The Obotrites (frequently written Abodrites) were a branch of the stock of Wends or North (Jerman Slavs. They were coarse, cruel, false, and indolent, l)iit given to hospitality towards strangers. Their i^riests held the first |ilace in the public estimation, and exercised a leading influence over public affairs, besides having ex- clusive possession of what little scientitic information was extant among them. Their innnerous gods — of whom Swantewid or Svatovid, the four-headed victor, Prove, the god of justice, and Rudegast were most prom- inent— stood under the direction and rule of one supreme god of heaven, and adiniinstered their offices in his name. The Obotrites first became acquainted with Christianity in the beginning of the 9th century, when they allied themselves with Charlemagne in liis war against the Saxons. They were defeated in 931 at Lenzen, in a bloody battle, by Henry I, made tributary to the (ierman realm, and pledged to receive Christian- ity. For a time encouraging progress was made in con- verting them to the new religion ; but when the Ger- man emperors empowered the dukes of Saxony to gov- ern the Wendish tribes, and imposts and taxes were consequently increased, a feeling of discontent afose which the heathen priests were able to intensify until
VICENTINO
^73
VICTOR
it. became open rebellion, and a contest bej^an between I tion. He died in IGU. Sec Spooner, Biog. Hist.ofihe
the opposing religions which continued during nearly a hundred and tifty years. In the last quarter of the 11th century the Christian part of the population was wholly subdued, and the country was altogether with- out Christian influences until Henry seized the throne in 1105, and with the aid of the Saxons overcame his opponents. This prince endeavored to accustom his subjects to the labor of cultivating the soil, and to re- introduce Christianity among them; and the applica- tion of Vicelinus and his companions for permission to preach the Gospel was accordingly received with favor, and a church at Lubeck turned over to them for use. Henry's death, in 112(), destroyed the prospect of suc- cessful missionary labor, however, by inaugurating a bitter internal war in the kingdom, and Vicelinus was obliged to return to Bremen. An opportunity to estab- lish himself at Faldera (n<iw Neuminister. in Holstein) soon afterwards occurred, which enabled Vicelinus to re- turn to the borders of the Slavs; and from this place as a centre he was able to carry the Gospel in every direction during many years, and with a measure of success which induced other missionaries to come to his assistance. An association of celibate laymen and cler- gymen was also formed for pious purposes which con- tributed materially towards the extension of Christian- itv. In 1134 the emperor Lothaire established the fort- ress of Segeburg for the protection of the region in which Vicelinus labored, and in time a church and mon- astery grew up in its vicinity, which were placed under his care; and as the Church at Lubeck was also in- trusted to his guidance, he naturally became the head of the entire missionary work among the Slavs. One of his tirst inidertakings now was the planting of mis- sionary training-schools in both Segeburg and Lubeck. The death of the emperor, in 1 i."7, interrupted the prog- ress of Christianity among the Slavs, and once more Vicelinus saw the devastations of war sweep away the results of the labors of many years. Count Adolphus of Holstein finally subdued the restless popidation, and re- stored the former condition of things. In 1149 Vice- linus was consecrated bishop of Aldenburg; but after a few years of toil in that otfice, rendered difficult by the exactions of his superior, the archbishop Hartwig of Bremen, on the one hand, and of duke Henry the Lion, the sovereign of the country, on the other, he suffered a stroke of paralysis in 1151 which deprived him of the abilitv to travel and of the power of speech. He died Dec. 12,1154.
Literature. — Helmold, Chronicon Slni:orvm (to 1170) ; Adami Bremens. Gestd Hamburg. Eccl. Puntific, ed. Lap- jienberg, in Pertz, Monum. vol. vii, Scriptt. ; Saxonis Grammatici Hist. Danicce FAhri X VI; Crantz, Metropolis and Wandalia ; Gerken, Versvch in d. dltesfen Gesch. d. Slacen in Deutschl. (Leips. 1771); Gebhard, Gesch. d. Slai'en it, IVenden (Halle, 1790-97, 4 vols. 4to) ; also in Welt-Historie, vol. xxxiii-xxxvi; Frank, .4 //es u. neues Afccklenbiirg (heips. 1753-58) ; Kudloff, I'ragmat. Handb. d.meckknb. Gesch. (1780, 2 vols.; 2d ed. 1822); Heffter, Weltkampfd. Deutsclieii u. Slaven (Hamb. 1847); Lap- penberg. Die Bischofe v. Aldenbin-g, in Pertz, A rchiv f. dltere deittsche Geschichtshmde, ix, 384-395 ; Kruse, Le- hen d. heil. Vicelin (1828) ; Wiggers, Kirchengesch. i)fecfc- leriburgs (1840) ; Neander, Kirchengesch. v, 1 ; Mooyer, Verzeichniss d.deutschen Bischofe (Minden, 1854). — Her- zog, Reid-Enrijlddp. s. v.
Vicentino, Andrea, an Italian painter, was born at Venice in 1539. He was a scholar of the elder Par- ma, and followed his style. He was a great plagiarist, but made his selections with good taste and judgment. He was one of the most po|iular artists of his day, and found abundant emploj'ment in painting for the church- es and public edifices of Venice and other cities of that republic, and even beyond its bounds. His best pict- ures are preserved in the collections, among which is his Solomon Anointed King of Israel, in the Koyal Gal- lery at Florence, a picture worthy of great commenda-