Person

Widukind

fl. 777–785 · 8th century · Also known as Wittekind

Widukind was a Westphalian nobleman who led Saxon resistance to Charlemagne in the Saxon Wars. Taking refuge with the Danes when the Franks advanced, he returned to lead repeated revolts, including the victory at the Süntel in 782 that was followed by Charlemagne's massacre of Saxons at Verden. In 785 he submitted and was baptised at Attigny with Charlemagne as godfather, and later legend made him an ancestor of the Ottonian kings.

Widukind
Image: Lucas Cranach the Elder · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

SaxonsDecline, SummaryDuchy of SaxonyFoundation, SocioeconomyKingdom of DenmarkFoundation

Mentioned in 1 state history

Saxons

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Widukind. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/widukind
MLA
“Widukind.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/widukind. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Widukind.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/widukind.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Widukind’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/widukind (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