Udo (or Uto) (died 1028), born Pribignev (also ''Pribignew'' or ''Pribygnev''), was an
Obodrite leader in the early eleventh century. His name Udo, of
Germanic origin, was probably given him at his
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
baptism, perhaps after his possible godfather,
Lothair Udo I of Stade. Udo's father,
Mistislaw, escaped in 1018 from a pagan Slavic uprising to Luneburg.
Since two contemporary Obodrite princes are recorded, Anadrag (Anatrog) and Gneus (Gnew), Udo's power could not have been that extensive. According to
Adam of Bremen and
Helmold following him, Udo was a ''male Christianus'' ("bad Christian"). He was assassinated in 1028 by a
Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
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peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
, allegedly for cruelty. By his wife, a
Dane
Dane or Danes may refer to:
People Pertaining to Denmark
* Dane, somebody from Denmark
* Danes, an ethnic group native to Denmark
* Danes (Germanic tribe)
Other people
* Dane (name), a surname and a given name (and a list of people with the nam ...
, Udo left a son,
Gottschalk Gottschalk or Godescalc (Old High German) is a male German name that can be translated literally as " servant of God". Latin forms include ''Godeschalcus'' and ''Godescalcus''.
Given name
* Godescalc of Benevento, 8th-century Lombard duke
*Godescal ...
, who later united the Obodrites under him and became a champion of Christianity.
1028 deaths
Obotrite princes
Year of birth unknown
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