Obotrites
Sign in to saveThe Obotrites (, Abodritorum, Abodritos) or Obodrites, also spelled Abodrites (), were a confederation of medieval West Slavic tribes within the territory of modern Mecklenburg and Holstein in northern Germany (see Polabian Slavs). For decades, they were allies of Charlemagne in his wars against the Germanic Saxons and the Slavic Veleti. The Obotrites under Prince Thrasco defeated the Saxons in the Battle of Bornhöved (798). The still-Pagan Saxons were dispersed by the emperor, and the part of their former land in Holstein north of Elbe was awarded to the Obotrites in 804, as a reward for thei
Key facts
- Former country.religion
- , the known major cults: Prove in Stargard, Wagria Podaga in Plön, Wagria Zhiva according to Helmold Svarozhich/Radegast according to Helmold folk polytheism of minor cults Chernobog according to Helmold Saxon paganism Chalcedonian Christianity
- Former country.common_languages
- Polabian, Old Saxon
- Former country.today
- Germany
- Former country.conventional_long_name
- Obotritic confederation
- Former country.common_name
- Obotrites
- Former country.status
- Independent confederation of Polabian Slavic tribes
- Former country.year_start
- 8th century
- Former country.event_start
- Formed
- Former country.year_end
- 1167
- Former country.event_end
- Accepted Saxon suzerainty
- Former country.p1
- Polabian Slavs
- Former country.p2
- Nordalbingia
- Former country.p3
- Billung March
- Former country.s1
- Holy Roman Empire
- Former country.s2
- Principality of Mecklenburg∟Principality of Mecklenburg
- Former country.s3
- Duchy of Saxony∟Duchy of Saxony
- Former country.s4
- Kingdom of Denmark (Middle Ages)Kingdom of Denmark
- Former country.image_flag
- 110px
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Obotritic confederation
- List of Obotrite leaders
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Literature
- External links
The Obotrites (, Abodritorum, Abodritos) or Obodrites, also spelled Abodrites (), were a confederation of medieval West Slavic tribes within the territory of modern Mecklenburg and Holstein in northern Germany (see Polabian Slavs). For decades, they were allies of Charlemagne in his wars against the Germanic Saxons and the Slavic Veleti. The Obotrites under Prince Thrasco defeated the Saxons in the Battle of Bornhöved (798). The still-Pagan Saxons were dispersed by the emperor, and the part of their former land in Holstein north of Elbe was awarded to the Obotrites in 804, as a reward for their victory. This however was soon reverted through an invasion of the Danes. The Obotrite regnal style was abolished in 1167, when Pribislav was restored to power by Duke Henry the Lion, as Prince of Mecklenburg, thereby founding the Germanized House of Mecklenburg.
==Etymology== The ethnonym Obotrites (≈ Abodrites) is commonly traced to the Slavic root *bodr- ('cheerful, lively, brave; vigorous; alert'; cf. Bulg. бодър, Rus. бодрый, Pol. bodry [arch.], OCS бодръ). In this interpretation, Bodriči (≈ Obodrity) would signify 'the spirited/brave ones', with o- as a common Slavic prefix and -it- / -ič- serving as an ethnonymic formation.