Chapter 1178: Archbishop Odgar of Mainz, Houthakulf of Thuringia and the Grand Canon of St. Martin's Cathedral
Compared to the Roman-era cathedral in Trier, the church in Mainz had an unfortunate fate.
After being looted and burned five hundred years ago, the building collapsed on a large scale, with only the stone base and some broken walls remaining.
The ancient barbarians had become civilized people. They were baptized as Christians and built a new church on the ruins, the so-called Saint Martin's Cathedral.
Still during the Merovingian era, Saint Martin funded the reconstruction of a new church in Mainz. In addition to the rock base, it was built with a large amount of wood. It lacked the thickness of Roman rock architecture and had a lower construction cost.
Compared to Worms upstream, Mainz may be more suitable to be the seat of the bishop's church. However, with such a cathedral that was clearly built in a hurry, the regional archbishop was not willing to move the seat of the church here.
But the Archbishop himself was already stationed here, or he himself was now forced to be at the mercy of Ludwig.
Because, if he is not willing, the position of archbishop will be deprived of him immediately.
The Norman longship suddenly arrived in Mainz. What does this have to do with Ortega?
Until Father Conrad of Nassau Abbey suddenly visited with caution, this visit was really an unexpected surprise.
Odega summoned this low-ranking monk with a very high standard. What is a high standard? He lit up the small room with dim oil lamps in his private office, and sent out all the people to wait for the two to talk face to face.
After a brief ceremonial greeting, Odega had to make some soul-searching questions.
"The Normans are here again. What are they here for? Who are they?"
Conrad answered simply: "Still a Russian stationed in Nassau."
"The leader is still Joseph (referring to Blue Fox)."
"It's his brother, Paul."
"Paul? So, can this Paul be a good person? From what I understand, these Russians have all had their minds corrupted by the devil, even you! You! You did not educate them, and you are also guilty."
Odgar had a solemn face and used very harsh words. If his status had not prevented him from committing the crime of "wrath", he would have pointed his finger at Conrad's nose and cursed.
[To be honest, I’ve been using @ lately
All because of the extremely special status of this Archbishop of Mainz (Worms).
The "Imperialists" were a loose alliance of nobles in the Frankish territory. They supported Lothair as the sole king, opposed the three-part empire treaty established by the previous king, and advocated using war to wipe out other princes and their influence.
If Lothair wanted to kill his two brothers and nephew Pepin, the imperial faction was responsible for the instigation.
For example, Count Metz, of course, had to encourage his monarch to resort to violence and cruelty. Only in this way could Metz have the opportunity to obtain greater privileges after the civil war and restore the power of the former principality.
Some local archbishops were forced to choose sides, and Odegaard took Lothair's side. However, the entire diocese was simply occupied by Duke Ludwig of Bavaria.
In order to avoid being exiled, he betrayed his position and surrendered to Ludwig, thus retaining his position as archbishop.
His life experience was quite complicated. When he was young, he traveled around the empire, served in many monasteries and churches, and had a good relationship with the late King Louis the Pious. Incidentally, he also had a good relationship with the Prince Lothair.
In fact, Odegaard was the baptizer of the defeated Danish King Horik who was made a "roast pig" by Rurik as a sacrifice to Odin on Hanukkah (Christmas) at the end of 840.
Therefore, when he surrendered to Ludwig, he met the five or six Danish mercenaries who were still alive at that time, and their leader, the expelled King Harald Clark.
Horik, who knew that the seizure of Durist Port had made Count Baudouin of Flanders feel uncomfortable, also learned that this man had first been ordered by Ludwig to go to Denmark to become king. He also learned of this man's rebellion and surrendered for the second time.
In the end, he was found to have been killed.
When Horik was deliberately made into a roast pig by the newly born Kingdom of Rus, Joseph Blue Fox, a Rusian, was involved.
A group of Russian troops from that war have now transformed into the Nassau garrison, and now...these people killed Lothair's 800 standing army again?!
Although they were all in the city of Mainz, Archbishop Odegaard did not receive the "Fox Brothers" who visited this city last year. He only knew that after the King of the East, Duke Ludwig of Bavaria lost his Danish mercenary group, he clearly immediately
Get new Norman mercenaries with stronger strength.
Taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, in this private place surrounded by no one, he deliberately asked Conrad a fatal question...
No, he checked the surroundings again and made sure that all the priests were resting in the dormitory. Then he returned to the secret room and asked: "Is it really them? Is it really Ludwig who asked them to attack Trier?"
