| Keywords |
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| ID |
4944 |
| Text |
Chronicon Polonorum (1190 - 1208) Vincent Kadłubek |
| Quotation |
Hii etiam transfinitimorum fines sue titulis uictorie asculpserunt; non solum enim cismaritimas undique nationes, set etiam Danomarchicas insulas sue coniecerant dicioni. Quarum non inualidas legiones prius naualibus fudere preliis, deinde intimis insularum precordiis infusi omnium sibi clientelam subiciunt, rege quoque ipsorum Canuto in uincula coniecto. Quibus duorum data est optio: uel uectigales perpetuo recognoscant pensiones, uel cum mulieribus indifferentes habitu comas muliebriter enutriant, argumentum scilicet imbecillitatis feminee. Illi dum altercantur de altero, utrumque suscipere coguntur...
Huius uero Canuti nepos auitam ulcisci uolens iniuriam in suos transtulit ultionem, quam ab hoste extorquere non potuit. Quia enim Daci cum Polonis deinde cum Bastariis male pugnauerant, ad ultionem segniciei capturi sompnum capita loco pedum ponere iussu regis coacti sunt et ministeria uxoribus, que uiris ante fieri solebant, facere, donec ignominiam bello acceptam delerent. |
| Translation |
Even areas beyond the furthest borders they engraved on the titles of their victory; for not only did they subject the peoples everywhere on this side of the sea to their dominion, but also the islands of Denmark. First they defeated their hardly unfearsome legions and routed them in naval battles, then having poured themselves into the very heart of the islands they subjected them all to themselves as a client state, and placed their king, one Cnut, in chains. To them an option was given: either to consent to payment of tribute in perpetuity, or else to be no different from women in their dress and to grow their hair out womanly, as proof of their womanly unwarlikeness. And while they were arguing over which option to take, they were forced to accept both...
The grandson of this Cnut, desirous of avenging this injury done to his grandfather, transferred the punishment which he could not extract from the enemy onto his own people. So when the Danes had fought badly first against the Poles and then against the Bastarni, as punishment for their worthlessness, were forced by order of the king to sleep with their heads in the place of their feet and for all the jobs which had previously been done by women to be done by men until they had wiped out this ignominy they had received in war.
(Trans.: Laura Gazzoli) |
| Quotation source |
i.2.3-6 (pp. 7-8) |
| Temporal Coverage |
-230 - -183 |
| Associated use case(s) |
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| Spatial Coverage Objects |
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| Comment |
The events referred to are thoroughly mythical and situated in a deep past whose temporal parameters are not clearly defined: however, the Danish king Svend Forkbeard (c. 985-1013), father of Cnut the Great (1014-1042) is said by Adam of Bremen to have been captured by Slavs twice (II.29), which may have provided some inspiration. The reference to the Daci and their conflict with the Bastarnae is lifted from Justin's Epitome of Trogus, where it is referred to in context of events between 230 and 183 BCE (the Bastarnae are first mentioned in 230 and it is situated in the life of Hannibal, who died in 183), however here the classical name Daci is transferred to the Danes. (Laura Gazzoli) |
