Stories from scientists about the island of Rügen. A fabulous holiday - the island of Rügen. Geographical location and climate

In ancient times, on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, on the territory of modern Germany, lived the Slavs - the Ruyans or Rugs. There are many names left here indicating this: Rostock, Lübeck, Schwerin (Zwerin), Dresden (Drozdyany), Leipzig (Lipsk) and this is not all of them. The island of Rügen, in the Baltic Sea, in northeastern Germany, is known, without a doubt, to everyone who is interested in the early history and pagan religion of the Slavs. The place is legendary, mystical.

After all, it was here, at the northernmost point of the island, that the legendary Arkona fortress was located. High on a chalk cliff, on a steep cliff, protected on three sides by the sea, and on the fourth, by a huge rampart, impregnable to the enemy, the capital of the most powerful tribe of the Western Slavs.

The ancient Slavs always used the features of natural landscapes to defend their cities, but the location of Arkona is so ingenious and incredible that it allowed this small principality to maintain its independence and religion, while being in a constant state of war with its neighbors, which were largely superior in numbers and military power - the Catholic Polish state, Imperial Germany and the Danish Vikings. And not only to defend against numerous enemies. Possessing a powerful fleet, the Ruyans controlled most of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea for a long time.

Enormous wealth accumulated in the fortress, partly being conquered in military campaigns, partly being presented as tribute and sacrifice to the idol of the god Svyatovit by all other Slavic tribes. After all, Arkona was also the religious capital of all the pagan Slavic tribes of that time. Priests with gifts to the deity came not only from the entire Baltic coast, modern eastern Germany and Poland, but also from Moravia. The memory of this place is also preserved in Russian legends.

Vsevolod Ivanov "Rainbow over Arkona"

In ancient Russian legends, this is Buyan Island in the Okiyan Sea, where the white-flammable Stone-Alatyr lies, the ancient Pradub is vast and mighty, it pierces the seven heavens and supports the center of the universe. Arkona - Yarkon - ardent - fiery white horse - a symbol of the grace of the God of light.

Ilya Glazunov "The Island of Rügen. The priest and the sacred horse of Svyatovit"

The temple in the settlement of Arkona on the island of Ruyan was the main shrine of the Western Slavs, it was the largest cult center and the last bastion of Western Slavic paganism, resisting the influence of Christianity. According to the general belief of the Baltic Slavs, the Arkonian god gave the most famous victories, the most accurate prophecies. Therefore, Slavs from all sides of Pomerania flocked here for sacrifices and fortune telling. At the temple there was kept the sacred horse Svyatovit, white in color with a long, never trimmed mane and tail. Only the priest of Svyatovit could feed and mount this horse, on which, according to beliefs, Svyatovit himself fought against his enemies. They used this horse to tell fortunes before the start of the war. The servants stuck three pairs of spears in front of the temple at a certain distance from each other, and a third spear was tied across each pair. The priest, having said a solemn prayer, led the horse by the bridle from the vestibule of the temple and led it to the crossed spears. If a horse stepped through all the spears first with its right foot and then with its left, this was considered a happy omen. If the horse stepped with its left foot first, then the trip was canceled. Three pairs of copies possibly symbolically reflected the will of the heavenly, earthly and underground gods during fortune telling.

Vsevolod Ivanov "Svyatovit Temple in Arkon"

The sanctuary was located on the top of the cape, the main square was protected from the sea by steep cliffs, and from the island by a double semi-ring system of ditches and ramparts (generally characteristic of Slavic sanctuaries), and on the central square there was a wooden temple, surrounded by a palisade with a large gate to the courtyard. Inside the sanctuary stood an idol of Svyatovit. According to the 12th century chronicler Saxo Grammar, this idol was taller than a man with one body and four heads at the cardinal points, sitting on four necks separated from each other. The four heads apparently symbolized the god's power over the four cardinal directions (as in the four winds) and the four seasons of time, that is, the cosmic god of space-time (similar to the Roman Janus).

