Saint Domitian von Kärnten

Domitian of Carantania or Domitian of Carinthia (German: Domitian von Kärnten, Slovene: Domicijan Koroški; died c. 802), also known as Domislav and Tuitianus, was a Slavic nobleman in the principality of Carantania (present-day Carinthia, Austria) during the reign of Charlemagne. He is regarded as the legendary founder of the Millstatt Abbey church and was venerated as a saint. The hagiography of Domitian is documented in a parchment handwriting from the early 15th century; a transcript of earlier reports written in several phases between 1170 and 1306. According to it, he was the successor of the third Christian prince of Carantania, Valtunk, who ruled under the overlordship of Duke Tassilo III of Bavaria from 772. The Conversio Bagoariorum et Carantanorum, a Latin work written in the second half of the 9th century, which deals with the history of Carantania, the Slavic princes Pribislav, Semika, Stojmir and Etgar are listed as are listed Valtunk's successors and Domitian's name is not mentioned. The first part of the manuscript reads as follows: According to this legend, Lake Millstatt in the 8th century AD was much larger than today and stretched up to the surrounding mountains. On Mt. Hochgosch - across from today's Millstatt - was a Slavic fortification, where the pagan Carantanian prince Domitian had his residence. The prince had a son, who one day, despite his father's prohibition and severe weather, traveled by boat onto the lake. When the young man did not return until the following morning, and the prince discovered his capsized boat, he ordered his subjects to drain water from the lake until they find his son's corpse. He made a vow: "On the place, where they will find the body, I shall build a church and convert to Christianity." Domitian's men removed the whole hill to the west of the lake that separated it from the Lieser river. The water level fell until a few days later they found his dead son.