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XLVI. Henry I
- West Virginia University Press
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350 XLVI Henry I Henry I (r. as German king 919–936) was duke of the Saxons, who had frequently opposed German kings and emperors since Charlemagne’s day. Henry himself had been an adversary of Conrad I, who surprised the other princes by asking that Henry be his successor because of his talents and the possibility of uniting Saxon interests with those of other Germans. His interest in falconry led to his being called Henry the Fowler. Contrary to our author’s account below of a consecration in Rome, Henry desired to stay free of unwelcome influence by the church and declined to have himself consecrated by the pope, remaining content with the title of German king and not Roman emperor. Henry was careful to undertake military campaigns only when he had a good idea how they would end. He bribed the Hungarians with tribute into a ten-year truce from 923 to 933. When it expired he defeated them in two major battles. He also won victories against Danes and Slavs, leaving the empire considerably stronger than it had been under Conrad. the princes lost no time in assembling for a council. With one voice they praised Henry, saying that this lord was true and reliable, descended as he was from such a trustworthy house. They comforted themselves with these thoughts, but they barely won him over. In fact, they had to exert pressure on him to induce him to take over the Empire. Hai! How long he was opposed to accepting their offer! The Huns found out that a new king had been raised. They agreed they would give him a fine reception by riding through Bavaria, Swabia, Alsace, and Lorraine, setting them all ablaze. Duke Burchart fought against the Hungarians on Frankish soil, where the duke was killed and Henry I 351 his men fled. The Huns ravished and burned the land, putting the Christians to shame. Christendom could no longer bear doubts about the outcome of this conflict, and all Christians called upon God. His messenger appeared as Archbishop Heriger, who dispelled Christendom’s fears. King Henry was fighting the Normans, and, using great force, he compelled them to accept baptism. It seemed to Christendom that this was taking a long time. King Henry was made aware that the Hungarians were riding over his lands, their armies bringing destruction to his border territories. Day and night he hastened to make preparations for an expedition—Hai! How little he rested! Princes arrived who raised the complaint that churches were being burned down from land to land! The bishop proclaimed a summons to arms, and there was no man good for anything who could ignore that. While the princes sat deciding what to do, the Hungarians invaded the land of the Sorbs, where the king and his army were camped. Very early one morning the princes were eager to take action, and the king gave orders to charge the Hungarians in their defensive positions. The Hungarians lost all their confidence and might. They were unable to raise a hand, and the Christians began killing them. That was a sure sign that it was Our Lord who was making them almost unable to move. Neither shields nor spears, hauberks nor helmets could do them any good. They lay about benumbed , and very few of them escaped. The Christians sang praises to God. All the princes joined in telling King Henry that he should journey to Rome to the [graves of] the two holy apostles [Peter and Paul]. Following the advice of the princes, he did so, and the pope consecrated him as emperor, to give relief to widows and orphans and to protect Christendom . The ferocious Bohemians did not want to cease their attacks and committed serious crimes against the king, to which he put an end with God’s help. He rode into the land of Bohemia—they could not resist him there—and he ordered the heads struck off many of the Bohemian princes, so that the rest of them were fearful of him forever more. Indeed, Henry judged his people severely but wisely. He held the Empire—the book tells us as a fact—for exactly seventeen years and one month. The princes sorely lamented his passing. ...