When asked like this, Conrad also knew its fatality.
"Are you afraid? Don't be afraid, just say it. Just answer, yes or no."
Conrad did not seem to continue to be unscrupulous. He said with a serious face: "Yes. Everything is a conspiracy, and even the king is the conspirator."
As if a sword had been stabbed in his chest, Odega held his heart in his hands and endured the pain to regain his composure. He was covered in cold sweat and his lips were trembling.
"I...what else can I say? The war between nobles has given up all face and souls. Do I...should I continue to blame the Normans? Some nobles are also deceived by the devil."
Odegaard was very interested in the outside world, and was especially curious about the homeland of the Normans. What about the Danes? His knowledge was still limited to twenty years ago, but he did not know that the northern world had been turned upside down in those twenty years.
The information Conrad could explain was limited and distorted, but he described the Norman military power very appropriately. It is said that almost instantly, the always powerful Ross army arrived in Coblenz, and the Frankish army committed the crime of malicious arson.
He was killed and beheaded by the powerful Russian army, and then the Russian army disappeared overnight.
Such a description shocked Odgar to the point where he never stopped sweating, so much so that the interview ended passively with the old guy about to collapse.
Well, this time the Russians stationed in Nassau brought a lot of heads and arrived at Mainz at this critical moment when the war was about to begin. The heads were flattering, and they came to ask for a fight.
After all, Odega is not a devout person who can only worship God. To put it crudely, as the saying goes, the butt determines the head. Naturally, his current archbishop must wear a gold-plated and silver-plated bishop.
The high hat is a good servant of God. If he is really deprived of his position, he will continue to be loyal to Lothair and show himself as a military noble when he appears again.
It is not impossible to command the army to kill people on the battlefield. Now you cannot show your hypocrisy to others. In the current situation, you must show extreme piety and have no concern for the military or the nobles' struggle for power.
How can these thoughts be decided by him? It's just wishful thinking.
Like a puppet on a string, the dignified archbishop must comply with Ludwig's requirements except for normal religious matters. He has even been grounded and cannot leave the cathedral without permission.
On one side there is a secret meeting in the cathedral, and on the other side there is a secret meeting in the palace.
The archbishop gained a deeper understanding of the Norman Rus, but of course it was only from ignorance to a little knowledge.
Ludwig and the Russians have a new conspiracy, which is actually a win-win deal on a high platform.
In fact, for Ludwig, he would make the most money once the conspiracy succeeded.
In order to complete the conspiracy, the prerequisites must be fulfilled. The next morning, the noble Duke of Bavaria broke into the St. Martin's Cathedral in the city with a high profile.
He didn't even take off the exquisite Ross dagger hanging on his waist. Firstly, he really felt that the sword was too exquisite, and secondly, it was also a spiritual victory. You must know that the sword that originally belonged to Rurik, King of Ross, was hanging on his body.
The Battle of Beihe cannot be won, so it is even more necessary to show off the Norman sword that he claims to have "captured" in order to regain his face...
It can be said that he had this mentality when he shouted at the Black Fox and the Ross garrison in Nassau.
As for Archbishop Odegaard, Ludwig did not have any psychological burden. He was a complete winner for this man.
Facing the intruding Ludwig, Odega only dared to remind him in a low voice: "Honorable Duke of Bavaria, this is a holy place. Please take off your weapons and put on your robes..."
"Forget it." Ludwig interrupted the Archbishop arrogantly.
Odgar took three steps back, his head raised and he didn't dare to say anything.
"Why are you afraid of me? You! You don't even want to call me the King of the East. That's all." Ludwig did not lose his domineering attitude, and directly approached the archbishop and looked down at this noble servant of God.
"King...what do you...come here for? Could it be that you want to repent?"
"Repent? Oh, I will repent. I will repent after the army that killed my eldest brother. However, a grand ceremony will be held in the cathedral soon. I am here for no other reason than to consecrate two nobles in the mission hall.
.And you must serve as a witness."
"Okay! Okay... May I ask the king, who is the new noble?"
"That's a good question. Of course it's the Russians who personally sent ships and troops."
Ortega now sweats like a psycho every time he hears "Ross". Listening to what Ludwig said, he instantly thought of last year's conspiracy. But he couldn't reveal a word, and he couldn't let anyone know what he knew.
.Especially now, he estimated that Ludwig had reached some kind of bloody conspiracy with the Russians, and only the devil knew what the conspiracy was.
