Between borders: Franks, Danes, and Abodrites in the trans‐Elben world up to 827

This article examines the 804 decision by Charlemagne to cede territory beyond the Elbe to the Slavic confederacy known as the Abodrites. In so doing Charlemagne attempted to create a stable buffer along the Carolingian empire's northern border, in large part as security against the growing power of the Danes. Using textual and archaeological evidence this article demonstrates the ways in which the Abodrite buffer between the Franks and Danes influenced the political and cultural development of the Slavs and set the stage for a series of major political showdowns in the first three decades of the ninth century.