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Incursions
Wilzi
789. From Aachen a campaign was launched with the help of God into the land of the Slavs who are called Wilzi. On the advice of Franks and Saxons [Charlemagne] crossed the Rhine at Cologne, advanced through Saxony, reached the River Elbe, and had two bridges constructed, on one of which he built fortifications of wood and earth at both ends. From there he advanced further and by the gift of God subjected the Slavs to his authority. Both Franks and Saxons were with him in this army. In addition, the Frisians joined him by ship, on the River Havel, along with some Franks. He also had with him the Slavs called Sorbs and Abodrites, whose chieftain was Witzin.1
810. …the castle of Hohbuoki on the Elbe, with Odo, the emperor’s envoy, and a garrison of East Saxons, had been captured by the Wilzi…2
812. A campaign was carried out against the Wilzi, and hostages were received from them.3
839. Two expeditions were mounted: a Saxon one against the attacks of the Sorbs and Wilzi who had recently left several villae of the Saxon March in flames; and a combined Austrasian-Thuringian one against the rebellious Abodrites and the people called the Linones ... Meanwhile the Saxons fought a battle at Kesigesburg against those Sorbs who are called the Colodici and thanks to heavenly help won the victory. The Sorbian king Czimislav was killed and Kesigesburg and eleven forts were captured. Another king was hurriedly made amidst all these upheavals, and oaths were taken from him and hostages too, and much of their land was confiscated.4
[929. Henry I campaigns successfully against Hevelli, taking Brandenburg5; against Daleminzi, taking Gana; against Bohemians, taking Prague; also made Abodrites, Wilzi, and Redarii tributary; Redarii rebelled, taking Walsleben; Saxons respond by besieging Lenzen, a battle described in detail.]6
995. King Otto lay waste the Abodrites, and overthrew their burgs and fortresses. Boleslaw, son of Mieszko, brought him aid with a large army, and also the Bohemians came with the son of the other Boleslav. And the king took himself to Saxony with a vast army. … The Slavs lay waste to Saxony by frequent attack.7
997. The Slavs, with the treachery innate to them, broke the agreement of the peace that had been achieved and gnawed the Saxon borders with furtive robberies. Provoked against them, the emperor invaded with a large army, conquered, and pillaged Stodorania, which is commonly called Heneldum, a distinguished land among the Slavonic ones, and as a conqueror entered gloriously into Magdeburg, the preeminent burg of the Saxons. In the meantime however, while the august emperor, that is Otto III, passed through Hevaldum laying waste, the assembled Veletabi attacked unexpectedly the province of Bardengau with much plundering and burning. Seeing this, the Westphalians, whom the aforementioned emperor, proceeding on his campaign, had left to guard the province, swiftly and powerfully overtook the Liutizi and, although they were few, they laid low an innumerable multitude of pagans with such great slaughter and seized so much booty from them that the amount neither of that slaughter nor of the booty can in any way be set forth in human speech.8