Surname, Widing - Widukind. Widing Surname. What Roots. Delving into Saxon King Widukind

 Surnames - 

Roots in Imagination;

And Some History

Widukind, Which and Whose art thou? 

Widing
The Widinga Saga

Wid+ing=Widing. Or not?

For many surnames, there is an easy root.  The name is an occupation, for example.  For others, the name reflects an old language word or legend-real person, still found in place names, sagas, with all the spellings changing over centuries, given evolving written languages, migrations, and whim.

"Widing" fits none of those easy roots so far.  Yet, the name is not uncommon. On imagination, is it related to the name of the heroic Saxon leader, who opposed Charlemagne in the Saxon Wars in the 9th Century, one Widduken, Widdikind, Widdukind, Wittiken, etc. Why not follow that thought.

There are are thousands of Widings currently in the United States (a relative ordered the full list at one point); and who knows how many still in Sweden, including a famous hockey player, Daniel Widing - do a search. So, what is the name?  Many from an area called Varmland, many emigrating through Goteborg on the western coast, but still, where did the name come from.

• Try this. A Widdikind. Widukin. Widukind. Some such. Saxon ruler, migrations of Saxons out of the way of Charlemagne. Charlemagnitude at work. The campaigns of a larger-than-life figure in European history, and the escape of some Saxons to Scandinavia. With the name.  Wid - "wood".  Then the "kind" perhaps from kinder, child, child of the wood?
• The name even bestowed and creating a relationship, in the old custom of Vikings; but not a Swedish King - a Saxon. 
• There was a Widukind von Enger in Old Saxony, about 735-807 -- Charlemagne's era. See this claim at http://www.geni.com/genealogy/people/Widukind-von-Engern/4738000500530080214/.
  Of all this claims of descent from Widukind von Enger are geograhically premature.  There was no Enger in warrior noble Widukind's time. Enger came later. Is that so? See also ://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SAXONY.htm#_Toc155952299/  His remains are supposed to be there, see ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widukind, but what was there at the time so he could be deemed von Enger.
  
  

From Widukind von Enger to Widing over a thousand years of telescoping linguistics, applying alphabets. Why not. Doesn't matter, but is interesting. The first stop, after Saxony, seems to be Denmark:  where Widukind fled on several occasions when the battlefields against Charlemagne got too hot. Do a search for Widing Denmark and find the name. The roots may not be so unknown. See the "unknown" cop-out at ://www.oneworldtree.com/facts/Widing-family-history.ashx

1.  The Saxon Wars.  In the time of Charlemagne, King Charles (who later was The Charlemagne, and first Holy Roman Emperor) fought the Saxons to the north and northwest of  Europe, to subdue them under his rule and to convert them, and they - fierce fellows - would have none of it.  They would give way, promise to be good, then re-attack - and re-attack. See the account of the struggle and "perfidy" of the Saxons who would never give up, by Charlemagne's own scribe-secretary, Einhard, at p://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/einhard-wars1.html; read the Latin and scroll around at ://www.celtic-twilight.com/charlemagne/einhard/einhard_charlemagne_c8.htm/.  Einhard does not mention the specific name, Widdekind, yet, however.

So Charlemagne and the Saxons fought.  And fought. And fought. At least thirty years they fought. See://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/643237/Widukind/ Danes also considered Saxon and Frisian lands theirs at some points, so there must have been much back and forth of people and names.

2.  Finally Charlemagne prevailed, slaughtered thousands of captured Saxons who had resisted, used poor folks' food stores to support his armies, worsening famines, burning towns, moving entire populations around to break up old allegiances and forge through forced resettlements a new identity as part of the larger European whole, etc. See ://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Widukind_%28Leader%29/.  Saxons during the wars were also pushed back and back, and many went to Scandinavia.