However, it is understandable that the archbishop was present to witness the sacred ceremony of canonizing nobles.
He accepted the task, but was surprised by Ludwig's eagerness.
"The ceremony is going to be held tonight?"
"Without further delay, tonight! Even if it's a little crude."
From Ludwig's point of view, he wished that the fast-sailing Russians would set off immediately and destroy the key stone bridge in Sarabrücken and burn the granaries in a short time, thereby cutting off the retreat of his elder brother's army.
Greatly improve your severe situation.
So he had prepared a guide overnight, so to speak, to point out the direction of the Ross army stationed in Nassau during the attack.
Now, Thuringian Hortakulf himself easily crossed the Rhine River in a Norman longboat this morning. This was a rather fantastic feeling in his life. He could look at the world from a Norman perspective.
The city of Mainz with its thick stone walls.
He even disrespectfully chatted with his soldiers in Thuringian dialect and a lot of slang: "If we were Normans, we would land directly in a boat like this, plunder and leave. Haha,
But we are not Normans."
After saying this, many armored warriors laughed loudly, making the people rowing the boat confused.
The Thuringians do not speak Frankish, but the local Germanic dialect. However, the two languages have great similarities and can communicate with each other without any barriers. If the Thuringian side speaks some slang, then there will be no hope of conversation.
.
Because the Principality of Thuringia was annexed by Frank through war, it was forced to surrender after a certain amount of human losses. The old nobles were killed, and the newly canonized nobles were rewarded with "counts of the border", so-called margraves...
Thuringia has had its own ideas since ancient times. They have to guard against the invasion of the Franks and the invasion of the Saxons. The biggest threat is the wave of waves of Slavic tribes immigrants from the east.
The Sorbs and other Slavic tribes were conquered by the Frankish army. These people became slaves. They sent many troops in the war two years ago but were completely wiped out. There is no explanation for the catastrophic losses, but Ludwig demanded a tribute of
Neither can be less.
The Thuringian princes who were authorized to tax naturally had to resort to plunder. The Frankish Civil War was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Even though he had a certain degree of Frankish ancestry, Thakurf was now completely on Thuringia's side. He deliberately stood still and deliberately attacked the slaves.
The clans took advantage of and plundered, all in order to stabilize the existing strength and wait for opportunities to expand.
However, the very real problem is that Thuringia has had limited strength since ancient times.
Thakurf organized a thousand men to respond, most of them infantry. Did they send out troops? Yes. Why only a thousand men? Answer: Thuringia is weak. Why only a small number of cavalry? Doesn't this violate Charlemagne's regulations?
Answer, Thuringia is weak.
He sent troops, but did not cut off the body to aid. He was very knowledgeable about the international situation. The Duke of Saxony made peace and formed an alliance with the more powerful Normans. A big threat suddenly appeared in the north of Thuringia.
The failure of the Great War in 840 meant that Ludwig's control over the entire north could not be said to be under control, it could only be said to exist in name only.
He needs to think about it: If I didn't appear extremely enthusiastic, what else could he do to me?
With the help of Norman ships, the Thuringian army almost completely crossed the river in just one morning, leaving only a small amount of baggage.
Just as Ludwig complained to Black Fox yesterday, the Thuringian army deliberately did not bring a large amount of supplies. The people arrived, a thousand people, no more, no less, and a thousand mouths just waiting for the king to deliver food.
He even realized why Ludwig paid attention to the group of Normans in Nassau? "Isn't it just to show off to me that you have new mercenaries? Since you value them, you value that Harald Clark.
Just let your new favorite take care of the matter. Anyway, if someone dies, it won’t be me who loses.”
Therefore, the Margrave of Thuringia clearly landed with a generous attitude. He entered the city to meet with the king. When he heard Ludwig's strange and difficult things, he put on a smile and pretended to listen attentively, but he murmured: "You are a bastard."
fool".
However, the Margrave of Thuringia was aware of Ludwig's love for the Nassau Rus, and was still surprised by his plan to publicly ennoble the great nobles.
How could a small Nassau, a small village chief in the Land River Valley, and a mere baron become the ruler of the entire Leiingau? How come Coblenz also belongs to them? Is the news reliable? Doesn't Ludwig not want to occupy it himself?
That strategic fortress area in Koblenz?
Yes, Ludwig wanted to use the power of the Russians to leverage their strength.