Idol of Svyatovit installed in Arkona by Polish pagans in the 90s

In his right hand, Svyatovit held a horn, filled annually with wine, and his left hand rested on his side. The horn symbolized the god's power over productivity and fertility, that is, as the god of vital and plant power. The clothes went down to the knees. Near the idol lay a huge sword, with a scabbard and hilt trimmed with silver and exquisite carvings. As well as a saddle, bridle and many other objects, and the temple itself was decorated with the horns of various animals.

Alphonse Mucha "Feast of Sventovit"

The temple had extensive estates that provided it with income; duties were collected in its favor from merchants trading in Arkona and from industrialists who caught herring off the island of Ruyan. A third of the spoils of war were brought to him, all the jewelry, gold, silver and pearls obtained in the war. Therefore, there were chests filled with jewelry in the temple. And Arkona itself was surrounded by several more villages. The sacred city of Arkona was in those distant times the forge of martial arts of the European North. The ancient history of the Polabian Slavs brings to us the memory that there was a special type of military service at temples. These temple warriors were originally called knights.

When, after an incessant four-hundred-year struggle with the Frankish, German, and Danish baptists, the peoples of the Baltic Slavs, one after another, were enslaved, Arkona became the last free Slavic city that honored its native gods. And it remained so until its destruction in 1168. In 1168, on June 15, the Danish king Valdemar I, by cunning and cunning, managed to break into the Ruyan fortress.

1169 Militant Christians led by Bishop Absalon destroy the statue of the god Svyatovit in Arkon.

The invaders plundered, desecrated and then burned this temple. By the will of King Valdemar, a Christian temple was erected on the site of the Svyatovit Church.

Church in Altenkirchen, the oldest church in Rügen (built around 1200)
Its decoration uses individual elements of Slavic pagan temples destroyed by the baptists:

Bowl from the Temple of Svyatovit, now it is a baptismal bowl in Altenkirchen

Cult Slavic stone built into the wall inside the church.

Part of the apse of the church / Krina (symbol of fertility) embedded in the masonry of the wall

Slavic ritual bowl with Kolovrat found in Arkona.

One of the old typical houses of Alterkirchen

The 19th century historian Hilferding wrote the following about the northwestern Slavs: “Just as people who have suffered all sorts of hardships and troubles in their lifetime and have been hardened in struggle become prone to perseverance, so are the Baltic Slavs; there was hardly a more stubborn people in the world. Of all the peoples of Europe They alone laid down their lives for their antiquity, for their old pagan way of life: stubborn defense of antiquity, this is the first characteristic of all these advanced Slavic tribes, Vagrs, Bodrichs, Lutichs...”

As Danish chronicles testify, King Jaromir of Rujan became a vassal of the Danish king. The conversion of the Ruyans to Christianity dates back to this period.

In East Slavic folklore one can also trace a number of plots and characters of the Arkon cult:

A white heroic war horse in epics and fairy tales, bringing good luck and victory to its owner and at the same time possessing the properties of an oracle-soothsayer;

The heroic “sword-treasurer” mentioned in fairy tales;

A magic bridle (of Svyatovit’s horse), which has the properties of retaining evil spirits;

A horseshoe (a conventional symbol of Svyatovit’s horse), nailed to the doors “for luck” and to scare away evil spirits;

The character of a white horse (sometimes a horse's head on a stick) in the Christmas ritual of Kolyada;

Yuletide fortune-telling by rural girls about their upcoming marriage by means of a white horse stepping over the shafts;

An image of a carved horse's head on the roof of a dwelling, a ridge.

A few words about the island itself. Rügen is the largest island in Germany. It is located in the Baltic Sea, very close to the border of Germany and Poland, and despite its relatively small size (only 926.4 km 2), it has a coastline of an amazing length - a whopping 574 km. Rügen is very beautiful and diverse and is one of the favorite holiday destinations for German residents. Types of the island:

In 1308, an earthquake occurred in the Baltic, after which most of the island and a good half of Arkona sank to the seabed. In 1325, the last prince of Ruyan, Wisław III, died, and 80 years later the last woman who spoke Slavic died on Rügen. The Baltic Slavic Wendish ethnic group ceased to exist, many believe so, but even now, almost in the very center of the long-Germanized land, you can hear ancient Slavic speech.

