The Skaggs-Files

Events

Parents

Pedigree

1. Saxony, Hermann Billung
   1. Westerburg, Hildegardis von
      1. Saxony, Mathilde
      2. of Saxony, Bernhard Billung I
      3. von Sachsen, Luitger
      4. von Saxony, Wichman
      5. of Hereford, Imma
      6. Saxony, Bernard I (Benno) Billung
      7. of Saxony, Swanhilde

Ancestors

Source References

1. Michael Neuman: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=michaelrneuman&id=I001530 Neuman-Smith-Goodale Family and Ancestors
   1. • Source text:

        ID: I001530
        Name: Herman Billung , Duke Von Saxony
        Sex: M
        Birth: ABT 910 in Luneburg, Saxony, Germany
        Death: 27 MAR 973 in Luneburg, Saxony, Germany
        Note:
        The Christianizing of the Wends
        Henry the Fowler, we must remember, was a Saxon. Therefore the Saxon tribe of Germans which Charlemagne had subjugated and forced to accept Christianity, had now become the chief tribe of the German kingdom, stronger even then the Franks. These Saxons in their turn took up the vigorous work of spreading Christianity by force. While King Henry held his people back from attacking the Huns, he kept them practiced in arms by directing them against the Sclavic races which we now hear of for the first time as beginning to press upon the Germans from the east. The first of these Sclavs to encounter the heavy handed conversion of the Saxons were a people called the Wends, dwelling in what is now eastern Prussia.
        The Saxons marched against the Wends in several expeditions, the most noted being led by a fierce old chieftain called Herman Billung. Herman gave each captured Wend the choice of Christianity or death, and having no strong devotion to their own gods, they accepted a nominal Christianity. So completely was the power of the Wends broken that they continued to exist only as slaves of the Saxons. Indeed it was here that the word `sclav' began naturally to be used in its German and English sense as indicating a slave.

        CIAS Virtual Illustrated Chronology Tour of World History

         

        Father: Billung II, Count Von Saxony b: ABT 874 in Niederlahngau, Hesse, Thüringen, Saxony
        Mother: Alda Ferderunda b: ABT 878

        Marriage 1 Hildegarde Von Westerburg b: ABT 915 in Westerburg, Hessen Nassau, Prussia
        Children
        Mathilde Von Sachsen b: ABT 937 in Luneburg, Saxony, Germany
        Luitger Von Sachsen b: ABT 948 in Luneburg, Saxony, Germany
        Count Von Saxony Wichman b: ABT 950 in Luneburg, Saxony, Germany
        Abbess of Herford Imma b: ABT 952 in Luneburg, Saxony, Germany
        Bernard I Billung , Duke of Saxony b: ABT 954 in Luneburg, Saxony, Germany
        Schwanhilde Von Sachsen b: ABT 956 in Luneburg, Saxony, Germany

         

      • Citation:

        Descendants and ancestors of George Smith and Eva Goodale

        michaelneuman@earthlink.net