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The Early Intercourse of the Franks and Danes. Part II

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2009

Henry H. Howorth Esq
Affiliation:
Fellow of the Royal Historical Society

Extract

There is a passage in one of the Frankish annals which has not received the attention which it deserves, and which I believe throws a great deal of light on the history of the Danish revolutions of the early part of the ninth century. This chronicle was written in verse by a Low Saxon monk some time during the reign of Arnulph, who died in 899. Under the year 807 we read that a Norman chief named Alfdeni, accompanied by a great following, submitted to Charlemagne, and made a perpetual pact with him (Pertz, 1, 263). This notice I consider is very important. It is quite clear, from what we know of Norse modes of thought and habits, that this was no plebeian, but some distinguished chief. It is further clear that no Danish chief would put his head under the yoke of the Frank empire except under compulsion. That such a one should have willingly and freely subjected himself to the mighty Kaizer Charles is incredible; nor, again, is it to be supposed that a statement like this, in which an uncommon name is mentioned by the Saxon poet, was an invention of his own. The only alternative that remains is the view I would urge, namely, that he was a fugitive and an outcast. If a fugitive, he was in all probability escaping from the dominant chief of Denmark at this time, namely, Godfred.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1878

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References

page 7 note * Depping, 1, 67, 68.

page 7 note † Altfridi vita sancti Liudgeri, 2, 3, &c., Depping, 68, note.

page 9 note * Einhardt, ann. 815.

page 10 note * , Einhardt, sub ann. 820Google Scholar .

page 10 note † Depping, 1, 76.

page 13 note * “Annales Xantenses,” sub anno 826 in Depping.

page 14 note * Palgrave, 1, 258.

page 15 note * Palgrave, 1, 257. See also the long note in Langebek's life of St. Anscharius, Lang. Rer. Dan. Scrip., 1, 439.