| The early events of Jaffna by the Portuguese | | | | The best documented form of Germanic paganism, |
| recalled the historical events in the Roman era Europe | | | | the10th and 11th century Norse paganism with other |
| and West Asia. | | | | European and West-Asian pagan traditions, such as |
| In the course of the centuries the Roman Empire | | | | Finnish, Slavic, Baltic, Roman and Greek were lost |
| steered into a heavy and lasting crisis. | | | | from the practice. |
| Constant wars for the defense of borders, rising | | | | The Franks, Alamanni, Anglo-Saxons, Saxons and |
| military expenditure, excessive taxes, repressive | | | | Frisians were christianized forcibly between the 6th |
| laws, rampantly growing bureaucracy and all-present | | | | and the 8th century. |
| corruption - all this undermined the loyalty of the | | | | The Frankish King Charlemagne conquered the |
| Romans and provincial residents to the Roman state. | | | | Germanic tribesmen and won in all eighteen battles |
| The taxes were so high that many citizens had to | | | | which were fought in the areas of northwestern |
| work for the state for most of the year, while only | | | | Germany. The result was the incorporation of |
| a little was left for themselves. The Roman citizens | | | | Saxony into the Frankish realm and their conversion |
| had turned into slaves of the state and they didn't | | | | from paganism to Christianity. |
| care after sometime whether their ruler and | | | | The King Charlemagne allegedly ordered at the Blood |
| oppressor was a Roman or a victorious Germanic | | | | court of Verden to behead 4,500 Saxons who had |
| conqueror. | | | | been caught practising paganism after converting to |
| Similarily destructive was the new religion, Christianity, | | | | Christianity. The massacre led to two straight years |
| starting from 313 A.D., which disapproved of the old | | | | of constant warfare (783-785). In 783, battles in |
| ideals. In 390, Roman emperor Theodosius banned | | | | Saxony saw Saxon women throw themselves |
| the old Pagan religion. The worship of gods of Jupiter, | | | | barebreasted into battle. One of them was Fastrada, |
| Juno, Minerva, Venus and Mars was declared a crime. | | | | daughter of a Saxon count, who, in 784, became |
| Led by their bishops, Christian mobs destroyed most | | | | Charlemagne's fourth wife and gradually the Franks |
| of the pagan temples, the most beautiful buildings of | | | | gained the upper hand in Saxony. |
| ancient times, massacred philosophers and | | | | In 800 A.D. Charlemagne's authority in Western |
| intellectuals, and destroyed the large library of | | | | Europe was further increased by his coronation as |
| Alexandria. | | | | emperor in Rome and by the establishment of Holy |
| Even the Germanic paganism, the religion and | | | | Roman Empire. He further increased his ruthless |
| mythology of the ancient Germanic nations with the | | | | christianisation of people who were practising |
| principal gods Odin, Thor and Tyr preceding | | | | Paganism. |
| Christianization were destroyed by similar means. | | | | |