John Scotus

John Scotus (approx. A.D. 990 – 10 November 1066) was a Bishop of Mecklenburg from Scotland. It is likely this John can be identified as the John who was allegedly made Bishop of Glasgow sometime between 1055 and 1060 and possibly the same John allegedly holding the title of Bishop of Orkney.

From approximately 500 AD Slavonic tribes arrived in Mecklenburg. By about 600, they had complete possession of the land. The chief god was Radegast Zuarasici, whose sanctuary at Rethra was the centre of his worship for the whole of Mecklenburg. Charlemagne's conquests in this region were lost soon after his death. Henry I of Germany (916–36) was the first to force the Slavonic territory again to pay tribute ; he also placed it under the jurisdiction of Saxon counts. With the dominion of the Germans, Christianity found ingress into the land. However, antagonism to the tribute to the empire and the Saxon dukes led to a heathen reaction.

He was killed in 1066 during a Wendish revolt against Christianity, when he was sacrificed to Radegast, the god of hospitality.

He is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, and by some Eastern Orthodox Christians.