Curonians
- The Kursenieki are also sometimes known as Curonians.
The Curonians or Kurs (
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Origin
The ethnic origin of the Curonians has been disputed in the past. Some researchers place the Curonians in the eastern Baltic group.[2] Others hold that the Curonians were related to Old Prussians who belonged in the western Baltic group.[3]
History
The historical Curonians[a][4] were described in contemporary sources as warriors, sailors and pirates. They are on the record having been involved in several wars and alliances with Swedish, Danish and Icelandic Vikings.[5]
In c. 750, according to
Sigurd Ring (Sigurðr) was not there, since he had to defend his land, Sweden (Svíþjóð), since Curonians (Kúrir) and Kvænir were raiding there.
— [6]
Curonians are mentioned among other participants of the Battle of Brávellir.
The Curonians had a strong
Some of the most important written sources about the Curonians are
... gold is very plentiful there, the horses are of the best. All the houses are full of pagan soothsayers, diviners, and necromancers, who are even arrayed in a monastic habit. Oracular responses are sought there from all parts of the world, especially by Spaniards and Greeks.
— [10]
It was common for the Curonians to carry out joint raids and campaigns together with Estonians (
In the middle of the 13th century, the Curonian army included lightly armed soldiers who fought with spears, shields, fighting knives and axes, formed into an infantry platoon. Archers constituted a separate segment of an army. A heavily armed soldier could have a sword, a helmet, a shield and a wide blade axe. Heavily armed troops would make a cavalry platoon.[13]
It is still not known what type of ships Curonians used: there are only guesses that it was similar to drakar.
Livonian Crusade
During the
The Curonians tightly resisted to the
There are many sources that mention the Curonians in the 13th century when they were involved in the Northern Crusades. In 1210, the Curonians, with eight ships, were attacked by a German crusader fleet on the Baltic Sea, near the coast of Gotland. The Curonians were victorious and German sources claim that 30 crusaders were killed.
Also in July 1210, the Curonians attacked
In 1228, the Curonians together with the
In 1230, the Curonians in the northern part of Courland, under their ruler (rex) Lammekinus , signed a peace treaty with the Germans, and the lands they inhabited thus became known as Vredecuronia or Peace Courland. The southern Curonians, however, continued to resist the invaders.
The Curonians did not lay down their arms at that time. They used the famine as a pretext for claiming economical weakness and actually did not permit the monks to enter the country.[18] Later, the Teutonic Order tried to use Curonian cavalry in the Prussian Crusade, but Curonians were reluctant in this forced cooperation and revolted as a result in several cases.[19]
In 1260, the Curonians were involved in the
Curonian resistance was finally subdued in 1266 when the whole of Courland was partitioned between the Livonian Order and the Archbishop of Riga.
Later history
Southern Curonians from Megowa, Pilsaten and Ceclis lands gradually assimilated and ceased to be known as a distinct ethnos by the 16th century. An intense period of Samogitian-Curonian
On the Latvian side during the Livonian War, the descendants of the Curonian nobility, although downgraded to peasant status, fought the Russians, as Johann Renner's chronicle reports:
The Russians protected themselves boldly, and they knocked out a Curonian peasant Fenrich (who, although only a peasant, is called by them the Curonian king) from his horse.
— Johann Renner, Lievländische Historien, 1556–1561, C. 124v
The Curonian language became extinct by the 16th century.[21]
Curonia, as reported, had its own language, different from the Latvian and Estonian, which is extirpated and prohibited, so that nobody has the right to talk it, and instead has to speak Latvian.
— Johann Renner, Lievländische Historien, 1556–1561, 207v
Geography
Bishop
- Vredecuronia or Vanemane was the land in the northeast of Courland, today in the district of Talsi.
- Wynda or .
- Bandowe (Bandava) south of Vindava, is today in the district of Kuldīga.
- Bihavelanc or Piemare, also south of Bandava, is today in the district of Liepāja.
- Powsare (Dovsare) or Duvzare was a land further south in Courland, today in the district of Liepāja.
- Megowa or Megava (mentioned also as Negouwe in chronicles) 500 km2, was in the environs of modern Palanga, Kretinga and Šventoji.
- Pilsaten or Šilutė district.
- Ceclis or Ceklis – the largest land of 1500 km2 west of the river Venta in Samogitia, up to the Lithuanian-Latvian border.
Notes
- Old East Slavic: кърсь
References
- ^ Matthews, W. K. "Nationality and Language in the East Baltic Area", American Slavic and East European Review, Vol. 6, No. 1/2 (May, 1947), pp. 62–78
- ^ a b Östen Dahl (ed.) 2001, The Circum-Baltic Languages: Typology and Contact, vol. 1
- ^ a b Marija Gimbutas (1963). "Chapter 7: The Balts before the Dawn of History". The Balts. London: Thames and Hudson. Archived from the original on 2012-01-10. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
- ^ "Euratlas Periodis Web – Map of Europe in Year 800". Euratlas.net. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ^ Matthews, W. K. "Medieval Baltic Tribes". American Slavic and East European Review, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr., 1949), pp. 126–136.
- ^ Norna-Gests þáttr, c. 1157, Níkulás Bergsson, Iceland.
- ^ "Euratlas Periodis Web – Map of Grobina in Year 700". Euratlas.net. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ISBN 9789986315056.
- ^ ISBN 9986-9216-9-4. Archived from the originalon 2008-03-03. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ "Adamus: Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum". Hbar.phys.msu.ru. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ^ Enn Tarvel (2007). Sigtuna hukkumine. Archived 2017-10-11 at the Wayback Machine Haridus, 2007 (7–8), pp. 38–41
- ^ Livonian Rhymed Chronicle. 6794–6800, 9095–9100.
- ^ Girininkas, Algirdas. "Žemaičių ir kuršių ginkluotė bei kovos būdai XVII a. viduryje – Durbės mūšio laikotarpiu" (PDF). briai.ku.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 23 June 2019.
- ^ Šturms, E. Zur Vorgeshichte der Liven, 1936, Eurasia Septentrionalis Antiqua, 10
- ^ Zemītis, G. Vendu jautājums un Arheoloģijas avotu iespējas tā risinājumā //Akadēmiskā Dzīve, Nr.46, 2009 Academic Life Nr.46 (2009)
- ^ "Euratlas Periodis Web – Map of Livonia in Year 1500". Euratlas.net. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ^ Chronicle of Henry of Livonia
- ^ Paul Johansen. Die Estlandliste des Liber Census Daniae. 1933. pp. 720, 724–725.
- ^ Livonian Rhymed Chronicle. 5605–5660.
- ^ "Valdas Petrulis "The spatial structure of the region of Samogitian ethnic self-consciousnes"" (PDF). Geo.lt. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ^ "Curonian" (PDF). Uni-klu.ac.at. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
External links
- Die Kuren (German)
- Rimbert: Life of Ansgar, Apostle of the North Archived 2014-11-08 at the Wayback Machine
- Nils Blomkvist. East Baltic Vikings - With Particular Consideration To The Curonians
Further reading
- Žulkus V. Kuršiai Baltijos jūros erdvėje (Curonians in the Baltic sea area). Vilnius: Versus Aureus, 2004. 254 p. ISBN 9955-601-08-6.
- Nikitenka D. Pilsoto žemės pilys (Castles of the Pilsotas land). Klaipėda: Mažosios Lietuvos istorijos muziejus, 2018. 23 p. ISBN 978-9986-31-505-6