631:
47:
514:
240:
737:
592:, and appointed counts, both Saxon and Frank. The laws were severe on religious issues, namely the native paganism of the Saxons. This stirred a renewal of the old conflict. That year, in autumn, Widukind returned and led a revolt that resulted in many assaults on the church. The Saxons invaded the area of the
683:
The war that had lasted so many years was at length ended by their acceding to the terms offered by the King; which were renunciation of their national religious customs and the worship of devils, acceptance of the sacraments of the
Christian faith and religion, and union with the Franks to form one
670:
Saxons, killing 2,800–4,000 of them. The last insurrection of the
Engrian people occurred in 804, more than thirty years after Charlemagne's first campaign against them. This time, the most unruly tribe of them all, the Nordalbingians, found themselves effectively disempowered to rebel. Charlemagne
618:, some historians have stated the massacre did not happen, or that it was actually a battle, but according to Alessandro Barbero, none of these claims are credible. The action led to two straight years of constant warfare (783–785), with Charlemagne wintering in central Saxony, at
755:
which asserted, "If any one of the race of the Saxons hereafter concealed among them shall have wished to hide himself unbaptized, and shall have scorned to come to baptism and shall have wished to remain a pagan, let him be punished by death."
626:
to
Charlemagne. It was with the conclusion of this war that Charlemagne could have claimed to have conquered Saxony, and the land had peace for the next seven years, though revolts continued sporadically until 804.
492:
before the Saxons knew he left Italy) for the third time in 776, when a rebellion destroyed his fortress at
Eresburg. The Saxons were once again brought to heel, though Widukind fled to the
430:
for the first war waged by
Charlemagne against the Saxons. It began with a Frankish invasion of Saxon territory and the subjugation of the Engrians and destruction of their sacred symbol
979:
454:
River and destroyed several major Saxon strongholds. After negotiating with some Saxon nobles and obtaining hostages, Charlemagne turned his attention to his war against the
748:
praises terror as a means of conversion: "What the contrary mind and perverse soul refuse to do with persuasion, / Let them leap to accomplish when compelled by fear."
410:. Despite repeated setbacks, the Saxons resisted steadfastly, returning to raid Charlemagne's domains as soon as he turned his attention elsewhere. Their main leader,
304:
545:
practices or disrespecting the king's peace. His severe and uncompromising position, which earned him the title "butcher of Saxons", caused his close adviser
334:
974:
647:. The Eastphalians and Nordalbingians joined them in 793, but the insurrection did not catch on as previous ones and was completely put down by 794.
576:. He himself assisted in several mass baptisms (780). He then returned to Italy, and there was no Saxon revolt. From 780 to 782, the land had peace.
984:
688:
Towards the end of the wars, Charlemagne had begun to place more emphasis on reconciliation. In 797, he eased the special laws, and in 802, Saxon
940:
König, Daniel G.. Charlemagne's Jihad
Revisited. Debating the Islamic Contribution to an Epochal Change in the History of Christianization, in:
881:
840:
297:
751:
One of
Charlemagne's famed capitularies outlined part of the religious intent of his interactions with the Saxons. In 785, he issued the
752:
650:
An
Engrian rebellion followed closely in 796, but Charlemagne's personal presence and the presence of loyal Christian Saxons and
1034:
1004:
999:
830:
290:
1024:
964:
959:
622:. Gradually, the Franks gained the upper hand. The turning point came in 785, when Widukind had himself baptized and swore
506:
655:
339:
500:. In 777, he called a national diet at Paderborn to integrate Saxony fully into the Frankish kingdom. Many Saxons were
442:. Irminsul may have been a hollow tree trunk, presumably representing the pillar supporting the skies — similar to the
31:
477:, and crossed Engria, where he defeated the Saxons again. Finally, in Eastphalia, he defeated them, and their leader
1029:
568:
In summer 779, Charlemagne again went into Saxony and conquered
Eastphalia, Engria, and Westphalia. At a diet near
768:
485:. All of Saxony except Nordalbingia was under his control, but the recalcitrant Saxons would not submit for long.
663:
736:
643:
In 792, the
Westphalians rose up against their masters in response to forcible recruitment for wars against the
473:
Charlemagne's second campaign came in the year 775. Then he marched through Westphalia, conquering the fort of
1019:
1014:
1009:
994:
554:
493:
450:
and apparently a common belief among the Germanic peoples. Charlemagne's campaign led all the way to the
812:
609:
386:
The Saxons were divided into four subgroups in four regions. Nearest to the ancient Frankish kingdom of
259:
855:
Mary Garrison, "The Emergence of Carolingian Latin Literature and the Court of Charlemagne (780–814),"
630:
989:
860:
969:
928:
601:
324:
826:
773:
538:
329:
147:
46:
481:
converted to Christianity. He returned through Westphalia, leaving encampments at Sigiburg and
414:, was a resilient and resourceful opponent, but eventually was defeated and baptized (in 785).
877:
836:
542:
497:
376:
865:
Quod mens laeva vetat suadendo animusque sinister, / Hoc saltim cupiant implere timore coacti
935:
788:
513:
443:
364:
239:
222:
212:
202:
192:
942:
478:
783:
644:
115:
895:
745:
651:
546:
76:
953:
876:
Munro, Dana Carleton (Trans.) (2004). Selections from the Laws of Charles the Great.
