Early sources about vendetta custom are some papers of German Order provided in XIII century, some of these customs reflect in Statutes of Lithuania, in some judicial cases of XVI century, in modified law records of other Baltic tribes, first of all in Prussian Pamede statute-book (XIV). But we can also find vendetta custom in hagiographical sources of late X–early XI centuries, sacred for St. Wojciech and St. Brunon of Querfurt martyrdom in Baltic lands.
The motives of murdering the missionaries let us think like that. As St. Vaitiekus came from polish lands, he was attacked as a polish agent or ally. Other motive – he was murdered as he was recognized as a person, who was dipping people into water (baptizing) or torturing them in other ways. Here we can find elements of vendetta customs.
There no direct data about reasons of murdering St. Brunone in hagiographic sources, provided to him. It is said, that Netimers’ brother Zebedene, who probably came when he found out about Netimers’ baptism, told to kill Brunone. It is worth being said that Netimer – the leader of one of the Baltic tribes – killed his anonymous brother because he didn’t want to be baptized. So the anger of Zabedene was directed against Brunone as the causer of those events. Thus there also arises motive of vendetta.
According E. Usačiovaitė, St. Vaitiekus was sacrificed for Baltic gods. But earlier mentioned motives of killing the missionaries don’t let to give prominence to sacral motives. If St. Vaitiekus was sacrificed to gods, how would Prussians later render his head or body as a ransom to polish Duke Beleslov the Brave? In case of St. Brunone, he could incur displeasure of pagons when he threw their idols into the fire, but it didn’t happen like that. So it doesn’t let to deny vendetta motive disposing of first missionaires into Baltic lands.
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