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.
This brought about a lasting enmity between Christians and Pagans that lived in this region, these being the Polabian Slavs versus virtually everyone else at their borders. However, the enmity only served to strengthen the beliefs of both sides. The Wends (the German name for these Slavic tribes), were fiercely devoted to their gods. One of their foremost religious places was located on the Baltic Island of Rügen, where the major temple at Arkona was situated. Here was the major sacred site of the God Svantevit, a war deity revered for his ability to foretell victory in battle. Priests would bring its holy animal into the temple - a white horse. Based on the animal’s behavior, they could foretell the result of an ensuing battle. Needless to say, such religious sites were instrumental in strengthening Wendish resistance to forced Christianization, something their enemies long south to achieve.
Masters of Trade and Resources
In their homeland, the Wends enjoyed a wealth of resources, much to the jealousy of their neighbors. They were heavily involved in regional trade, and exchanged their goods with Scandinavians, Saxons, Germans, and other Slavs beyond their borders. Amber, furs, food, fish, livestock - all were in abundance amongst the Slavs, making them the true master traders. The Baltic region enjoyed a mild climate, which made it fertile and rich in a variety of resources. It is because of this that the Slavic tribes spread through this region so quickly in the first place - it was simply an ideal living place. The Germans to the West realized this a tad bit too late, and now wanted a piece of this wealth for their own use. And so, the Western Christian rulers, the disgruntled nobles and petty kings - they all sought to control these lucrative trade routes and bountiful landscapes. All that was in their way was an entire nation of Slavs.
With all this being said, the Wendish Slavs endured a complex relationship with their neighbors. There were lasting periods of peace, but these were often interrupted by raids and warfare, especially near the borders. German and Danish leaders sometimes sought to make alliances with Wendish leaders, offering protection and economic cooperation - in exchange for tribute or nominal acceptance of Christianity. Several Wendish leaders in history accepted this, accepting Christianity only to revert to their Pagan beliefs as soon as possible. So, we can understand that these alliances were often fragile, always plagued by mutual distrust and the staunch adherence of the Slavs to their pagan faith. In time, it became clear that the Germans sought to impose Christianity on the Slavs in order to subjugate and control them more easily, through the form of centralized government. Religious conversion was used by them as an opportunity to expand their influence further to the east. But as they kept refusing this, the Slavs were seen by the Danes and Germans as a major obstacle to their endless territorial ambitions.
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A Fell Descent Upon the Baltic Slavs
By the 12th century AD, the point of contention reached an alarming point. The whole of the Baltic frontier, beyond which lay the dominion of the Slavic tribes, became a focal point of Christian Europe’s ceaseless expansionist goals. When compared to the Holy Land, another of their major goals, the Baltic region was right there. The Holy Land was distant, it was a different land, and required major expenses and logistical efforts to even reach it. The lands of the Wends, however, were just “beyond the border”, or what was known as the Wendish March. And this meant that it lay virtually “on the doorstep” of German and Danish kingdoms, whose nobles were thirsty for wealth. And once we add to this the fact that the population of the Wendish lands was defiantly pagan, we have the ideal conditions for a Christian crusade.
And so it was that an idea for a Crusade against the pagan Wends quickly arose. Of course, the Church played a prominent role in organizing it, itself being ever so thirsty for new funds and more control. Soon, it framed the Baltic region as a new battlefield of Christendom. Pope Eugenius III issued a call for a Second Crusade in 1147 AD, which now included not only campaigns in the Holy Land, but also campaigns against the Pagans of Northern Europe - in this case the Polabian Slavs or Wends as they were called. And thus, came about the brutal Wendish Crusade, an all-out war against people whose only fault was their fertile land and their traditional faith. Motivated by greed, the need for control, and expansionism, the Catholic church, headed by German and Danish nobles, descended upon the Wends.
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