The leader of the Saxons finally capitulated, and Charlemagne magnanimously did not humiliate him, but received him with the respect due a formidable opponent.  Charlemagne still demanded, however, in addition to allegiance, that the Saxon convert to the Christianity in its shape of the time (militant, with a hierarchy entrenching, and the Roman Church itself taking land and property almost at will).  The Saxon Ruler nominally did. Note that the Eastern Christian Church, the Orthodox, had already branched off. Or had it?  Have to check.  The Pope was in Constantinople at the time, not Rome, is that so? So maybe the split had not happened yet.

3.  The Saxon ruler was Widdikind.  Widukind. Wittikind. Widukind. His father was Warnechin (think "Warner" now?).  One site even calls Widukind the first Duke of Saxony, a little pretentious if the Saxons in Germany were a collection of rough tribes then, and not a province with a hierarchical nobility structure.  The area is the old Westphalia, the Old Empire, Das Alte Reich,  before Charlemagne, see ://www.evri.com/person/widukind-0x166b9b/, and he is said to have been a noble there, see the 1911 Encyclopedia site.

The father of the Widukind von Engern in the geni.com sitge is also Warnechin, last name von Engern. So that claimed descendant says.

• Longstanding source material:  The 1912 Catholic Encyclopedia.  See Widukind:

"Saxon leader, and one of the heads of the Westphalian nobility. He was the moving spirit in the struggles of the Saxons for their independence and heathen faith". See ://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15618a.htm/

The site says that in 777 our Widukind fled -- into Denmark. Then, with Charlemagne back in Spain going against the Saracens, Widukind returned to Saxony and it was vengeance time. Insurrection.  Much venting against the church, and when Charlemagne was on his way back (angry!), Widukind was known to be the rallying person.  Then came Charlemagne's slaughter of the Saxons, the thousands, and that solidified Saxon spirit. Widukind again fled to Denmark for safety. Ultimately, however, Charlemagne prevailed (the 30 years of warfare exhausted everyone), and Widukind gave allegiance finally, and was baptized.  He is said to be buried at Enger, near Herford.  The site finds little reliable about him after the baptism: he became a heroic hero of legend, even a saint, a great builder of churches. His gravestone is from the 12th Century, not the 8th or 9th. A reliquary is said to be 9th or 10th, however.Enger did not exist in Widukind's day. That from

We need an opera here:  Widukind in Denmark. And a children's book:  Widukind: The King Who Wouldn't Give Up.

• Jean Bodel, 1165-1210, Troubadour, Song of the Saxons, La Chanson des Saisnes, or La Chanson de Saisine, -- we are trying to find one in English.  Do a search and French. Sigh deeply:  " *** Que mais ceste ne autre ait de m'amor saisine ... "

Bodel, member of Brotherhood of Jugglers, and the Burghers of Arras (The burghers as in Rodin's sculpture? No, those were Calais) authored various epics, narratives, had leprosy but still prepared to go on the 4th Crusade, scroll down to Bodel at ://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://ebooks.unibuc.ro/lls/MihaelaVoicu-LaLiterature/Trouveres.htm&ei=x5czTM2XOcTflgeM2YC_Cw&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBsQ7gEwAQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3DBodel%2BChanson%2Bde%2BSaisine%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26rlz%3D1R1GGLL_en%26prmd%3Db


Here is Vol II in French:  La Chanson des Saxons (Saxons? Why use that Germanic form?) at http://books.google.com/books?id=SDIRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA18&lpg=PA18&dq=Bodel+Chanson+de+Saisine&source=bl&ots=DaWE4WNEvq&sig=ZuVVwqhvC3k3oVICt-1xUgj7VJk&hl=en&ei=x5czTM2XOcTflgeM2YC_Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false/.

See page 64, in the old French:  Keep looking for Saisne, for the Saxon parts.

