Routes:

• By the Vikings’ Route

• Before the «century of catastrophes«: Baltics, Karelia and Northwest Rus’ before the 13th century

The Baltics before the Crusaders

At the end of the 1st millennium A. D., Finnish (Aesti, Ves’, Izhorians, Chud) and Baltic (Latgalians, Semigallians, Livs, Aukshtaits, Samogitians, etc.) tribes, like other peoples of the region, were at historical crossroads. They could submit to the chieftain of a stronger and luckier neighbour. This happened to a number of Finno-Ugric tribes (Merya, Chud, Ves) falling under the rule of Rus’ princes in 9th-11th centuries. 13th century saw the rise of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that united Aukshtaits, Samogitians, the Slavs of Polotzk, Grodno and other lands.

According to a legend, the king of Uppsala Eirik conquered the lands of future Finland, Karelia and Estonia in 10th-11th century. But this is a ‘fairy-tale geography’ of Vikings’ sagas, which is not confirmed by archaeological data. In fact, the Baltic tribes were on the threshold of building their states, had their princes and tribal unions. Had it not been for the invasion of Germanic crusaders in 13th century, independent medieval states could have arisen — just like Rus’ or Lithuania — the duchies of Aesti, Latgalians, etc.

The history of Aesti and Latgalians’ lands at that time is the history of medieval chiefdoms, from which earthen settlement sites survive. Their history is little known, as they appear in chronicles mainly in the time of wars against crusaders. We will discuss their fate in those years in the section devoted to German crusades in the Baltics.

Here we will show a few most striking Baltic historical sites of the times before the arrival of the Teutonic knights. Lõhavere is located near Suure-Jaani town in Estonia. Perhaps, it used to be called Leole (Lehola) and was the centre of Sakala County ruled by the Aesti’s chieftain Lembitu. Lembitu saw Christianisation of the Baltic lands as a threat to their independence, coming from both Orthodox Christians and Catholics. There is a record of his conflict with Pskov in 1211. In 1215 the knights of the sword conquered Lehola stronghold. The defeated were christened and Lembitu was taken prisoner. Later he made an alliance with Novgorod and attempted to confront the knights, but was killed in 1217 in the battle at Viljandi (Battle of St Matthew’s Day). The memorial to Lembitu and his warriors can be seen on Lehola settlement site. 

Tags: routes, before 13 century, North-West Russia, Baltic region