The Book of Emperors: A Translation of the Middle High German Kaiserchronik

LI. Conrad II

362 sins, and the crooked in body and those who are lame are healed. Saint Henry, save us in body and soul! LI Conrad II A descendant of Otto I, Conrad II (r. 1027–1039) founded the Salian or Franconian dynasty. He solidified imperial power in Germany and northern Italy, although frequent revolts by the German nobility hindered him. King Stephen I ruled Hungary as a contemporary of Conrad I. According to most accounts he wanted peaceful relations with the German Empire, but Conrad attempted to invade Hungary, where his forces were defeated by those of Stephen. The Liutzen were a loose federation of Slavic tribes frequently at war with the Empire. the princes of the Empire mourned Henry with great devotion. They met in council and elected one Conrad. Then many great conflicts broke out—lord against lord and land against land with plundering and burning. There was a bishop of Augsburg named Bruno, who was in a feud with Welf. As a result of the violence they stirred up, the land lay in ruins. Widows and orphans came close to starving to death, but then God had mercy on the people. One of those lords was sitting at the table— the book gives us proof of that—when suddenly his eyesight left him. The feud ended with him never being able to see anything again. How well God avenged his own! King Stephen of Hungary had badly injured the Empire, which made the princes very angry. They reported this to King Conrad, who ordered an expedition to march to Hungary. All through Austria, Bavaria, and Swabia, the princes were eager to join the march. Hai! How willingly they served him! Conrad II 363 King Stephen ordered his Hungarian warriors forward, and he spoke to them. “Now listen, old and young. I have heard it told, and it is true, that my forefathers ravaged the land on the other side of the Rhine. Should we be so cowardly now that our enemies think they want to invade us? And are we unable to defend ourselves against them? Whoever helps me preserve my honor today I will be glad to reward forever. Wherever God sends him, he goes with my love.” King Conrad withdrew with one of his men from his assembled forces and walked to a cliff from which he could see the Hungarians riding towards them. At that point, the Hungarians numbered one hundred and eight thousand men. The king hurried back from his lookout place to his troops, and the princes rushed to meet him. “At dawn, yesterday,” he began, “I dreamed that King Stephen intended to sail against me in a huge ship, but when he wanted to speak to me his ship sank to the bottom. Then a black dog came and swallowed up his men, but I don’t know what all that means.” All the princes spoke up. “We will interpret that dream for you. The Hungarians will see a miserable end today. They are all condemned to death unless they are able to run away from us. Their land shall burn, and no building in it shall be left standing. The dream shall come true today as it spells their doom.” The armies streamed together with many a warrior from each Empire . They did not fight equally well, however. The Bavarians succeeded with their spear thrusts in breaking through the enemy ranks. King Stephen barely escaped with very few of his men. He recovered at Rammerswert1 — but what misery reigned among the Huns! The cries of the poor wounded and dying began to soften King Conrad’s heart, and he ordered the great slaughter to cease and no more booty to be taken from those wretched dogs. Then he turned and headed back to the Souwe. Now the books tell us that while the king was on his expedition, the ferocious heathens were doing him great harm at home. Our Lord let it come to pass that the heathens took by stealth a castle called Wirbina. They hanged all the Christians they found there from a gallows, keeping the 1. A fortified outpost on or in the Danube. 364 worthiest among them to take back home with them as hostages. Then they set fire to the castle. King Conrad exacted vengeance for this. Our Lord gave him the power to do so. He rode to the Liutzen, where he wrought...