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Fig. 36. Starigard (Oldenburg). The location of the stronghold; after M. Muller-Wille, 1988, p. 18.

1976, p. 137-138). The tempie in Wolin, excavated by W. Filipowiak, has been presented above (see di' 4).

The written sources referring to Lusatia, the area closest to northem Polabia, mention holy springs and groves, but not temples, which served as a motivation for the thesis that temples were not built there at all (Brach-mann, 1987). We should not forget, however, that this region was quite early conąuered by the Germans. The contrast between the north and the south of Polabia becomes less sharp if \ye consider the excavations in Tomow. The fmd there consisted of a smali house from the 7th or early 8th c., situated in a stronghold which was not permanently inhabited, but served the dwellers of a nearby settlement as a refuge. According to J. Herrmann (1963, 1971a) it housed meals shared by the whole community.

In Bohemia, as it has already been mentioned, prince Spitygniev alleg-edly destroyed “numerous temples of idols” after his baptism. This is not the only reference to temples. The Life of St Wenceslas, written by bishop Gumpold, says that Bohemian nobles gathered to make offerings “to foreign gods in infamous shrines.” H. Łowmiański (1979, p. 205-206) refutes those records as conventional expressions in which the words “idol” and “tempie” were used as synonyms of paganism. He doubts whether the Slavs had any temples outside northem Polabia (Łowmiański, 1979, p. 228-234, similarly Palm, 1937, p. 26). Archaeological finds seem to disprove Łow-miański’s reservations, which, nota bene, have not been shared by all re-searchers (Hensel, 1987, p. 486, gloss 196). In Bohemia, Moravia and Southern Poland several large structures were discovered, which are hesitant-ly interpreted as “buildings of special function,” or as places where princes feasted with their warriors. Some historians point out that the thesis that they were used for feasts does not exclude the assumption about their religious character (Abramowicz, 1962, p. 48). If this linę of reasoning is followed, the buildings can be viewed as cult halls.

When Bohemia was under the influence of Great Moravia, in a Bohemi-an village Stara Kourim there was a formidable stronghold of Zlićans tribe (SSS, vol. 5, p. 381-384, vol. 7, p. 142). Apart from remains of fortifications, traces of a large hail-type building have been found there. This really substantial construction was 89 metres long and not divided into any smaller parts. Milos Solle (1966, p. 109-120), who explored the building, regards it as a house where the prince and his retinue met, similar to Germanie and Slavonic feast halls. W. Hensel (1987, p. 486) expresses the view that it was used for cult purposes. Both theses may be correct; the magnificent building from Stara Kourim was probably a cult hall. It was situated at the axis

Fig. 37. Starigard (Oldenburg). The stronghold. A - the excavation site with the remains of hall buildings; B - the rampart from the 8th/9th - 12th c. After M. Muller-Wille, 1988, p. 19.

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