The so-called possession of Coblenz is equivalent to dancing naked in front of Lothair and the imperial nobles. It is a real strategic threat, and it is also extremely insulting. Since the Russians are fierce, let this group
The northerners and those nobles have been fighting for a long time, and the death of the people is not their own loss anyway...
Therefore, Ludwig thought he was smarter and should give these Normans greater benefits, so that they would be reluctant to part with what they had gained now, and would fight Lothair to keep their wealth and status.
By the way, it is also the Marquis of Thuringia who shows off what royal power is.
What else could he do? Takulf was willing to go to the cathedral to see the grand ceremony of the canonization ceremony, and by the way, to see what kind of "Norman chief" was loved so much by the king.
Until he saw that "a fat pig full of bristles" was about to be canonized
Baron of Wiesbaden.
To be fair, Black Fox is just a big fat guy, and he cannot lose weight passively unless he goes through a complex and difficult experience like his second brother Blue Fox.
He specially put on a special robe according to the rules of the Franks. It was a robe that was a combination of Frankish national costumes and a modified Roman Empire toga. Finally, he tied his waist with a belt as much as possible. Unfortunately, the more he tied his waist, the more ridiculous he looked.
He and his wife Sofia both wore these distinctive robes, and Sofia was even more beautifully dressed. Both of them hung sterling silver crosses on their chests. This is an extraordinary accessory that stands out because it is very large, declaring the owner's identity.
Noble.
On the other hand, Ludwig, wearing a military uniform and a golden crown, tried his best to show his nobility.
The Ross steel sword still hangs on his waist, but when it comes to the actual canonization, he uses his real sword - a broad-bladed Frankish iron sword inlaid with rubies and lapis lazuli.
Archbishop Odegaard led all the clergy and the guest Father Conrad as witnesses.
As for the nobility, only two great nobles were present to watch the ceremony, namely Thuringia Marquis Thakurf and Count Bobo of Upper Main (Bamberg).
Completely different from his elder brother, Ludwig did not have a large number of feudal nobles in the eastern and northern regions of the empire. Firstly, these areas had been conquered by military forces in the past hundred years. Secondly, the large armies that opened up territories had long been conquered.
A great military aristocrat is in control, and this great aristocrat does not need vassals from all over the country to send troops to support him.
The current Ludwig is such a great nobleman. His control of the north has been a failure. Fortunately, legally the nobles who once rebelled are still loyal to him. As for the control of Bavaria and Austria, he behaves more like a
King of the East.
More and more Bavarian troops passed through the territory of the Count of Upper Main, taking advantage of the shipping and riverside access of the Main River and finally gathered in Mainz. Ludwig used his heavy cavalry at the bottom of the box, recruited a large number of recruits, and formed a large number of troops.
The flag corps was under his direct command.
Count Bobo of Upper Main was a man who made great achievements. His merit lay not in killing the enemy, but in clearing the communication lines so that the Bavarian army could reach Mainz smoothly. So much so that Ludwig did not want this in the future battlefield.
The count suffered losses.
The Marquis of Thuringia is different. This guy probably needs to be whipped before his army is willing to join the battle and fight desperately. He can only fight with the wind. He does not have the ability to fight bloody battles. He must have the ability to loot and it is very big. After all, he is on a conquest.
Ludwig was aware of what the Slavic tribes were doing.
No, the big fat Black Fox and the petite Sophia both knelt down. Ludwig held his sword and touched their shoulders and heads to congratulate them, and deliberately narrated a declaration like a shout.
"Conning! Sophia Heinrich Nassau, Count of Nassau-Koblenz-Leingau!"
"Canonize! Paul Black Fox Gouldson as Baron Wiesbaden!"
Ludwig also made a major declaration: "The Robert family defected and all their titles were abolished. Wiesbaden returned to Leingau, and Leingau remained unchanged! Sophia was the first countess of Leingau, the eldest son of Sophia and Paul.
He will be the next Count of Laingau."
Such a declaration was enough to cause an uproar in the aristocratic circle. A woman became an earl and a Norman became a baron.
Although the expelled King of Denmark was loyal to Ludwig, he was still uncertain about his life and death but could not get a title. This "Norman fat pig" named Paul also became the Baron of Wiesbaden? And his son ruled the three places.
Earl of.
The Count of Upper Main felt calm, while the Marquis of Thuringia stared in disbelief.
But this is the fact. Ludwig repeated the declaration three times, and it was obvious that he would not make any changes.