Battle of Saule

Coordinates: 56°6′54″N 23°30′52″E / 56.11500°N 23.51444°E / 56.11500; 23.51444
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Battle of Saule
Part of the Livonian Crusade

Supposed site of the battle, near Jauniūnai
Date22 September 1236
Location
Uncertain
56°6′54″N 23°30′52″E / 56.11500°N 23.51444°E / 56.11500; 23.51444
Result

Decisive Samogitian and Semigalian victory

Destruction of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword
Belligerents
Latgallians
Samogitians
Semigallians
Commanders and leaders
Volkwin  Vykintas
Strength
3,000 4,000–5,000
Casualties and losses
48–60 knights killed
2,700 total killed
1,200 total killed
Battle of Saule is located in Lithuania
Battle of Saule
Location within Lithuania
Battle of Saule is located in Baltic states
Battle of Saule
Battle of Saule (Baltic states)
Battle of Saule is located in Baltic Sea
Battle of Saule
Battle of Saule (Baltic Sea)
Battle of Saule, painting from 1937
Livonian Confederation
in 1260, showing the Battle of Saule near Šiauliai

The Battle of Saule (

Daugava were lost.[2] To commemorate the battle, in 2000 the Lithuanian and Latvian parliaments declared 22 September to be the Baltic Unity Day.[3][4]

Background

The Sword-Brothers were established in 1202 in

Events of the battle

Crossing the lands of Semigallians, which were not in the order's control,[7] the crusaders marched southward into Samogitia, raiding and plundering local settlements. The locals had only a few days to gather troops for defense. On the knights' northward return, however, they encountered a determined group of Samogitians at a river crossing. Unwilling to risk losing their horses in the swampland, the Holsteiners refused to fight on foot, forcing the knights to camp for the night.[5] The next morning, on the day of Saint Maurice, the main pagan forces, possibly led by Duke Vykintas, arrived at the camp. The Lithuanian light cavalry flung javelins at short range, which were highly effective against the unwieldy Livonian heavy cavalry. The swampy terrain was advantageous for the lightly armed pagans. The slaughter of the Christian troops, including Volkwin, sowed the seeds of confusion in the Livonian ranks. The lightly-armed native forces under the command of the Brothers soon fled from the battle. Almost all members of the order, including Volkwin, died in the battle. Those crusaders and knights who tried to flee to Riga were allegedly killed by the Semigallians.[9] Only every tenth Crusader reached Riga.

The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle described the pagan's defeat of the Sword-Brothers at the battle of Saule: "More heathens arrived. The next day the Christians thought to ride away early, but they had to fight the pagans though they did not want to. In the swamp, they could offer but weak resistance, and they were cut down like women. I lament the deaths of so many heroes who were so easily slain. The Master and his Brothers put up a heroic defense until their horses were slain and even then fought on foot and felled many men before they were vanquished. Finally, and with great difficulty, the Lithuanians felled them with long spears."[10]

Location

The exact location where the battle took place is unknown. The Chronicum Livoniae by

Mūša River, also claims to be the location of the battle.[14]
Saule/Saulė means "the Sun" in both Latvian and Lithuanian, and is the name of the Baltic Sun goddess.

See also

References

  1. Delfi.lt. Archived
    from the original on 2021-03-03. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
  2. ^ Jonas Zinkus; et al., eds. (1987). "Saulės mūšis". Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Vol. 3. Vilnius: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. p. 633.
  3. ^ "Lithuania and Latvia celebrate Baltic Unity Day". Baltic News Network. September 19, 2015. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  4. ^ "Latvians, Lithuanians remember victory over crusaders". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. September 22, 2018. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  5. ^ .
  6. ^ .
  7. ^ a b c d e Zikaras, Karolis. "Battle of Saulė 1236" (PDF). Lietuvos Respublikos krašto apsaugos ministerija. Retrieved June 27, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ .
  9. ^ Dedumietis, D. (2001-11-20). "Saules kaujas 1236.gada 22.septembrī norises rekonstrukcijas mēģinājums" (in Latvian). Archived from the original on 2007-02-24. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
  10. .
  11. .
  12. ^ Baranauskas, Tomas (July 2005). "Naujausių Mindaugo vertinimų labirintai". Kernavė (in Lithuanian). 5 (1): 1, 14. Archived from the original on 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
  13. Delfi.lt. Archived
    from the original on 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
  14. from the original on 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2010-10-02.

Further reading