Dragovit
Dragovit (Latin: Drogoviz; German: Dragowit; Polish: Drogowit; died in 810;[1]) was a pagan ruler (prince or chief) of the Veleti (Latin: rex Wiltorum; "king of the Wiltzes"). It is thought that Dragovit began his rule c. 740.[2]
Because of their constant hatred and hostility toward the Franks,[3] in the late 8th century, Frankish king Charlemagne organised campaigns against the Veleti, and fellow Slavic tribe of the Linonen. With the aid of Frisian, Obodrite,[a] Saxon and Sorbian[b] reinforcements, Charlemagne managed to cross the Elbe River, advancing toward the Havel River into Veleti territory. Outnumbered, Dragovit, in 789, was forced to pledge loyalty to the Franks and surrender hostages.[4] Among others, Dragovit was also forced to pay a tribute and accept the influence of Christian missionaries among his people.[5]
His capital was a fortification known as civitas Dragowiti (City of Dragovit). Its location is hypothesised to be either at Brandenburg an der Havel[6] or Demmin.[2]
Explanatory notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Kazimierz Wachowski, Gerard Labuda: Słowiańszczyzna zachodnia. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Poznańskiego Towarzystwa Przyjaciól Nauk, 2000, p. 67. ISBN 9788370632717. (in Polish)
- ^ a b "Slawenfürsten" (in German).
- ^ Schenker, Alexander M. (1901). An Introduction to Slavic Philology (PDF). New Haven and London: Yale University Press. p. 46. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-12. Retrieved 2010-07-30.
- ^ Riché, Pierre (1993). The Carolingians: A Family Who Forged Europe. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 110. ISBN 0812213424.
- ^ Oman, Sir Charles William Chadwick (1901). Dark Ages, 476-918 (Fourth ed.). London: Rivingtons. p. 360.
- ^ "Dragowit: Fürst der Wilzen" (in German). Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2010-07-30.
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