De bello Nadrowitaru.
The Turning of Nadrowia
Following the submission of other Prussian tribes, the Teutonic brothers turn their arms against the Nadrowians, and through grace many nobles, led by Tirsko of Wilow, abandon their idols and embrace the living God.
And through the conversion of many from the aforementioned land. In the year of our Lord 1274, the Pogesanians, Warmians, Nattangians, Bartians, and Sambians returned to the unity of holy Mother Church. After giving the required pledge through hostages that they would never again attempt such detestable things but would humbly obey the faith and the authority of the brothers, the master and the brothers—zealous to extend the boundaries of Christians—prepared their weapons of war against the Nadrowian people.12 After Tirsko, father of Maudelonisg, castellan of Wilow—mentioned above—submitted himself and all who adhered to him to the faith and to the brothers, three of them having done so, many powerful and noble men came from Nadrowia to the brothers. Having abandoned their idols, they served the living God, Jesus Christ.34567
Read the original Latin
et conversione plurium de dicta terra. Anno domini mcclxxiiii, reversis ad sancte matris ecclesie unitatem Pogesanis, Warmiensibus, Nattangis, Barthis et Sambitis, factaque caucione debita per obsides, quod nequaquam de cetero tarn detestabilia attemptarentf, sed fidei et fratrum imperio humiliter obedirent, magister et fratres soliciti ad dilatandum terminos Cristianorum, contra gentem Nadrowitarum arma bellica paraverunt. Postquam igitur Tirsko pater Maudelonisg castellanus de Wilow, de quo superiush est premissum, se cum omnibus sibi adherentibus fidei et fra tribus subdidisset, plures deNadrowia viri potentes et nobiles venerunt ad fra relictis ydolis, servierunt deo vivo Jesu Cristo.
Notes
- 1 ↩The manuscript reads 'tarn' where 'tam' ('so') is clearly intended; the translation follows the corrected reading.
- 2 ↩The manuscript reads 'attemptarentf' where 'attemptarent' ('they would attempt') is intended; the final -f is treated as a scribal error.
- 3 ↩The form 'superiush' is uncertain; the translation follows the most plausible reading ('above').
- 4 ↩The form 'Maudelonisg' is uncertain and left untranslated.
- 5 ↩'fra' is an abbreviated form of 'fratribus/fratres' (brothers); expanded in translation.
- 6 ↩'deNadrowia' is a scribal fusion of 'de Nadrowia'; normalized in translation.
- 7 ↩The phrase 'fidei et fra tribus' is ambiguous: it may mean 'to the faith and to the brothers' (i.e., the Teutonic Knights) or carry a more specific institutional sense. The translation follows the most natural reading.
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