Slavic jewelry found by German archaeologists in Arkona

mound and dolmens on Rügen

At the moment, instead of the ancient fortress, there are two lighthouses. The first was built in 1826, and the second, younger, in 1902. After all, Svyatovit is the God of Light!

I dream of the ancient Arkona, the Slavic temple,
The horizons are burning, there is an hour of thunder.
I see the ghost of Svetovit between the clouds,
Around him is the holy retinue of the Native Gods.

He is on a horse - and knows too well the delight of the chase,
Oh, that white horse is chasing whirlwinds of lightning.
He threw the scarlet Arkona, the fog of the veils,
And clings to the untouched womb, to the steppes of heaven.

He forgot the sacredness of the red sworn walls
For the fresh joy of unclear betrayals, betrayals.
And the horn of wine was thrown to them in the temple, and the bow was thrown,
And with it a thunderous sound rushes through the heavens.

The Slavic world is on fire, the soul is burning.
To what enchantments are you leading us, God of Light?

Konstantin Balmont

The island of Rügen is located on the southern coast of the Baltic (Varangian) Sea. Rügen has been inhabited since approximately 4000 BC. In the 7th century, a powerful Slavic tribe - Ruyans (Rugieris) or Rugi (Rugii), having founded here on the coast of Pomerania, a Slavic principality that became a political and commercial center (Ralwick harbor) of the Varangian Sea on the trade route from Gotland, and a well-fortified religious center on Cape Arkona.

Slavic coastal settlements, located in large numbers on all river trade routes, were of great importance in trade on the Baltic (Varangian) Sea. Many Scandinavian merchants lived permanently in some of the large market centers of the Western Slavs.

Nowadays, large areas of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea belong to Germany, and it stores many Slavic place names - Rostock, Lubeck, Schwerin (Zwerin), Leipzig (Lipsk), Berlin - (“den” - lair of the bear). .

“An island lies on the sea,
There is a city on the island..."
A.S. Pushkin.

An ancient Russian legend about the wondrous island has been preserved: “There on the sea-Okiyan, on the island of Buyan, the white-key stone Alatyr lies... The ancient ancestral tree, vast and powerful, stands, pierces the seven heavens, Iriy props up.”“Iriy is Paradise in the seventh heaven, and alatyr is amber!

On the island of Ruyan, on a high 40-meter cape facing east, archaeologists discovered the temple city-state of the Russians - Arkona - Yarkon - an ardent horse - the sunny white horse of Svyatovit.

Arkona - lies on the top of the high white coast of the island of Rügen, and is washed on three sides by the waters of the Baltic Sea. The ancient settlement-sanctuary of Arkona now occupies an area of ​​90 meters from east to west, and 160 meters from north to south, although archaeologists suggest that the size of the sanctuary was three times larger.

On the northern slope of the mountain in the Arkona sanctuary there is Holy spring and there is a path leading to it.

“The other island is located opposite Viltsev (Lyutich). They own it wound, the bravest Slavic tribe. ...Rane, others call ruans, are cruel tribes that live in the heart of the sea and are beyond measure devoted to idolatry. They take precedence among all Slavic peoples, have a king and a famous sanctuary. Therefore, thanks to the special veneration of this sanctuary, they enjoy the greatest respect and, putting a yoke on many, they themselves do not experience anyone’s yoke, being inaccessible, because their places are difficult to get to.”- Adam of Bremen, “Acts of the Bishops of the Hamburg Church” (“Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum”)

Archaeological excavations of the Arkona sanctuary were carried out in 1921, 1930, 1969 -1971. In the vicinity of the Arkona settlement there are 14 settlements and a large burial mound resembling burial mounds of northwestern Rus'.

According to archeology, the Rans (Ruyans) had extensive trade ties with Scandinavia and the Baltic states, and also waged wars with their neighbors, defending their territory. Trade in Arkona was carried out from the 8th century to the 10th century.

