Editing Saxons (section)

==Charlemagne's Saxon Wars==
{{Main|Saxon Wars}}
The Saxons were conquered by Charlemagne after a long series of annual campaigns, the [[Saxon Wars]] (772{{nsndns}}804). With defeat came enforced [[baptism]] and [[Religious conversion|conversion]] as well as the union of the Saxons with the rest of the Frankish empire. Their sacred tree or pillar, a symbol of [[Irminsul]], was destroyed. Charlemagne deported 10,000 [[Nordalbingia]]n Saxons to [[Neustria]] and gave their largely vacant lands in [[Wagria]] (approximately modern [[Plön]] and Ostholstein districts) to the loyal king of the [[Abotrites]]. [[Einhard]], Charlemagne's biographer, says on the closing of this grand conflict:
<blockquote>
The war that had lasted so many years was at length ended by their acceding to the terms offered by the king; which were renunciation of their national religious customs and the worship of devils, acceptance of the sacraments of the Christian faith and religion, and union with the Franks to form one people.
</blockquote>
The Saxons long resisted becoming [[Christianity|Christians]]<ref>"They are much given to devil worship," [[Einhard]] said, "and they are hostile to our religion," as when they martyred the [[Ewald (martyr)|Saints Ewald]].</ref> and being incorporated into the orbit of the [[Frankish kingdom]].<ref name="Lieberman2013"/> In 776 the Saxons promised to convert to Christianity and vow loyalty to the king, but, during Charlemagne's campaign in [[Hispania]] (778), the Saxons advanced to [[Cologne-Deutz|Deutz]] on the [[Rhine]] and plundered along the river. This was an oft-repeated pattern when Charlemagne was distracted by other matters.<ref name="Lieberman2013">{{cite book |author=Lieberman |first=Benjamin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hgk6SV16fk8C&pg=PA53 |title=Remaking Identities: God, Nation, and Race in World History |date=22 March 2013 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers |isbn=978-1-4422-1395-1 |page=53 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>