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Author Topic: Reference Material on Wends?  (Read 680 times)

Offline Aesthete

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 161
    • Dispatches from the Miniature Front
Reference Material on Wends?
« on: November 05, 2019, 07:46:56 PM »
Can anyone here recommend any good reference material on Wends?

You know, the Polabian Slavs, Pomeranians, Rugian Slavs, Obotrites etc who inhabited the Southern and South-Eastern shores of the Baltic (and inland, of course). Early Scandinavian sources - viking and post-viking - a choc-full of references to Wends. Kings of Denmark and Sweden regularly asserted sovereignty over them in later ages, and prior to that there was a whole bunch of raiding (in both directions, I believe), trade, and intermarriage.

But I realize that I don't know much about them - what were their fighting styles like, their social organization, appearance and clothing, and so on like. Are any of you familiar with good sources or reference material?

The basic wikipedia page on the Wends is interesting enough, but not really that useful for miniature painting or wargaming purposes.
Dispatches from the Miniature Front - my occasionally updated blog

Offline steve29651

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 58
Re: Reference Material on Wends?
« Reply #1 on: November 07, 2019, 01:34:20 PM »
I had the same problem, I was painting up a Pagan Peoples SAGA Warband, and could get some illustrations from Osprey Books, these are few and far between, internet searches on google do not produce much.
The old WRG Armies of Feudal Europe, gives a line drawing, but states that the Warriors are armed the same as the Prussians, but due to raiding may have had more armour and helmets, same fur waistcoats, white or bleached clothing, beards but with short hair.
They also carried the small almond/kite shield as the Prussians.
Thats about all I could find, I used Black Tree Germans as Warriors and a mix of Victix Vikings and Fireforge
Russians for Heathguard.


Steve M