Archaeologists have discovered two main settlements on the island of Rügen:
(1) The harbor at Ralswick on the island of Rügen was a trading center from the 8th to the 10th centuries. Archaeologists found in the harbor twenty (20) houses, with adjacent sections of the Baltic Sea coast, and convenient piers for merchant ships. The inhabitants, Scandinavians and Slavs, were engaged in various crafts and traded with foreign merchants. Outside the city limits on a hill, more than 400 mounds were found, the burial places of the Scandinavians and Slavs were similar.

(2) The Arkona Sanctuary is a pagan temple and fortress of Rugov (Rugieris). The Arkon sanctuary was located on the top of a cape, protected from the sea by a steep cliff, and from the land by a double semi-ring of embankments and ditches with water. The sanctuary was guarded by 300 Rug warriors. In the center of the Arkon sanctuary there was an ancient temple, surrounded by a log palisade with a large gate. Only the high priest of the god Svyatovit could enter the temple. .

Encyclopedic Dictionary of F. A. Brockhaus and I. A. Efron, St. Petersburg, Brockhaus-Efron, 1890-1907. “Rugii are a numerous and powerful people, lived in northern Germany, along the seashore, between Oder and Vistula. During the Migration of Nations The Rugians joined the Goths and moved to the region along the middle Danube.

In 1325 The last prince of Rujan, Wislaw III, died, and the island of Rügen was conquered by the Duke of Pomerania. In 1405, the last resident died on the island of Rügen. spoke Slavic — .

Worship of the pagan god Svyatovit among the people was so strong that the new Christian religion was forced to reckon with it. That is why Christian churches were built on ancient pagan temples, and stones with images of pagan gods were built into the walls of Christian churches. The names of pagan gods were turned into Christian shrines, so the temple pagan Svyatovit was turned into Church of St. Vitus on the island of Rügen.

In the era of the struggle against paganism and planting Christianity in Britain famous bishop with a strange Slavic name Svitun Winchester (St. Swithun of Winchester), died July 2 862 years and buried near the walls of the building Winchester Cathedral.

Testament of St. Swithun (Old English: Swīþhūn = Svidun ) was completed a hundred years later, when Winchester Cathedral was finally completed and July 15, 971 monks moved the remains of St Swithun inside the magnificent new Winchester Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun.

According to legend, heavy rain fell during the reburial ceremony of St. Swithun of Winchester, and thereafter heavy rains also fell on each anniversary of the bishop's death. In Britain St. Swithuna Winchester is revered " patron of the weather" - this indicates the connection of the Christian bishop with the ancient pagan traditions, which he took upon himself to attract pagans to the Christian temple. According to ancient folk wisdom, if it rains on St. Swithun’s Day, it will rain for forty days.

The symbols of St. Swithun are apples from trees planted by the bishop. In England they say you shouldn't eat apples before St. Swithun's Day.

In 1005 Bishop Elfeach of Winchester Cathedral(Ælfheah, Anglo-Saxon: "elf-high"; ook Alfegus, Alfege) was elected the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Leaving from Winchester Cathedral, Bishop Elfeach (c. 953 - April 19, 1012) took with him to Canterbury the holy relic of the cathedral - head of St. Swithun, who died in 863. Bishop Elfeach was killed by Vikings in 1012 u. In the late Saxon period Swithun was credited with strength, healing warriors wounded in battle, cripples and restoring sight to the blind.

Before 1316 Swithun's head was kept in Canterbury, after which traces of the relic are lost. But at the end of the 14th century Swithun's head appears in Normandy in the Cathedral of Evreux, who began to celebrate the feast of St. Swithuna

IN Norway in 1125 The parish Roman Catholic Church of St. Svithun was built near St. Svithun (Norwegian: Sankt Svithun kirke) in Stavanger(Stavanger) and the relics of the saint were kept Swithuna(old English: Swīþhūn = Svidun ) from Winchester. Interesting similarity of names Swīþhūn = Svidun and « Sviðurr ok Sviðrir er ek het at Sökkmímis" - "Svidur and Svidrir I was at Sökkmimir", " Viðurr at vigum" - " Vidur in battles" ("WEDUN"); — from the List in the Elder Edda in one chapter of “The Speech of Grimnir.” Proto-Germanic: * - “vodanaz” or *Wōđinaz - “water naz”; Danish: Woen (WAR), Woden (WODEN); Anglo Saxon: Woensdag = Wednesday, WAR-DAY (Danish: Woen)

Exactly under the banner of Svyatovit wars participated in all battles, God Svyatovit led them into battle, as One god of war , to whom human sacrifices were made of defeated enemies and Christians. A warrior could win favor in battle Odin throwing his spear at your enemies shouting: “One owns all!” (Old Norwegian: Óðinn á yðr alla ).

