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king wanted to destroy not only the fortifications, but also the cult, as he believed that the end of the wicked rituals would allow to liquidate it in the whole island. He had no doubts that having destroyed the statuę, it would be easier to suppress both pagan strongholds and idolatry” (Saxo Gram-maticus, XIV, p. 828). The attack was directed to the very heart of pagan-ism, the symbolic centre of the island. Exactly the same method was applied by prince Boleslaus the Wry-mouthed in his struggles with the Pomeranians (Banaszkiewicz, 1986a).

Taking advantage of an interval in the fight, the Danes started to cut down the neighbouring forest and prepare wood for war machines. The defenders trusted their strong fortifications and the power of gods. They barricaded the gate with earth, and, according to Saxo Grammaticus (XIV, p. 828, 830) “they became so self-confident that they covered the turret over the gate with badges and eagles. Among them there was slanitia [a military banner of the Rans], distinguishabie for its size and colour, which the Rans worship almost as zealously as the majesty of all their gods.”

On the 12th of June 1168 (Osięglowski, 1967, p. 284) a group of boys from the Danish camp started to play throwing Stones at the embankment. They noticed that the earth was sliding down exposing the wooden construction of the turret. One of the boys hid in the breach, he was given dried grass, twigs, wood and finally fire. The turret was burnt down together with the holy emblems. The gods deserted their confessors. There was not enough water to extinguish the fire and Arcona surrendered. The conditions of surrender were very tough: “The king took the inhabitants under his protection provided that they hand over the statuę and the whole treasury, send back Christian prisoners without any ransom and truły change their faith, accept and practise Christian-ity as the Danes do, and moreover that the fields and estates of their gods are taken over by the Church, and they sent warriors to Danish expeditions whenever it is needed.” To pay the tribute each pair of oxen was annually taxed. The Arconians had to give hostages as a guarantee of adherence to the agreement (Saxo Grammaticus, XIV, p. 831-834).

Very soon did the Danes start the destruction of the sanctuary. The relation of these events brings further details of its appearance: “Next day Esbemus and Suno, following the king’s order intended to demolish the statuę, that they had not been able to seize without armed force. Having removed the curtains covering the chapel, they began to remind the servants who were to cut the basis of the statuę to be very careful when such a large sculpture was going to fali down, because they did not want anyone to get crushed, which would be considered as the god’s revenge. Simultaneously, a great crowd of inhabitants surrounded the tempie. They hoped that Sven-tovit would punish the wrong-doers with his power. The sculpture, cut at the end of the calves, swung and fell to the wali next to it. To drag it out Suno encouraged the people to puli the wali down and told them to care for their own security as much as for their task, as he did not want the falling sculpture to crush anyone. The earth accepted the falling statuę with rumbie. A lot of purple textile hung around, it was certainly beautiful, but the place smelled so repulsive that it could not be touched. There were also many extraordinary horns of wild beasts, remarkable for their own naturę as much as for the cult. Suddenly, everyone saw a demon in the shape of a black animal, which came from the inside (...) and flew away surrounded with light. When the inhabitants of the town, who were ordered to tie the statuę with ropes, did not dare to do it because of their old religion, they told prisoners and foreigners who looked for jobs in the town to throw it away, judging that the god’s ire should be directed to simpletons. Obviously, they thought that the majesty of their native deity, which thy used to esteem so highly, would instantly severely punish those who violated it. (...) The statuę dragged to the camp was met by a crowd of amazed warriors. (...) When evening came, those who headed the kitchens attacked the statuę and chop-ped it with axes for firewood. I can imagine how angry with their old religion the Rans grew, when they saw their native hereditary idol which they used to worship so zealously bumt in disgrace and used by enemies to cook meals. Later our folks occupied themselves with buming the tempie and building a church from the timber prepared for war machines, tuming the battle equipment into a seat of peace. (...) And the day in which the Rans were to hand over the treasure consisting of gifts devoted to Sventovit was fixed.” Gransa, who had sluggishly led the troops of Riigen princes to rescue Arcona, found the place already seized by the Danes, and for Absalon’s reąuest went to Tetislav and Jaromir, who dwelled in Garz, to inform them about the surrender of the sanctuary and the Danish demand that the whole island be surrendered backed up with a threat of further war (Saxo Grammaticus, XIV, p. 837-839).

That was the fali of Arcona from the point of view of the Danes. The extensive information of Saxo Grammaticus ąuoted above corresponds to a shorter relation from Knytlingasaga (ch. 122). There are also some German relations. According to Helmold (11, 108) Danish king Valdemar gathered a great army and many ships, and invaded Riigen in order to conąuer it. Helmold enumerates Pomeranian princes Casimir and Boguslav, and the Abodrite prince Pribislav, who reinforced him by order of the Saxon prince, and mentions that bishops Absalon and Berno were present in Arcona. He says that when the Rans surrendered, king Valdemar “ordered to puli down the ancient statuę of Sventovit worshiped by all Slayonic peoples and to tie its neck with a ropę, to drag it in front of the Slavs among the army, and finally to cut it in pieces and throw them into fire. He also demolished the sacred place, liquidating the cult, and plundered the rich treasury. He also madę them abandon the errors in which they had been bom and adopt the service of the true God.”

The tempie in Arcona is so extensively described by the sources that we will omit the details of the legend about the alleged adoption of Christianity

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