Widowuto

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Widowuto banner and coat of arms after Simon Grunau. The coat of arms with animals as a shield holder is typical for the 16th century, but anachronistic in relation to the time around 550, when Widowuto is said to have lived.

Widowuto (Waidewut) was the first king of the Prussians after Simon Grunau who lacks any historical basis and originates from an invention of the humanistic historical speculation of the 16th century about the "origins" ( origo gentis ) of various peoples. In addition, the legend is not based on any local tradition.

history

The inventor of Widowuto is considered to be Erasmus Stella (1460–1521), who is known for his numerous eponyms , which he devised from Latin and pseudo-Latin names and which he partly tried to prove by means of forgeries.

Erasmus Stella wrote in his work De Borussiae antiquitatibus that the Borussii (= Prussians ) immigrated from the Rhipean Mountains to Zambia ( Samland ). They were attacked by the Alans at the time of Emperor Valentinian . After all, Alane Vidvutus was elected by the Borussians as their king, who gave the previously uncivilized people law and religion.

Stella probably came up with the name Vidvutus from the name of the Germanic people of the Vidivarii , mentioned by Jordanes , who lived at the mouth of the Vistula .

The story was recorded by an anonymous author who wrote a lost historical work in the early 16th century, which is called in the specialist literature Pseudo-Christian , Olivaer Chronik or Elbinger Monk Chronicle and which is tangible in various historical works, including Simon Grunau.

In this pseudo-Christian, Alane Vidvutus was made into a Gothic-Cimbrian leader from Scandinavia ( Scandia ), who came to the Vistula in 550 with his brother Bruteno and was elected king and gave laws to the uncivilized people. His brother Bruteno, however, gave them a religion and was elected Kirwaiden ( high priest). After him, the people then took the name Bruteni (= Prussia). The invention of the hero eponymos Bruteno was a widespread practice of the scholarly humanistic historiography of the time.

Widowuto with Simon Grunau

Simon Grunau used these older works uncritically and decorated them imaginatively. After Grunau, the Goths , expelled from Italy by Narses , moved to Germany and founded the city of Göttingen . Then they marched against the Danish king, who gave them the island of Cimbria , which has since been called Gotland . Widowuto and his brother Bruteno have moved to the Vistula with Cimbrian Goths and have given the uncivilized residents there law and religion. In 521 the Bruteni would have chosen Widowuto as king and Bruteno as Crywo Cyrwaito. Bruteno then founded the oak shrine Rickoyto. In 573, Widowuto was 115 at the time, Bruteno 132 years old, the land was divided among Widowuto's twelve sons, with their names becoming their respective country names. The two brothers would have sacrificed themselves on the puff of fire, whereupon both were adored. Bruteno seie as God Wurschayto (ev. "Elder" to. Apr . Urs "old") and his brother Widewuto as Szwaybrotto ( apr . Swais breads "his brother") was worshiped.

The entire history of Simon Grunau is described by modern research as a fantastic pseudo-historical novel that has little value for research:

“Grunau, whose education was not very great, is of very dubious value for historical research; especially when it comes to portraying the past, he does not take the truth seriously, is unreliable and careless. "

- Reinhold Trautmann : The Old Prussian Language Monuments (1910)

Special

In the opera Der Heidenkönig (1933) by Siegfried Wagner there is a King Waidewut.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael Brauer: The discovery of 'paganism' in Prussia ; Akademie Verlag, Berlin 2011. ISBN 978-3-05-005078-2 ; p. 218
  2. ↑ Michael Brauer: The discovery of 'paganism' in Prussia ; Akademie Verlag, Berlin 2011. ISBN 978-3-05-005078-2 ; p. 225
  3. ^ Walther Hubatsch: On the Old Prussian Chronicle of the 16th Century ; in: Archivalische Zeitschrift 50/51 , 1955, p. 429-462
  4. ^ Udo Arnold: Studies on Prussian Historiography of the 16th Century ; Bonn 1967

literature

  • Simon Grunau's Prussian Chronicle , ed. by M. Perlbach , R. Philippi and P. Wagner. Vol. 1–3, Leipzig 1876-1896. (The Prussian historians of the 16th and 17th centuries 1-3)
  • Max Töppen : History of Prussian Historiography by P. v. Dusburg except for K. Schütz, or: Documentation and criticism of the printed and unprinted chronicles on the history of Prussia under the rule of the German Order ; Berlin 1853 (Repr. Walluf near Wiesbaden 1973)
  • Joachim Schoenborn: Life story and historiography of Erasmus Stella. A contribution to the history of learned counterfeiting in the 16th century . GH Nolte, Düsseldorf 1938; plus dissertation, University of Königsberg ( review in the annual report for German history )
  • Michael Brauer: The discovery of 'paganism' in Prussia ; Akademie Verlag, Berlin 2011. ISBN 978-3-05-005078-2