The Medieval Elbe
Slavs and Germans on the Frontier

The Deeds of Wiprecht

Burning St. James


At another time, Wiprecht was thinking of taking revenge against certain men, whom he was preparing to attack secretly. Therefore, in the middle of the night, he came to a village called Lippendorf, where a certain miles, one of his own familiars, lived. He hid himself there all day. On the following night he came secretly to Zeitz with this same man. Having discovered that Ekelin and Hageno, men most hostile to him, were present there, he returned to his castle of Schwerzau as quickly as possible. He joined with his most select men, and falling upon Zeitz unexpectedly, seized it. He slew Ekelin with seventeen men. Hageno and the rest were forced to flee into the church of St. James. Since he could not in any way bring about by threats that they come out —oh, the pain!— fire was cruelly thrown in, and the church was burned down. Having thus been forced to exit, they were greatly deprived of the light of their eyes because they had fled for the refuge of the church. At last, Wiprecht returned home, not without great destruction to the region.

Analysis

This set-piece does double duty:  explaining Wiprecht's ultimate victory over Hageno, one of his opponents upon first arriving at Groitzsch, and relating how he burned down the church of St. James--in atonement for which, according to a separate section of the text, Wiprecht founded Pegau.  In its style and chronology it seem to have been composed indepedent of any other component of the Deeds, although when it was penned and by whom, or even the date of the events in question, remains uncertain.