Editing Samo (section)

==Main sources==
The main source of written information on Samo and his empire is the ''[[Fredegarii Chronicon]]'', a Frankish chronicle written in the mid-7th century (c. 660). Though theories of multiple authorship once abounded, the notion of a single Fredegar is now common scholarly fare.<ref name="Curta59">Curta, 59.</ref> The last or only Fredegar was the author of a brief account of the [[Wends]] including the best, and only contemporary, information on Samo. According to Fredegar, "Samo [was] a Frank by birth [or nation] from the ''pago Senonago''", which could be present-day [[Soignies]] in [[Belgium]] or present-day [[Sens]] in [[France]]. Although he was of Frankish origin, Samo demanded that an ambassador (Sicharius) of [[Dagobert I]] ([[King of the Franks]]) put on Slavic clothes before entering his castle.

[[File:Avar settlement area.jpg|thumb|The Avar settlement area in the Carpathian Basin from the 7th to the 9th century, according to Éva Garam]]

All other sources for Samo are derived from Fredegar and are much more recent. The ''[[Gesta Dagoberti I regis Francorum]]'' ("Deeds of King Dagobert I of the Franks") was written in the first third of the 9th century. The ''[[Conversio Bagoariorum et Carantanorum]]'' ("Conversion of the Bavarians and Karantanians") from [[Salzburg]] (the Bavarian ecclesiastic centre), written in 871&ndash;72, is a very tendentious source, as its name suggests. According mainly to the ''Conversio'', Samo was a Karantanian merchant.

The sources Fredegar used to compile his Wendish account are unknown. A few scholars have attacked the entire account as fictitious, but Fredegar displays a critical attitude and a knowledge of detail that suggest otherwise.<ref name="Curta60">Curta, 60.</ref> It is possible that he had an eyewitness in the person of Sicharius, the ambassador of [[Dagobert I]] to the Slavs.<ref name="Curta59"/> According to Fredegar, the "Wends" had long been subjects and ''befulci'' of the [[Pannonian Avars|Avars]]. ''Befulci'' is a term, cognate with the word ''fulcfree'' found in the [[Edict of Rothari]], signifying "entrusted [to guard]", from the [[Old German]] root ''felhan, falh, fulgum'' and [[Middle High German|Middle German]] ''bevelhen''.<ref name="Curta60"/> Fredegar appears to have envisaged the Wends as a military unit of the Avar host. He probably based his account on "native" Wendish accounts.<ref name="Curta60"/> Fredegar records the story of the ''origo gentis'' (origin of the people) of the Wends. The Wends were Slavs, but Samo was the only king of the [[Wends]], at least according to Fredegar.<ref name="Curta60"/>

It has also been suggested that Fredegar's sources may have been the reports of Christian missionaries, especially disciples of [[Columbanus]] and the [[Abbey of Luxeuil]].<ref name="Curta60"/> If this is correct, it may explain why he is remarkably free of typical stereotypes of heathen Slavs, and why he was familiar with the Wends as a specifically pagan nation.<ref name="Curta60"/>