Widukind

Widukind or Wittekind (born about 730; died about 807) was a Saxon leader, alderman of Saxony and head gainstander of Charles the Great through the Saxon Wars. He was the son of the Westphalish leader Warnechin and of Gunilda of Rügen. He wed Geva of Westfold (born about 770, died 800), daughter of the Danish king Goimo I and sister of the Danish kings Ragnar and Siegfried.

Widukind was the flitting might in the struggles of the Saxons for their selflawing and abideness of their beliefs handed down. Frankish writs of the Saxon Wars give only little hint anent his being. After Charles the Great overcame the Saxons in 777, Widukind found haven with his wife's kin in Denmark. When Charles went to Spain in 778, Widukind came back and brought the uprising back to life, and the Saxons raided Frankish lands. Sundry more times Widukind had to flee, and in time Charles quelled the Saxons and laid on ghastful soreteaching at the Bloody Finding of Verden where 4,500 kinelders were said to be beheaded (newer knowledge qualms these tellings; see the writ about the Verden Finding for further reading.)

The bitter struggles entangled Wends and Frish as well and went on until Charles won in overreding Widukind to take in Christianhood. Widukind was forewashed in 785 along with many of his folk. The Pope batched an overall merrymaking of thanksgiving. Widukind took no share in further Saxon Wars. He soon became one of the known men of tales and in time kythed as a holy man and the builder of many churches. He is believed to have been buried at Enger near Herford around 808. However, the great grave in the church of Enger is not from the nineth hundredyear, and so it is qualmful if the body inside is in truth that of Widukind.

By folklore Widukind rode a black horse before his forewashing and a white horse afterwards. The black horse is shown in the kinshield of the hundred of Herford, while his white horse is shown on the flags of the North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony shires of Germany.

Widukind is also a Dutch brotherhood in Nijmegen which was founded in 1945.