Rügen is the largest and most populous island in Germany, located in the Baltic Sea in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Here, tourists will find miles of white sand beaches, world-famous architectural monuments, a wide variety of landscapes and many opportunities to enjoy spectacular wildlife.

Although Rügen is very popular among tourists, there are a huge number of places on the island where you can retire and enjoy the silence. You can spend one day exploring Rügen or stay here for a longer period.

View of the island of Rügen, Germany (Photo © pxhere.com / CC0 Public Domain License)

What to see: top 7 attractions in Rügen

What to do on the island of Rügen: top 7 interesting things to do and do

1. Enjoy the silence and solitude in one of the many bays of Rügen.
2. Visit one of the ancient mounds of the island.
3. Take a photo against the backdrop of the chalk cliffs of the Jasmund Peninsula.
4. Take a walk or bike ride along one of Rügen's many trails, which are simply made for exciting travel.
5. Relax in a fabulously beautiful lagoon.
6. Stroll along the 4-kilometer promenade of the Binz resort, admire the elegant villas and snow-white beaches.
7. Ride the “pseudo train” Jagdschlossexpress from Binz to the Border Palace. Ticket price for adults is 8 euros, for children – 4 euros.

Where and what to eat and drink in Rügen

1. Restaurant Fischraeucherei Kuse(Binz, Strandpromenade 3), which will captivate its guests with excellent dishes prepared from local fish and seafood. The cost of meals starts from 2 euros.
2. Restaurant Strandhalle(Binz, Strandpromenade, 5), which offers visitors extraordinary dishes of modern European cuisine. It is recommended to order the pea and parsley soup. The average cost of main courses is 16 euros.
3. Restaurant Poseidon(Binz, Lottumstrasse, 1), located on the territory of a historic villa. It serves some of the best seafood on the island. The average cost of main courses is 15 euros.

I spent 8 days in August on the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea.

There is a local airport in Rügen, but we chose a route with a stop in Berlin and went to the sea in a rented car the next morning, having had a good rest after the flight. The road through the former Prussian lands pleased with the familiar-sounding toponyms on the signs - Pankov, Karov, Drozedov, Gribov, Tutov, Kryukov, Gnievits. Behind the pine forests surrounding Berlin for many kilometers, agricultural fields began, where harvesting was in full swing. The road to the coast took two hours, which flew by like a couple of minutes while admiring the opening landscapes.

Rügen and Stralsund are now connected by a huge bridge, so the isolation of the island from the mainland is not felt at all, which is a bit of a pity, because the island has been a sacred place for many cultures for thousands of years. Certainly, the path to sacred ground must be more difficult than stepping on the gas pedal.

Our hotel was located in the village of Glowe, on a narrow spit between the Baltic Sea and a deep bay, which should rather be called an inland lake. They didn’t take an advance payment from us and didn’t even ask for documents. You had to pay for your stay when checking out from the hotel, preferably in cash - to avoid paying a bank commission.

The girl at the reception had difficulty finding English words, and I looked at her in surprise and thought whether to ask or not to ask: “don’t you really speak Russian!?” - her articulation was so similar to the articulation of a Russian person trying to speak English. During the first day we realized two things. Firstly, it turned out that finding a person on the island who speaks at least some English is a great success. The waiters in the cafe did not even know basic vocabulary, such as “meat”, “fish”, “water”. However, it was not difficult to understand the German menu, and over the next week we learned to quite successfully communicate in the Aboriginal language. Secondly, all those people who evoked the thought: “Ours!” turned out to be East Germans. It was amazing and funny.