711:
589:
565:'s word should be spread not by the sword but by persuasion; but the wars continued.
919:
905:
722:) that secured the conversion of the Saxon people. The last Saxon uprising was the
699:
667:
526:
522:
407:
380:
124:
719:
367:
was defeated. In all, 18 campaigns were fought, primarily in what is now northern
694:
614:
585:
569:
427:
356:
186:
707:
689:
395:
391:
360:
355:
were the campaigns and insurrections of the thirty-three years from 772, when
119:
72:
600:
and firmly in Charlemagne's empire. Widukind won over a Frankish army at the
724:
447:
435:
387:
152:
84:
521:
The chief purpose of the diet was to bring Saxony closer to Christianity.
17:
672:
659:
597:
488:
After warring in Italy, he returned very rapidly to Saxony (making it to
482:
474:
463:
455:
439:
431:
423:
411:
234:
168:
533:, were recruited to carry out this task. Charlemagne issued a number of
915:
703:
676:
530:
501:
403:
368:
778:
715:
623:
619:
593:
534:
399:
372:
163:
80:
675:
and gave their now vacant lands to the loyal king of the Obotrites.
612:, ordered the beheading of 4,500 Saxons who had rebelled. Upon this
816:
record battles in the years 772–780, 782–785, 793–799, 802 and 804.
735:
629:
605:
573:
558:
550:
512:
489:
467:
459:
451:
679:, Charlemagne's biographer, said on the closing of the conflict:
363:
with the intent to conquer, to 804, when the last rebellion of
286:
740:
Charlemagne fighting the Saxons, from a 13th century miniature
608:. It was in response to this setback that Charlemagne, at the
562:
572:, he divided the land into missionary districts and Frankish
422:
In mid-January 772, the sacking and burning of the church of
282:
470:
region. Armed confrontations continued unabated for years.
402:(or Engern), and north of the three, at the base of the
371:. They resulted in the incorporation of Saxony into the
584:
Charlemagne returned in 782 to Saxony and instituted a
466:, continued to resist and raided Frankish lands in the
810:(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), p. 179. The
744:
Alluding to the Saxons, the contemporary poet of the
517:
Charlemagne and the Saxons, A. de Neuville, c. 1869
537:designed to break Saxon resistance and to inflict
634:Conversion of the Saxons, A. de Neuville, c. 1869
900:Germany in the Early Middle Ages 800–1056
698:. This was accompanied by the establishment of
39:
835:. University of California Press. p. 46.
596:, a Germanic tribe already converted by Saint
857:Carolingian Culture: Emulation and Innovation
298:
8:
980:Military history of the Carolingian Empire
604:while Charles was campaigning against the
398:. In between the two kingdoms was that of
305:
291:
283:
36:
654:immediately crushed it. In the battle of
375:realm and their forcible conversion from
100:Conversion of the Saxons to Christianity
799:
728:, which occurred between 841 and 845.
27:Campaigns and insurrections of 772–804
7:
918:, translated by Samuel Epes Turner.
832:Charlemagne: father of a continent
496:. Charlemagne built a new camp at
51:Frankish expansion from 481 to 814
25:
975:History of North Rhine-Westphalia
462:; but Saxon free tenants, led by
127:given to the Obotrite Confederacy
808:Charlemagne's Practice of Empire
753:Capitulatio de partibus Saxoniae
238:
45:
985:Wars involving Germanic peoples
930:The Longevity of the Saxon Wars
426:by a Saxon expedition was the
1:
507:Carmen de conversione Saxonum
662:allies of Charlemagne under
191:Chamberlain Adalgisile
910:The Dark Ages 476–918
671:deported 10,000 of them to
32:Saxon Wars (disambiguation)
1051:
902:. New York: Longman, 1991.
806:Jennifer R. Davis (2015),
211:Count Palatine Worad
29:
863:(Cambridge, 1994), 133.:
320:
265:2,800–4,000 killed in 798
246:
177:
138:
77:Polabian Slav territories
55:
44:
946:3 (2016), p. 3-40.
921:The Life of Charlemagne
561:, to urge leniency, as
510:celebrates this event.
1035:Wars involving Francia
1005:8th century in Germany
1000:8th century in Francia
741:
702:structures (including
686:
635:
518:
274:10,000 deported in 804
178:Commanders and leaders
1025:Persecution of Pagans
965:9th-century conflicts
960:8th-century conflicts
813:Royal Frankish Annals
769:Frisian–Frankish wars
739:
681:
633:
610:Blood court of Verden
516:
271:1,600 deported in 798
268:7,070 deported in 795
247:Casualties and losses
221:Count Theodoric
201:Constable Geilo
861:Rosamond McKitterick
692:was codified as the
541:on anyone observing
153:Obotrite Confederacy
30:For other uses, see
827:Barbero, Alessandro
394:, and farthest was
116:Frankish annexation
927:McGrath, Freddie.
