Albion (military leader)

Baptism of Widukind (and Albion) fresco from the 19th century

Albion (also Abbion, shortened to Abbio or Abbi) was an army leader of the Saxons living in the late 8th century and comrade in arms of Duke Widukind at the time of Charlemagne .

Albion is mentioned by the Franconian Reichsannals and their later revised version, the so-called Einhardsannalen , under the year 785. According to the more credible statements of the Einhardsannalen , Widukind and Albion had withdrawn northwards across the Elbe during the Saxon Wars of Charlemagne when Karl stopped off in Bardengau . The annals do not provide any information about the origins and previous military achievements of Albion. According to this source, Widukind and Albion were summoned to submission by Saxon mediators sent by the Frankish king. In order to allay the concerns of the two Saxon generals, Karl promised them impunity and the placement of hostages for their safety. As a result, a courtier of Charlemagne, Amalwin, handed the promised hostages over to Widukind and Albion. They were now ready to follow Amalwin to the Carolingian royal palace of Attigny ( France ), where Karl had meanwhile traveled. They were baptized as Christians there .

Albion was possibly related to Widukind. According to the Fragmentum Vindobonense he is said to have been Widukind's brother-in-law or son-in-law. Perhaps Albion was an ancestor of the Immedingers .

The legend that Albion was the progenitor of the house of Anhalt cannot be historically proven and is probably constructed.

literature

Walther Lammers : Abbio . In: Lexicon of the Middle Ages (LexMA). Volume 1, Artemis & Winkler, Munich / Zurich 1980, ISBN 3-7608-8901-8 , column 14 f.
Matthias Springer : Die Sachsen , Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2004 (Kohlhammer-Urban pocket books, vol. 598) ISBN 3-17-016588-7 , p. 194 f.

Individual evidence

^ Matthias Springer, Die Sachsen , p. 194.
↑ Walther Lammers : Abbio . In: Lexicon of the Middle Ages (LexMA). Volume 1, Artemis & Winkler, Munich / Zurich 1980, ISBN 3-7608-8901-8 , column 14 f.
^ Philipp Ernst Bertrams: History of the House and Principality of Anhalt . Halle (Saale) 1780, p. 233 ( books.google.de ).

personal data
SURNAME	Albion
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Abbion
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Army leader of the Saxons at the time of Charlemagne
DATE OF BIRTH	8th century
DATE OF DEATH	8th century or 9th century

[1] Matthias Springer, Die Sachsen , p. 194.

[2] Walther Lammers : Abbio . In: Lexicon of the Middle Ages (LexMA). Volume 1, Artemis & Winkler, Munich / Zurich 1980, ISBN 3-7608-8901-8 , column 14 f.

[3] Philipp Ernst Bertrams: History of the House and Principality of Anhalt . Halle (Saale) 1780, p. 233 ( books.google.de ).