When we went to the beach, a treacherous thought crept into our heads - for the first and last time - that the decision to spend a sea holiday in the Baltic was not the most successful. With an air temperature of +20, water temperature of +19 and a cold wind blowing off your feet, it is impossible to part with your jacket and sunbathe, let alone take a swim. However, small children not only splashed in the water, but also swam on air mattresses, which, given the wind, was beyond my understanding. All that remained was to admire the fine white sand and pine trees, sitting in special Baltic sun loungers, or rather “sedaks” - large wicker chairs with side walls that protect from the wind.

The next morning we rented bicycles and went to Cape Arkona - to the legendary sanctuary of Sventovit, megaliths next to the stormy sea and Altenkirchen, the oldest, as you can guess from the name, church on the island, at the base of which is a pagan stone - an idol thrown on its side. Our expectations for an active holiday were justified - the weather was ideal for cycling and walking.

The road partially ran along a pine forest, and Arkona itself was endless fields of golden wheat with rare villages between them. Looking ahead, I will say that we found ourselves on the island during the harvest season and during our week of stay we managed to see first the ears of grain bending under the weight of grains, then the work of combines (even on Saturday and Sunday) and streams of threshed wheat in the best traditions of Soviet agitprop, and then - empty fields with orphaned poppy flowers along the roads.

Quite often we came across residential buildings with “golden cockerels” on the roof - it seemed that the island’s residents were quite familiar with Pushkin’s fairy tales. And also with these scallops:

Researchers consider Rügen (its former name - Ruyan) to be the legendary island of Buyan. For the pagan Baltic Slavs, Rügen was the last stronghold - they were Christianized under the forceful influence of the Danes only in the 12th century, and now carefully preserved remains of the ramparts are scattered throughout the island.

On Cape Arkona, where the Slavic settlement with the main sanctuary of the god Sventovit was located, archaeological excavations are currently underway. A small part of the finds is exhibited in one of the bunkers from Hitler’s time, and next to the ramparts there are stands with historical reconstructions and wooden sculptures recreating the faces of idols. Thanks to the carvers - the Slavic type of face is depicted amazingly accurately, and you can admire the beauty of individual features endlessly.

There, nearby, on the seashore, for tourists there is a wooden chair in the shape of a crane revered by the ancient Slavs, and 20 meters from it there is a Christian crucifix. This is a combination of interest in pagan culture and the historical past with unconditional respect for Christianity.

The idols are made of solid oak and carved by Polish craftsmen.

Sventovit:

The village of Witt there, on Arkona, is a traditional fishing village, as it looked in the 13th century, but with modern smokehouses on the shore and good restaurants serving fish soup, fish salads and fried fish and potatoes. Hot tea, saving you from the icy wind, and smoked fish of several varieties with fresh white bread, combined with a view of the lead sea, boats and flocks of seagulls - this is exactly what you need after a good bike ride.

In the following days, we alternated a relaxing holiday on the beach with traveling around the island by car, as well as walking and cycling. It turned out that the normal air temperature for the Baltic in August is 27-28 degrees, not 20, and a tan in the northern sun turns out beautiful, and no protective creams are needed.

On the second day of my stay, I wandered along the beach in knee-deep water, and on the third, I went for a swim. The sensations were absolutely amazing. Firstly, you quickly get used to cold water. Secondly, the temperature contrast provokes some kind of internal heat and it’s not at all cold to get out of the sea; on the contrary, you want to go back as soon as possible. Thirdly, the body, exhausted by antibiotics, responded to such hardening with an unexpected surge of strength, and after 50-60 kilometer bike rides I wanted to walk through pine groves and dance under the moon.

One day we went to Jasmund National Park, where vegetation from the post-glacial period has been preserved. Already at the edge of the forest we were met by a flock of fallow deer (but perhaps they were roe deer - it doesn’t matter) and hares. The path ran along the sea and through giant trees with fabulous gnarled roots a view of stunningly beautiful chalk cliffs opened up. It was almost impossible to get to the sea - a steep cliff overgrown with centuries-old trees stretched along the coastline for many kilometers.

