The first historically recorded elephant in northern Europe was Abul-Abbas, an Asian elephant given to emperor Charlemagne by the kalif of Bagdad, Haroun al-Raschid, in 797. (801?)
Abul-Abbas journey to Europe started with crossing the mediteranian sea with ship which in October 801 landed at Portovenere together with his mahout, a jewish northafrican named Isak. They spend the winter in Verchelli, and in spring they started the marsch over the alps to the emperors residens in Aachen where they arrived i July 802.
Abul-Abbas was exhibited at various ocasions, when the court was assembled, but was later sent to Augsburg in the southern Bavaria.
The danish king Godfred attacked a trade village close to Denmark in 804 and moved the people by force to to his new built trade village in Hedeby. His ambition was to secure Denmarks part of the trade in the northern countries.
Charlemagne put his troops on march against the danes, and appearenlty send for his elephant to join in the mighty task tp punish the danes.
Abul-Abbas was in his fourthies, and probaly not in best health, and not yet acclimatized the european climate. Eventually he died after passing the Rhine, (probably by swimming) and died 810 in penumonia.
