Ninth century AD: The Nova Corbeia monastery is commissioned to missionise pagans in Saxony. The young Benedictine monk Johannes from Franconia sets off on a dangerous journey into pagan territory as a courier under escort. On the way, however, he not only has to brave the dangers of unruly nature and wild animals, Brother Johannes also learns a lot: he steers a wagon and a boat, soon speaks several pagan dialects and familiarises himself with the healing powers of plants. It is not long before the young monk leaves the safe har- bour of the monastery to make his home on the high seas of life: A missionary assignment sends him to a pagan village settlement in inhospitable territory.