THE SCENE: When the Saxons first landed on German soils, the native Thuringians forced a treaty whereby the Saxons could buy and sell goods, but not occupy land. The following story describes the process by which the Saxons first obtained territory.
THE TEXT: At that time it happened that a certain young man well adorned with gold disembarked from a ship; for he was wearing a golden necklace as well as golden arm-bands. A certain Thuringian meeting him said: “What do you want with so much gold around your starved-looking throat?” “I am looking,” he replied, “for a buyer, and I am wearing this gold for no other reason; for when I am threatened with starvation what value can I place on gold?” The Thuringian then enquired as to the quality and price.
“There is no question of price with me”, replied the Saxon, “I will take whatever you wish to give me”. The Thuringian then laughed at the young man: “What if,” he said, “I were to fill your lap with this dust?” For there was in that place a large heap of earth. The Saxon did not delay but made a fold of his garment and took the soil, and gave the gold to the Thuringian at once; each man then joyfully hastened to his own people. The Thuringians praised their man to the skies because he had cheated the Saxons so nobly, and they declared him the most fortunate of mortals because he had obtained so much gold for so cheap a price. Certain now of victory, they began as it were to triumph over the Saxons.
The Saxon meanwhile, deprived of his gold, but laden down with soil, approached the ships. When his companions met him and realized what he had done, some of his friends began to laugh at him, while other censured him, but all agreed that he was out of his mind. But he demanded silsence, and then cried out: “Follow me, brave Saxons, and you will prove to yourselves that my madness will be useful to you.” Thereupon, even though they were still dubious, they followed him as if he were a leader. But he, taking the soil in his hands, scattered it in very small amounts throughout the neighboring fields, as far as it would go, and then occupied the ground by posting a camp.
When the Thuringians saw the camp of the Saxons, the situation seemed to them intolerable. They sent envoys to protest this violation of the treaty and breaking of the agreement on the part of the Saxons. The Saxons replied that they had kept the treaty inviolate up to the present, and that they were willing to retain peaceably the land that they had purchased with their own gold, or else they would defend it with their arms. On hearing this the inhabitants cursed the Saxon gold, and the one whom but a few days before they called lucky, they now reviled as the author of the destruction of themselves and their land.
– The Deeds of the Saxons, Widukind of Corvey, 10th Century AD
