Editing Wends (section)

===Rise (500–1000)===
In the 1st millennium AD, during the [[Slavs|Slavic]] migrations which split the Slavs into Southern, Eastern and Western groups, some [[West Slavs]] moved into the areas between the Rivers Elbe and Oder - moving from east to west and from south to north. There they assimilated the remaining [[Germanic peoples#History|Germanic]] population that had not left the area in the [[Migration period]].<ref>[[Sebastian Brather|Brather, Sebastian]] (2004). "[https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00112980 The beginnings of Slavic settlement east of the river Elbe]". ''Antiquity'', Volume 78, Issue 300. pp. 314–329</ref> Their German neighbours adapted the term they had been using for peoples east of the River Elbe before to the Slavs, calling them ''Wends'' as they called the ''Venedi'' before and probably the ''[[Vandals]]'' as well. In his late sixth century work ''[[History of Armenia (book)|History of Armenia]]'', [[Movses Khorenatsi]] mentions their raids into the lands named Vanand after them.<ref>Istorija Armenii Mojseja Horenskogo, II izd. Per. N. O. Emina, M., 1893, s.55-56.</ref>

The Wends are mentioned in Fredegar IV.74-75. The lived east of the river Elbe and were neighbours of the Saxons. The Saxons paid tribute to the Merovingian Kingdom since Chlothar I (511-561). They had to pay 500 cows yearly and had the obligation to guard the sector of the Frankish border against the Wends. However, the Saxons broke their oath under Dagobert I which resulted in frequent raids of Wends into Frankish territory and spreading out over Thuringia and other territory. The Saxon duplicity is one of the reasons for future military campaigns against them by the Carolingians, especially Charles Martel and Charlemagne.

While the Wends were arriving in so-called ''Germania Slavica'' as large homogeneous groups, they soon divided into a variety of small tribes, with large strips of woodland separating one tribal settlement area from another. Their tribal names were derived from local place names, sometimes adopting the Germanic tradition (e.g. [[Heveller]] from ''Havel'', [[Rani (Slavic tribe)|Rujanes]] from [[Rugians]]). Settlements were secured by round ''burghs'' made of wood and clay, where either people could retreat in case of a raid from the neighbouring tribe or used as military strongholds or outposts.

Some tribes unified into larger, duchy-like units. For example, the [[Obotrites]] evolved from the unification of the ''[[Holstein]]'' and Western ''[[Mecklenburg]]'' tribes led by mighty dukes known for their raids into German [[Old Saxony|Saxony]]. The [[Lutici]] were an alliance of tribes living between Obotrites and Pomeranians. They did not unify under a duke, but remained independent. Their leaders met in the temple of [[Rethra]].

In 983, many Wend tribes participated in a great uprising against the [[Holy Roman Empire]], which had previously established Christian missions, German colonies and German administrative institutions (''Marken'' such as ''[[Northern March|Nordmark]]'' and ''[[Billungermark]]'') in pagan Wendish territories. The uprising was successful and the Wends delayed Germanisation for about two centuries.

Wends and Danes had early and continuous contact including settlement, first and mainly through the closest South Danish islands of [[Møn]], [[Lolland]] and [[Falster]], all having place-names of Wendish origin{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}. There were also trading and settlement outposts by Danish towns as important as Roskilde, when it was the capital: 'Vindeboder' (Wends' booths) is the name of a city neighbourhood there. Danes and Wends also fought wars due to piracy and crusading.<ref>{{cite web |title=Venderne og Danmark |url=http://static.sdu.dk/mediafiles//Files/Om_SDU/Institutter/Ihks/Projekter/Middelalderstudier/Venderne_og_Danmark.pdf |archive-date=November 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116144129/http://static.sdu.dk/mediafiles//Files/Om_SDU/Institutter/Ihks/Projekter/Middelalderstudier/Venderne_og_Danmark.pdf }}</ref>