg writes: “There is a certain city in the land of the Rotaries named Radigoshch ... The city has a temple skillfully built of wood, in which the supporting pillars are replaced by the horns of various animals. The walls ... from the outside are decorated with wonderful carvings depicting various gods and goddesses ... and inside there are handmade idols of gods, terrible in appearance, in full armor, in helmets and armor; each is carved with his name ".

Around the 10th century, Christianity spread among both the Pomeranian and Polabian Slavs. Among the Pomeranians, it spread along with the adoption of Christianity by Great Moravia, and then by Poland, among the Polabian Slavs - along with the spread of German (Saxon) power. The pagans at first show some resistance, but the planting of a new cult is carried out very aggressively, with the use of cruel measures in relation to the adherents of antiquity.

At the beginning of the 11th century (1018), Boleslav the Brave annexed Lusitia to Poland, but already in 1034 she again fell under the rule of the Germans. In the same period, for some time, the lands of the Pomeranians again acquire independence.

The position of the Slavs is aggravated by the fact that rich deposits of silver have been discovered in their lands. From the end of the 13th century, the German feudal lords resumed the consistent seizure of the lands of the Polabian and Pomeranian Slavs, accompanied by their Germanization. In the cities it is forbidden to speak the Slavic language, all office work is translated into German, schools are taught in German, and it is possible to engage in any privileged craft only if you speak German. Such conditions forced the Serbian population to learn the language and culture of the Germans. Slavic dialects are preserved almost exclusively in rural areas. The most active process of Germanization took place in the western lands of the Polabian Slavs. During the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), more than 50% of the Serbs died here, as a result of which the distribution area of ​​the Slavs in Germany was significantly reduced. For the longest time, the Slavic population with its own language and customs was held in the Duchy of Mecklenburg (until late XVII century) and in the Hanoverian Wendland (until the first half of the 18th century).

The population of Lower and Upper Lusatia was in different conditions. Their lands in the IX - early X centuries. were part of the Great Moravian state, and from 1373 to 1635 - part of the Czech kingdom. Traditionally, the German population was in the minority here, so the Serbian language was not banished from official use. The Hussite movement also contributed to the self-identification of the Serboluzhichans with the Slavic population and the growth of national self-consciousness. However, with the assertion of the power of the Habsburgs in the Czech Republic (since 1526) and with the transfer of Lusatia to the fief possession of the Saxon rulers (since 1635), the process of Germanization of the Lusatians intensified. In the course of geopolitical changes, Upper Lusatia with the main city of Budyshyn (German: Bautzen) became part of Saxony, Lower Lusatia with the main city of Kotebus (German: Kottbus) became part of Prussia. The uprisings that break out from time to time in the Lusatian lands do not lead to anything. However, in the second half of the 18th - 19th centuries, enlighteners showed great interest in the Lusatians, their culture and languages.

On April 1897, the "Serbian House" was founded in Budyshyn, which later housed the cultural organizations of the Lusatian Serbs, a museum, editorial offices, a printing house and a library. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the first Lusatian political organization "Village Electoral Society" (1910) was created, and in 1912 one of the most famous societies - "Domowina" ("Motherland"), whose activities were interrupted during the First World War, but since 1920 year resumed.

The Pomeranian Slavs were also subjected to consistent Germanization. At the beginning of the XIV century, the Teutonic Order was captured from the land and during the XIV - XVIII centuries a policy was pursued in them, according to which it was more profitable for the Slavs to recognize themselves as Germans and forget their original culture.

In 1466, East Pomerania was reunited with Poland, where the Kashubians and Slovenes lived. The further history of these peoples was connected with the history of Poland and the Commonwealth. According to the first and second partitions of Poland (1772, 1793), the lands of the Kashubians and Slovenes were ceded to Prussia. They were returned to Poland only under the Versailles Treaty of 1919. Despite a long forced Germanization, the Kashubians retained their culture. The Slovenes have lost their national identity, having completely merged with the German population.

Hence it follows that domestic politics The Polabian Slavs were characterized by frequent mutual strife, to some extent kindled and initiated by the Germans, the lack of constant, long-term coordination and organization. They never fully created their strong, centralized state, following the example of their neighbors, who adopted Christianity and established the central government of the Slavic and German peoples. This was one of the reasons for the defeat of the Polabian Slavs in the confrontation with the German feudal system.