774:Massacre of Verden
742:
636:
539:capital punishment
519:
148:Carolingian Empire
1030:Germanic paganism
924:. New York, 1880.
882:978-1-4179-6511-3
842:978-0-520-23943-2
438:in 772 or 773 at
377:Germanic paganism
348:
347:
281:
280:
134:
133:
96:Frankish victory
16:(Redirected from
1042:
936:Leeds University
884:
874:
868:
853:
847:
846:
823:
817:
804:
789:Germanic peoples
732:Religious nature
602:Battle of SĂĽntel
555:Marmoutier Abbey
315:
307:
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284:
242:
227:
217:
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57:
56:
49:
37:
21:
1050:
1049:
1045:
1044:
1043:
1041:
1040:
1039:
950:
949:
943:Medieval Worlds
912:. London, 1914.
896:Reuter, Timothy
892:
887:
875:
871:
854:
850:
843:
825:
824:
820:
805:
801:
797:
784:Duchy of Saxony
765:
759:
734:
641:
582:
420:
406:peninsula, was
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87:
50:
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1048:
1046:
1038:
1037:
1032:
1027:
1022:
1020:800s conflicts
1017:
1015:780s conflicts
1012:
1010:770s conflicts
1007:
1002:
997:
995:790s conflicts
992:
987:
982:
977:
972:
967:
962:
952:
951:
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885:
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786:
781:
776:
771:
764:
761:
746:Paderborn Epic
733:
730:
706:in Paderborn,
640:
637:
581:
578:
547:Alcuin of York
419:
416:
359:first entered
346:
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26:
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14:
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10:
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3:
2:
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917:
914:
911:
907:
906:Oman, Charles
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766:
762:
760:
757:
754:
749:
747:
738:
731:
729:
727:
726:
721:
718:, Verden and
717:
713:
709:
705:
701:
697:
696:
691:
685:
680:
678:
674:
669:
668:Nordalbingian
666:defeated the
665:
661:
657:
653:
648:
646:
638:
632:
628:
625:
621:
617:
616:
611:
607:
603:
599:
595:
591:
590:Lex Frisionum
587:
579:
577:
575:
571:
566:
564:
560:
556:
552:
548:
544:
540:
536:
532:
528:
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509:
508:
503:
499:
495:
491:
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484:
480:
476:
471:
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461:
457:
453:
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425:
417:
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401:
397:
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384:
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308:
303:
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78:
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67:
66:
62:
59:
58:
54:
48:
43:
38:
33:
19:
941:
929:
920:
909:
899:
872:
864:
856:
851:
831:
821:
811:
807:
802:
758:
750:
743:
723:
700:ecclesiastic
693:
687:
682:
658:in 798, the
649:
642:
613:
583:
580:Middle phase
567:
527:Anglo-Saxons
523:Missionaries
520:
505:
487:
472:
458:in northern
421:
408:Nordalbingia
385:
381:Christianity
352:
350:
224:
214:
204:
194:
139:Belligerents
125:Nordalbingia
95:
990:Charlemagne
695:Lex Saxonum
639:Final phase
615:Blutgericht
586:code of law
570:Lippspringe
428:casus belli
418:First phase
357:Charlemagne
187:Charlemagne
107:Territorial
970:Old Saxony
954:Categories
795:References
704:bishoprics
690:common law
574:countships
396:Eastphalia
392:Westphalia
353:Saxon Wars
314:Saxon Wars
40:Saxon Wars
18:Saxon wars
725:Stellinga
720:OsnabrĂĽck
656:Bornhöved
525:, mainly
498:Karlstadt
448:Yggdrasil
436:Paderborn
388:Austrasia
365:tribesmen
340:Bornhöved
85:Austrasia
829:(2004).
763:See also
673:Neustria
660:Obotrite
598:Boniface
549:, later
502:baptised
483:Eresburg
475:Sigiburg
464:Widukind
456:Lombards
440:Eresburg
432:Irminsul
424:Deventer
412:Widukind
373:Frankish
260:executed
235:Widukind
169:Frisians
68:Location
916:Einhard
890:Sources
708:MĂĽnster
684:people.
677:Einhard
664:Thrasco
543:heathen
535:decrees
531:England
404:Jutland
369:Germany
252:Unknown
225:†
215:†
205:†
195:†
109:changes
63:772–804
880:
859:, ed.
839:
779:Saxony
716:Minden
712:Bremen
624:fealty
620:Minden
594:Chatti
588:, the
504:. The
444:Nordic
400:Engria
361:Saxony
330:Verden
325:SĂĽntel
262:in 782
258:4,500
237:
164:Saxons
120:Saxony
92:Result
81:Frisia
73:Saxony
652:Slavs
645:Avars
606:Sorbs
559:Tours
551:abbot
529:from
494:Danes
490:Lippe
479:Hessi
468:Rhine
460:Italy
452:Weser
446:tree
434:near
878:ISBN
837:ISBN
390:was
351:The
335:Elbe
60:Date
934:at
563:God
553:of
379:to
118:of
956::
908:.
898:.
714:,
710:,
557:,
383:.
83:,
79:,
75:,
932:.
867:.
845:.
306:e
299:t
292:v
34:.
20:)
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