On the territory of the reserve on the shore of the forest lake of the goddess Kherta there are the remains of the ramparts of another Slavic fortress, and not far from it are the remains of a sacred beech tree, around which, according to legend, the elders gathered once a year to listen to the whisper of the goddess in the rustling of the branches.

In the thicket of the sacred forest, it is not difficult to find megalithic complexes left over from more ancient cultures. In total, I counted 27 megaliths on the island, most of them are simply marked on the map, but even local residents do not always know about their location. At first glance, they are scattered chaotically, but what is noteworthy is that almost all of them are within walking distance from the sea, but at a short distance from the coast.

Signs indicate only those located at the intersection of tourist routes. The vast majority have long been overgrown, and if you don’t specifically look for them, it’s difficult to guess what that group of trees in the middle of a wheat field is hiding. In any case, such a concentration of sacred places per square kilometer of area speaks of the unique position of the island among ancient peoples.

In Germany, Frau usually ride bicycles without a frame and with baskets on the handlebars, and for the trip to Jasmund I got exactly this model. It was impossible to navigate the gullies on two wheels. The basket was always outweighed, and a couple of times I almost fell into a cliff. Most of the time I was either dragging my bike uphill or trying to hold it on the downhill. The luckier husband practiced slalom on the roots. The Germans on foot who met on our way looked after him with condemnation. “They don’t understand how you can ride a bicycle without a helmet,” we thought, but when, having got out of the reserve, we decided to study the information on one of the information stands, we were surprised to find that bicycles were completely prohibited on its territory.

Tired of adventure, in the evenings we enjoyed sea buckthorn ice cream while admiring the sunset. “This is a typical Rügen plant,” said the waiter when I asked what sanddorn was. It turned out that literally everything is made from sea buckthorn in Rügen - ice cream, juices, candies, tinctures, etc., and it grows there like a weed along the fields.

Our plans included a trip to northern Germany, but we only managed to get to Stralsund - we didn’t want to leave Rügen at all; on the contrary, we had a desire to climb every corner, find every megalith and every giant tree (almost two hundred trees on Rügen have a circumference of up to 8 meters ). The amazing healthy climate constantly encouraged us to move and explore new places. Despite the fact that I prefer to go on vacation to different places, I will definitely return to Rügen more than once.

ORIGINAL POST PUBLISHED ON EUROMAG.RU WEBSITE

The Slavic tribe Ruyan settled on the island of Rugia around the 6th century. The favorable geographical location and different, original faith aroused hatred among the neighbors, especially the Danes. Pavel Zhukov reports.

As befits island inhabitants, the Ruyans had a powerful commercial and military fleet. Their ships repeatedly visited the Scandinavian and Baltic countries for the purpose of robbery. Moreover, even some territories that were part of Denmark paid tribute to the Ruyans. And in the 12th century, a war began between the Danes and the inhabitants of the island.

Arkona - capital and cultural center

The main city of the Ruyans was Arkona, which was not just the capital, but a real cultural and spiritual center of the entire island. A special place in the city was occupied by the temple of the god Svyatovit, which was described by the Danish historian and traveler Saxo Grammaticus: “The city of Arkona lies on the top of a high mountain. It is surrounded by natural protection on the north, east and south... on the west side it is protected by a high embankment of 50 cubits. In the middle of the city lies an open square on which rises a wooden temple.” The temple was of impressive size - more than three hundred meters.

The first Slavs settled on the island of Rugia in the 6th century

At the time of the peak of the island Slavic state, there were three hundred selected soldiers at the temple, who were considered almost the personal squad of the four-faced Svyatovit himself.

And this is how Grammar, in his work “The Acts of the Danes,” created in the 14th century, described the temple of the main deity of the Ruyans: “In the middle of the city there was a square on which stood a temple made of wood, of the most elegant workmanship... The outer wall of the building stood out with neat carvings, rough and unfinished, which included forms of different things. It had a single entrance. The temple itself contained two fences, of which the outer one, connected to the walls, was covered with a red roof; the inner one, supported by four columns, had curtains instead of walls and was not connected with the outer in any way, except for a rare interlacing of beams.”

