Widukind
Also known as Wittekind, Wittekind Herzog von Sachsen
Widukind, also known as Wittekind and Wittikund, was a leader of the Saxons and the chief opponent of the Frankish king Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars from 777 to 785. Charlemagne ultimately prevailed, organized Saxony as a Frankish province, massacred thousands of Saxon nobles, and ordered conversions of the pagan Saxons to Christianity. In later times, Widukind became a symbol of Saxon independence and a figure of legend. He is also venerated as a Blessed in the Catholic Church.
Person · Open Library
- Born
- ca. 925
- Died
- ca. 973.
- Works
- 11
Top works
- VVitichindi Saxonis rerum ab Henrico et Ottone I Impp. gestarum libri III
- Annalium libri tres
- VVitichindi Saxonis rervm ab Henrico et Ottone I impp. gestarum libri III
- Widukind Sächsische Geschichten
- Dei︠a︡nii︠a︡ saksov
via Open Library + Wikidata
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 204
- Total plays
- 884
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Recent publications · Crossref
5 total works indexed
~9 min read
Article
10 sectionsContents
- Life
- Legend
- Later perception
- Medieval
- In German nationalism
- Present
- Sainthood
- See also
- References
- External links
Widukind, also known as Wittekind and Wittikund, was a leader of the Saxons and the chief opponent of the Frankish king Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars from 777 to 785. Charlemagne ultimately prevailed, organized Saxony as a Frankish province, massacred thousands of Saxon nobles, and ordered conversions of the pagan Saxons to Christianity. In later times, Widukind became a symbol of Saxon independence and a figure of legend. He is also venerated as a Blessed in the Catholic Church.
==Life== Very little is known about Widukind's life. His name literally translates as "child of the forest". In the chronicles he is accompanied by Abbi who may have been a close relative. However, it is uncertain how they were related because all sources about him stem from his enemies, the Franks, who painted a negative picture representing him as an "insurgent" and a "traitor". While Widukind was considered the leader of the Saxon resistance by the Franks, his exact role in the military campaigns is unknown.