We utterly forbid that for any reason whatsoever a truce should be made with these tribes, either for the sake of money, or for the sake of tribute, until such time as, by God‘s help, they shall be either converted or wiped out.

Pope Eugenius III

If you’re unfamiliar with the quote from Pope Eugenius III, it pertains to his sanctioning the First Baltic Crusade. The image I selected to go along with the quote is Wojciech Gerson’s (1831–1901 CE) work, “The Capture of the Wends, 1147 CE”, which shows the capture of the pagan Wends/ Western Slavs.

How many are even aware of the First Baltic Crusade, and that this was only part of a larger and longer effort in the “Northern Crusades”?

I offer this historical morsel, not in an effort to launch a “mission” for the blog… “to bash Christianity” for the methods used in suppressing paganism in Europe… but rather, to begin examining different stories pertaining to the expansion of Christianity throughout Europe… from the time of the Roman Emporer Constantine the Great (306-337) to the fall of the last pagan nation (Lithuania) in Europe in the 15th century.

With each blog post I write, I’ve been trying to find what I feel I can enthusiastically continue on a regular basis. Having been deep in early American studies for nearly four decades, I approach the history of the Christianization of Europe as a novice, but with a deep curiosity. Even before beginning this blog, I was exploring and discovering stories about which I’ve been completely unaware. So, I’m curious to see what is and is not historically sustainable through valid resources. Further, I’m equally puzzled by stories that have seemingly been suppressed, stories that have been fabricated, and interpreting the “whys” behind both. In this, I feel I’ve finally found the traction I needed to continue this blog.

Note, however, this will not be a chronological offering of facts. I will jump around. I may find something particularly intriguing about one event, and then, in the next post, jump hundreds of years to discuss another bit of history that caught my attention.

While I presented this teaser regarding Pope Eugenius III and the Wends, it’s just that. I’m sure, sometime along the way, I’ll discuss this further.

Let’s see where this goes…