Gottschalk's father
Udo was a bad Christian (
male christianus according to
Adam of Bremen) whose own father,
Mistiwoi, had renounced the new religion for the old
Slavic paganism. Udo sent his son to be educated at the monastery of St. Michael at
Lenzen and later at
Lüneburg. After a Saxon murdered Udo in 1028, Gottschalk renounced Christianity and took over the leadership of the
Liutizi to avenge his father. He killed many Saxons before Duke
Bernard II of Saxony defeated and captured him; his lands went to
Ratibor of the
Polabians. Re-converted to Christianity, Gottschalk was released and sent to
Denmark with many of his people to serve King
Canute the Great in his wars with
Norway. He was sent to
England with Canute's son
Sweyn.
Sven Estridson,
Jarl of Denmark, desired independence from King
Magnus I of Norway in 1042. Because Magnus was supported by his brother-in-law, Bernard II, Sven achieved an alliance with the Obotrites through the mediation of Gottschalk. However, the Obotrite chief Ratibor was killed in a siege by Magnus in 1043. The death of Ratibor and his sons allowed Gottschalk, who married Sven's daughter
Sigrid, to seek the inheritance of his father Udo as Prince of the Obodrites. During the so-called
Liutizi Civil War (
Lutizischer Bruderkrieg) of 1057, Gottschalk conquered the
Circipani and
Kessini. He secured the territory through the building of new fortresses; the old fortifications of the conquered tribes were removed. He subdued the Liutizi and the
diocese of Bremen "feared him as king" and paid him tribute. He nurtured alliance with his Christian neighbours, Scandinavian and German and joined in an alliance with Duke Bernard and King Magnus to defeat the Liutizi in battle. Allied with the
Lutici, the Obotrites murdered Gottschalk in a
1066 rebellion, capturing the castle of
Lenzen and forcing his sons
Henry and
Budivoj to flee to Denmark and to
Lüneburg respectively. Initially the Lutici-Obotrie alliance was led by
Blus, but after his death in 1066,
Kruto, whose power-base was
Wagria, replaced him. Budivoj campaigned against Kruto with Saxon assistance, but was killed at
Plön in 1075. Henry succeeded in avenging his father's death by killing Kruto at a feast in 1090. Gottschalk's feast is the day of his death, according to the
Carthusians of
Brussels in the
Martyrology of Usuardus. The primary sources for his life are Adam of Bremen and
Helmold. "Had he lived, he would have brought all pagans to the Christian faith." His son
Henry later championed the missionary work of
Vicelinus. ==Butler's account==