" *** Et li Saisne esperonent aval par mi la plaine
Ansamble on joste' prince at duc et domain. ***"

• Meet Guiteckin  - is that an old French spelling for Widukind? See it at the Karlamagnus Saga, The Saga of Charlemagne and his Heroes, by Constance B. Hieatt, Part V, Guitalin the Saxon. How is anybody supposed to research anything when everybody's spelling goes with the linguistics and best efforts of the day.  Now we have to start over with Guitalin. Or Guiteckin.   This book compares various versions of the Charlemagne sagas, and there are several, by different authors, emphasizing different things, etc.  The name also appears as Guiteclin.  And Vitakind. See page 6 for that.
  

• The War of the Saxons is supposed to be at Part I, Chapters 46-47 of the Karlamagnus Saga by Constance B. Hieatt.  See page 6.  The Vitakind spelling occurs apparently mostly in the Volume I? Where is that? This gets confusing.  Is the Google book both volumes?? As you read, remember that   
• That Part V Chapter I about Guitalin (not spelled Vitakind) begins on page 16, Guitalin the Saxon, at Widukind gave allegiance for a time, and was baptized, as we understand it; then took off after Charlemagne again. In the Hieatt book, he ultimately is imprisoned and dies. Synopsis page 3 at ://books.google.com/books?id=tRQ_j83MzJYC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=English+translation+Bodel+Chanson+de+Saisne&source=bl&ots=XOuMPU94PI&sig=fZOJrbR9a8bN2Di8Dv_FE5RsbvE&hl=en&ei=XZwzTL7RF4X6lweTxeW9Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false.
• It goes on and on, no wonder with 30 years of warfare.  Introduction is at pages 6-13; and a Synopsis at pages 1-5. We'll go there.

4.  Are you still with us? We have found another Widukind from Saxony, same era, died in 973, but this one was a Benedictine monk and a chronicler, see ://info-poland.buffalo.edu/classroom/orig/chron.html/  His monastery was at Corvey in Westphalia, Widukind the Chronicler.  One and the same Widukind? The warrior did not die in prison but his conversion "took" and he dedicated himself, etc.  And was an educated man?    Look up Early Saxon Leaders, Family of Widukind, at ://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SAXONY.htm/  It looks like the name Widukind and family thereof was a name of power for two centuries, and Widuchindus rebellis - the one leading all the rebellions against King Charles (Charlemagne).  Wikipedia is always interesting.  See ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widukind/

Need to look up the Royal Frankish Annals just because it is interesting, but the point, in this Sweden Road Ways, is that Widukind's Saxons went often to Denmark during their campaigns, Saxon populations were pushed into the Netherlands as well as migrated there, and Widing ergo ubiquitus est. But Widukind and wife, Geva, sister of Sigurd, had only one child, a son, Wichbert.  A prolific one.

The chronicler Widukind does seem to be different. See site.  And his Res Gestae Saxonicae. Are Widings from him? Monks in those days went cloistered as adults, so perhaps.  And then oft enjoyed earth's pleasures.  But how would the Widing Thanksgiving Legend of some poor soul saving the King and being rewarded with a Name, fit with a scribe.  Wikipedia on Widukind of Corvey, the Historian, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widukind_of_Corvey/.; and the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica at ://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Widukind_%28historian%29/.

To be continued:  Widing in the 18th-21st Centuries, harking back in some imaginative or perhaps real (now way to know) Widukind, Vitakind.  Whichever is not the point. Most likely so far:  either no connection at all, and Widing remains with its unknown root; or a telescoping of a common name centuries ago; or an original bestowing of an honor name; a relationship; and people down that line and others who just sought to honor Vitakind's-Widukind's memory, or tap into his prowess by taking the name, whatever.

Perhaps. People seeking noble connections with Widdukind are said to have been unsuccessful, however (is that so?  how about Mr. Geni.Com above?), and they must have applied resources; so any connection between our name and that great one is emulatory. Fine. Why not.

Can you add to our non-knowledge, you Widings out there? We say Widing as in hiding.  Do others say Veeding. Potato potahto.  No reason for research always to be serious.  Recreational research works.