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Throughout a century RadogoSć was the most important sanctuary in Polabia. According to Thietmar it “holds primacy” among all other temples. For Adam of Bremen the Redars are “medii et potentissimi" (central and most powerful) of all tribes between the Oder, Havel and Elbę. Perhaps it is not only a topographic fact, but also a tracę of mythical geography. In mythical thinking, the tribe predestined to domination and close relationship with gods should hve in the centre of the world (Banaszkiewicz, 1986a). Perhaps the Redars cherished such beliefs as well. Radogość was called by Adam of Bremen “the metropolis of the Slavs.” In his chronicie he consist-ently used the word “metropolis” only referring to seats of archbishoprics (e.g. Magdeburg), important mission centres (like Birka), and to Radogość. So, as R. Schmidt pointed out (1974, p. 393), he placed RadogoSć and Magdeburg on an equal footing.

RadogoSć was undoubtedly the seat of the counselling assembly of the Lutizen Union. We can assume that the assembly was called in order to conclude the treaty with the Emperor against Boleslaus the Brave, which was probably madę in public. The principle of acclamation was observed in the assembly and opinions contradicting the majority were punished with whipping. Prince Mstivoy complained about being insulted before the assembly in Radogość and swore alliance with the Lutizens there (Łowmiań-ski, 1963-1985, vol. 4, p. 90-92). We do not know anything about the economic and trade significance of the sanctuary, although Adam of Bremen's information about the distance between RadogoSć and Hamburg might have been obtained from merchants (Leciejewicz, 1987, p. 133). Probably there was a settlement and a market place outside the fortifications.

To sum up, the tempie lay in a stronghold on the western shore of a large lakę, and was possibly transferred to an island in the mid 11 th c. It was built of timber and its exterior reminded the constructions from Gross Raden and Arcona. Inside there were statues of gods, the most important one was an image of Svarożic-Radogost, whose military and oracular functions prevail in the sources over the attributes of the god of fire. It is surprising that Svarożic, the Slavonic god of fire, is in no text related with keeping a holy or sacrificial fire in the tempie, which is never mentioned. One of pantheon members was probably a goddess of unknown name, having an important military function. The sanctuary was connected with a sacred lakę, the mythical habitat of a boar foreshadowing dvil wars, and with a holy grove. In the tempie stronghold offerings were madę of people and cattle before and after war campaigns or to precipitate gods; in case of human sacrifices the object of the ritual was enemy’s head. The cycle of rites remains obscure, we only know that bishop John was killed on the 1 lth of November, several months after he was captured. The sources do not say whether a victory was celebrated immediately after the campaign or the offering was delayed until a holiday included in the annual cycle. In the stronghold counselling assem-blies of the Union were held and treaties were concluded. The tempie had a treasury. For nearly a century (from around 983 to 1068) RadogoSć was the most important pagan sanctuary in Polabia and the priests from there were religious leaders at least for the four tribes of the Union. Through the public oracie, in which a horse (probably white) and lots were used for divination, they decided about war and peace and were able to control the pagan reaction in neighbouring tribes. From Adam of Bremen we know that also divination in private matters was possible, but the exact ritual was not recorded. Divination through the horse may have been reserved for public affairs. It is possible that the special role of RadogoSć was strengthened by the conviction that it was situated in the mythical centre of Polabia.

Adam of Bremen’s mention (II, 21/18/) about the territories in relation to which the Redars were central shows how far the influence of RadogoSć reached. These were not only the territories of the four tribes of the Union - the Redars, Tollensans, Kessiners and Zirzipans - as the area stretched from the Oder in the east, including the land of Wolinians at its estuary, to the Havel in the south and the Elbę in the west (Koczy, 1933, p. 181-253; Labuda, 1988, p. 65-76). We have not got any reliable information about any concrete sanctuary in his region in the time when the Union was in the prime of power. Archaeologjcal traces of cult datę from earlier or later periods, or are not dated at all. All written sources come from the time after the defeat of the Union in the 1060s and confirm the existence of three sanctuaries at the borderland of the genuine Lutizen territory, excluding Western Pomerania. These were the statuę of Triglav (Three-headed) in Brandenburg (discussed below), a place in Havelberg where Gerovit was worshiped (mentioned in 1128), of which no details are known (Ebo, III, 3), and Malchow, a stronghold of the Moritzans upon Muritz Lakę. Annales Magdeburgenses recorded under the year 1147 that a crusade to Polabia destroyed “also a tempie with idols, situated near a stronghold called Malchon.” We can supplement this short mention only with a supposition that tempie lied on the shore of large Muritz Lakę.

We have got morę information about the temples of the genuine Lutizen tribes. It has already been mentioned that domination of RadogoSć caused a split in the Union in 1057 and secession of Kessiners and Zirzipans. Nearly a hundred years later Helmold (I, 71) wrote that in 1151 Niklot, prince of Abodrites, and Adolphus, earl of Holstein, “together set off to the land of the Kessiners and Zirzipans (...), destroying everything with sword and fire. They also demolished a famous tempie with idols and all pagan cult.’* The fragment does not include the location of the tempie or the name of the deity worshiped there, but it may be related to a passage from Arnold of Lubeck (V, 24), who continued Helmold’s chronicie and wrote about Berno, bishop of Schwerin that he “uprooted the cult of demons, cut down groves and ordered to worship bishop Godehard instead of Gutdrac.” St Godehard’s church existed in Goderak, a settlement near Kessin (Chyżyn), the Capital stronghold of the tribe, which is now a suburb of

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