''Rythmus'' (or ''Carmen'') ''de Pippini regis Victoria Avarica'' ("Poem

ong Ong or ONG may refer to: Arts and media * Ong's Hat, a collaborative work of fiction * “Ong Ong”, a song by Blur from the album The Magic Whip Places * Ong, Nebraska, US, city * Ong's Hat, New Jersey, US, ghost town * Ong River, Odisha, ...

of king Pippin's Avar victory"), also known by its

incipit The incipit () of a text is the first few words of the text, employed as an identifying label. In a musical composition, an incipit is an initial sequence of notes, having the same purpose. The word ''incipit'' comes from Latin and means "it beg ...

as ''Omnes gentes qui fecisti'' ("All peoples whom you created"), is a

medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functioned ...

encomium ''Encomium'' is a Latin word deriving from the Ancient Greek ''enkomion'' (), meaning "the praise of a person or thing." Another Latin equivalent is ''laudatio'', a speech in praise of someone or something. Originally was the song sung by the c ...

celebrating the victory of King

Pepin of Italy Pepin or Pippin (or ''Pepin Carloman'', ''Pepinno'', April 777 – 8 July 810), born Carloman, was the son of Charlemagne and King of the Lombards (781–810) under the authority of his father. Pepin was the second son of Charlemagne by his th ...

over the Avars in the summer of 796. It is associated with an experimental trend of the

Carolingian Renaissance The Carolingian Renaissance was the first of three medieval renaissances, a period of cultural activity in the Carolingian Empire. It occurred from the late 8th century to the 9th century, taking inspiration from the State church of the Roman Emp ...

and, though its author, probably a

cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, is unknown, is associated with the Veronese "school" of poets, one of whom, at the same time, produced the ''

Versus de Verona The ''Versus de Verona'', also ''Carmen Pipinianum'' or ''Rhythmus Pipinianus'' (''Ritmo Pipiniano''), was a medieval Latin poetic encomium on the city of Verona, composed during the Carolingian Renaissance, between 795 and 806. It was modeled o ...

'', praising the royal capital of Italy, where it and ''De Pippini'' were probably written.Godman, 31. ''De Pippini'' is usually classified as a "popular ballad", though it does not fit stereotypes of either popular or learned literature and has been likened more to a ''

chanson de geste The ''chanson de geste'' (, from Latin 'deeds, actions accomplished') is a medieval narrative, a type of epic poem that appears at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known poems of this genre date from the late 11th and early 12th cen ...

''. It contains some

vulgarism In the study of language and literary style, a vulgarism is an expression or usage considered standard language, non-standard or characteristic of uneducated speech or writing. In colloquial or Lexical definition, lexical English, "vulgarism" or "v ...

s in grammar, orthography, syntax, style, and form, but much of its hybrid nature is probably purposed. Despite this, and its unusual metre, its rhythm is regular. It contains fifteen stanzas and a final line. Historically, the Avars settled in

Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now wes ...

in a series of ring-shaped fortresses arranged in an even larger ring. An Avar army first appeared on the borders of the Carolingian world in 782 at the river Enns. They were defeated in 795 by Duke

Eric of Friuli Eric (also ''Heirichus'' or ''Ehericus''; died 799) was the Duke of Friuli (''dux Foroiulensis'') from 789 to his death. He was the eldest son of Gerold of Vinzgouw and by the marriage of his sister Hildegard the brother-in-law of Charlemagne. Bac ...

, who sent an enormous booty to the imperial capital of

Aachen Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...

; one of their princes, a ''

tudun A tudun was a governor resident in a town or other settlement in the ancient Bulgar, Avar or Gokturk empires, particularly those of the Bulgars and the Khazars. The tudun was the personal representative of the imperial government and could ...

'', submitted and did

homage Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to: History *Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance *Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts *Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...

. In 796 Pepin forced their supreme prince to likewise submit. Structurally, the poet moves from divine praise, a condemnation of the Avars (in language similar to that found in contemporary annals), a narrative of events (including dialogue), and finally praise of its hero, Pepin. The words put in the mouth of the defeated Avar leader, the Kagan (''Cacanus''), mirror contemporary legal formulae of submission. The Kagan, and his wife Catuna, had previously been warned by one of his men, Unguimer, that his kingdom would fall to the ''princeps catholicus'' (catholic prince) Pepin. At the news of Pepin's approaching army, the Kagan, ''cum Tarcan primatibus'', went to do him homage. The final stanzas, with the acclamatory ''Vivat, vivat rex Pippinus'' ("Long live king Pepin!") at stanza 14 and the final line of ''Gloria aeterna patri, gloria sit filio'' ("Eternal glory be to the Father, glory to His son"), suggest public recitation and

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

influence. The poem was translated into English by

Jack Lindsay Jack Lindsay (20 October 1900 – 8 March 1990) was an Australian-born writer, who from 1926 lived in the United Kingdom, initially in Essex. He was born in Melbourne, but spent his formative years in Brisbane. He was the eldest son of Norman L ...

in ''Medieval Latin Poets'' (E. Mathews and Marrot, 1934). It was also translated into English and published in booklet form in a limited edition of 300 copies: Bill Griffiths (1976), ''The Song of the Hunnish Victory of Pippin the King'' (Earthgrip Press, ). Its most recent translator, Peter Godman (1985), ''Latin Poetry of the Carolingian Renaissance'' (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press), titled it "King Pippin's victory over the Avars".See pp. 31–32 for analysis, pp. 186–191 for the Latin with translation. The first stanza as edited and translated by Godman, goes:

Notes

{{reflist Medieval Latin poetry Carolingian historiography Pannonian Avars 796