Absalon strode ahead unmoved. Coming to the temple of their local
god, Rygievit, he attacked him with his axe and bade his guard fall
to, which they did. Saxo has left us a unique description of this
idol that stood behind purple hangings, fashioned of oak "in every
evil and revolting shape. The swallows had made their nests in his
mouths and throats" (there were seven in so many faces) "and filled
him up with all manner of stinking uncleanness. Truly, for such god
was such sacrifice fit." He had a sword for every one of his seven
faces, buckled about his ample waist, but for all that he went the
way of the others, and even had to put up with the indignity of the
Christian priests standing upon him while he was being dragged out.
That seems to have helped cure his followers of their faith in him.
They delivered the temple treasure into the hands of the King--seven
chests filled with money and valuables, among them a silver cup
which the wretched King Svend had sent to Svantevit as a bribe to
the Wends for joining him against his own country and kin. But those
days were ended. It was the Danes' turn now, and Wendland was laid
waste until "the swallows found no eaves of any house whereunder to
build their nests and were forced to build them on the ships." A sad
preliminary to bringing the country under the rule of the Prince of
Peace; but in the scheme of those days the sword was equal partner
with the cross in leading men to the true God.

The heathen temples were destroyed and churches built on their
sites of the timber gathered for the siege of Arcona. The people,
deserted by their own, accepted the Christians' God in good faith,
and were baptized in hosts, thirteen hundred on one day and nine
hundred on the next. Three days and nights Absalon saw no sleep. He
did nothing half-way. No sooner was he back home than he sent over
priests and teachers supplied with everything, even food for their
keep, so that they "should not be a burden to the people whom they
had come to show the way to salvation."

The Wends were conquered, but the end was not yet. They had savage
neighbors, and many a crusade did Absalon lead against them in the
following years, before the new title of the Danish rulers, "King of
the Slavs and Wends," was much more than an empty boast. He
organized a regular sea patrol of one-fourth of the available ships,
of which he himself took command, and said mass on board much
oftener than in the Roskilde ch