Svyatovit - the supreme deity of Ruyan

Around the 11th century, the Ruyans reached the peak of their power. They were the rightful masters of the Baltic Sea, which neighboring peoples called the Sea of ​​Rugs.

Wars for survival

At the beginning of the 12th century, the balance of power in the Baltic region began to change. The Ruyans, despite a strong fleet and a powerful army, find themselves at a disadvantage. The fact is that the inhabitants of the island found themselves surrounded by Christians who really wanted to spread their faith as far as possible. And Denmark became the main enemy of the Ruyans.

In 1136, the first conflict occurred between the two states. It ended tragically for the Ruyans - King Eric II of Denmark captured Arkona. But he did not destroy the city. Moreover, he returned the occupied lands, but with one condition - the Ruyans had to renounce the faith of their ancestors and accept Christianity. The island Slavs agreed, but did not accept the new religion.

This provoked further wars. For seven years (from 1159 to 1166), either the Danes or the Saxons attacked the island. The Ruyans resisted desperately, but they were unable to cope with a much stronger enemy. The Danish king Valdemar I managed to defeat the last Ruyan prince Jaromir.

In 1168, Arkona was completely destroyed, and the statue of the god Svyatovit was burned. Prince Jaromir escaped the death penalty. He recognized himself as a vassal of Valdemar I, and his island as part of the Bishopric of Roskilde. But this, of course, was not enough for the Danes. They wanted the Slavic tribe to become Christian. And Jaromir agreed. Ruyan was forcibly baptized, and those who refused to betray the faith of their ancestors were killed.

The Danes wanted to convert the pagan Ruyans to Christianity

It is also interesting that, under the terms of the peace treaty, the land where the Svyatovit Church had previously been located now came under the direct subordination of the church. The “makeweight” was the obligatory assistance of the Danish people in cases of war and the annual tribute.

In 1185, the Danes began building a church on the Wittow Peninsula in Altenkirchin. And they used the ruins of Arkona as building material. That is why the “Svantevita stone” is still alive there. It was even described in the “Saxon Chronicle” for the 16th century by David Hitraeus: “The image of the idol of the Ruyans, carved on stone, can be seen in the village of Altenkirchen, in the vestibule of the temple. More like a monstrous evil demon than any god; the former inhabitants of the island called him Svyatovit, the current inhabitants called him Vitold.”

A mention was also preserved in the “History of the Stone Diocese” from the 17th century: “Hence the evil god was called the Devil and Chernobog, that is, the Black God, while the good one was called Belbog, that is, the white god. The figure of this idol, carved in stone, can still be seen on Ruyan, on the Wittow Peninsula, popularly referred to as Wittold, as if “Ancient Vit”. With a large head and thick beard, he looks more like a monster than a fictional god.”

Last of the Slavs

In 1234, the residents of Ruyan managed to overthrow Danish rule. They even expanded the territory of their state and founded the city of Stralsund. But these, of course, were no longer the same Ruyans who ruled the Baltic two centuries ago. They became Christians and, for the most part, replaced their original traditions with Danish or German ones. Even the native language began to be forgotten.

In 1168 Arkona was completely destroyed

By the end of the 13th century, the Ruyan Slavs had almost completely lost their culture and identity. The process of Germanization proceeded rapidly and inexorably.

And in 1325, the last Ruyansk prince, Wislav III, died. The Slavic branch of the rulers of the island ended there. And in 1404, the last man and woman who still remembered the language of their ancestors passed away one by one. With their death, the Slavic Ruyan dialect ceased to exist. The island of Ruyan has already unconditionally become Rügen, and its inhabitants are carriers of only German culture and language.

The Slavs could not cope with Germanization

Today, almost all of these lands belong to Germany, to its federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. And the fact that a proud and formidable Slavic tribe once lived there is only reminded by the ruins of their main city - Arkona. And even then, the territory of the settlement is becoming smaller due to frequent landslides. So, the day is not far when the last trace of the Ruyans will disappear.