The ships were named after two brothers, Esbern Snare and archbishop Absalon who led the naval campaigns in the 12th century against the Wends, a group of pagan Slavs in northern Germany.
Wends |
The newly founded cities soon joined the Hanseatic League and formed the "Wendic Circle", with its centre at Lübeck, and the "Gotland-Livland Circle", with its main centre at Tallinn (Reval).
The original main building, Kilian Hall, is named for the Wend John Kilian, founder of the first Texas Lutheran church associated with the Missouri Synod and leader of a large group of Wends (also called Sorbs) who settled in the Serbin area.
The song is set to the tune of Where the Silvery Colorado Wends Its Way, by J. Aldrich Libbey.
He, nevertheless, continued his campaign with youthful ardour, even in his old age, till, after the conquest of Rügen, the Wends accepted Christianity.
In this post, he oversaw the foundations of new Premonstratensian communities in Havelberg, Jerichow, Quedlinburg and Pöhlde, serving in that post until 1154, when he was named the Bishop of Ratzeburg, the first since its destruction by the Wends in 1066.
In the 13th century collection of sagas, Heimskringla, Snorri Sturluson tells that Sweyn Forkbeard was captured in an attack on the Jomsvikings, and turned over to Burislav, king of Wendland.
Thus are in Brodersby (beyond the Schlei in Angeln) the remains of a castle and the Margarethenwalls; but in the middle of the 11th century were several very bloody battles with the Wends.
It is named after the River Morda, which, with the River Tanat, is one of the first major tributaries joining the River Severn as it wends its way from its birthplace on Plynlimon, mid-Wales, to the Bristol Channel.
Swein had sent his sister Tyri to marry the Wendish king Burislav, who had been father of Swein's first wife, Gunhild.
In order to win Astrid, the daughter of the Wendish chieftain Burislav, he promised to liberate the Wends of the tribute they had to pay to the Danes.