Family of Gediminas
Gediminas | |
---|---|
Current region | Lithuania |
Founder | Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania |
The family of Gediminas is a group of family members of
Gediminas' origins are unclear, but recent research suggests that
The relationships among Gediminas' children were generally harmonious, with the notable exception of Jaunutis, who was deposed in 1345 by his brothers Algirdas and Kęstutis. These two brothers went on to provide a celebrated example of peaceful power-sharing. However, Gediminas' many grandchildren and their descendants engaged in power struggles that continued well into the 15th century.[3] Gediminas' grandchildren converted Lithuania to Christianity and inaugurated the first personal union with Poland.
Origins
Because written sources of the era are scarce, Gediminas' ancestry, early life, and assumption of the title of Grand Duke in ca. 1316 are obscure and continue to be the subject of scholarly debate. Various theories have claimed that Gediminas was either his predecessor Grand Duke
Grand Duke Vytenis' origins are relatively well-established; he was the son of
Recent research indicates that Gediminids' ancestor may have been
Siblings
It is known that Gediminas, born about 1275, had one sister (or possibly two, see below for the wife of Andrei of Kozelsk) and several brothers: Vainius, Fiodor of Kiev, possibly Vytenis, and possibly Margiris. If Vytenis, who was Grand Duke of Lithuania from about 1295 to 1315, was indeed Gediminas' brother, he was probably the eldest son.[7] Historians recognize one son of Grand Duke Vytenis, Žvelgaitis, who may have died before his father.[5] In 1310 Žvelgaitis, already a mature man, led an army to nearby Livonia in modern-day Latvia and Estonia.[8] After Vytenis died in about 1315, Gediminas became the Grand Duke. There are no sources indicating that Vytenis' brothers or other family members advanced competing claims.[9]
Vainius first appears in written sources in 1324. In 1326, as Duke of
Vainius' only known son, Liubko, died in 1342 during a battle with the Livonian Order.The only direct written mention of Gediminas' sister is a legend describing the murder of two
Wives
It is uncertain how many wives Gediminas had. The
An argument has been advanced that Gediminas had two wives, one pagan and another Orthodox. This case is supported only by the Jüngere Hochmeisterchronik, a late 15th-century chronicle, mentioning Narimantas as half-brother to Algirdas.[17] Other historians support this claim by arguing this would explain Gediminas' otherwise mysterious designation of a middle son, Jaunutis, as his succession would be understandable if Jaunutis were the first-born son of Gediminas and a second wife.[18]
Children and grandchildren
Because none of Gediminas' siblings had strong heirs, Gediminas and his children were in a favorable position to assume and consolidate power in the Grand Duchy. Gediminas had at least five daughters and seven sons, whose shrewd marriages helped to consolidate and expand the Grand Duchy's influence to areas east and west of Lithuania. Those marriages speak to Gediminas' diplomatic talent in building alliances with the neighboring states that shared his goals to destroy the Teutonic Order and contain the growing power of Moscow and Poland.[17] The marriages of Gediminas' sons helped to consolidate the dynasty's power over various territories already within the Grand Duchy, while his daughters' and granddaughters' marriages worked to strengthen Lithuanian relationships with neighboring powers.[2]
Daughters
In 1320 Maria married
The marriage into the Lithuanian dynasty that had ruled since about 1289 might have lent legitimacy to the rule of Władysław I of the
Gediminas' daughter Elzbieta married
Eufemija (also known as Marija, Ofka, and Anka) married
It is possible that Gediminas had two more daughters. According to Maciej Stryjkowski, one of Gediminas' daughters was married to
Sons
The chronicle of
It is unclear why, but
Several sons of Gediminas continued his male line, but it was
Manvydas was the eldest son of Gediminas and inherited the territories of Kernavė and Slonim from his father.[33] Little is known about him, and he died soon after Gediminas. It is believed that he was killed in the Battle of Strėva in 1348 along with his brother Narimantas.[7]
Narimantas was the second son of Gediminas. He was baptized as Gleb and went on to rule
Graphic representation
Skalmantas ?
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Butegeidis Grand Duke of Lithuania |
Butvydas? Grand Duke of Lithuania | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Fiodor* Duke of Kiev |
Vainius Duke of Polatsk |
Vytenis Grand Duke of Lithuania |
Gediminas Grand Duke of Lithuania |
Margiris? Duke of Samogitia |
NN daughter? | ||||||||||||||||||
Liubka | Žvelgaitis | NN son | |||||||||||||||||||||
Maria* Duchess of Tver |
Aldona Baptized: Ona Queen of Poland |
Elzbieta* Duchess of Płock |
Eufemija Baptized: Marija Duchess of Galicia |
Aigusta Baptized: Anastasia Duchess of Moscow |
NN daughter? Duchess of Pskov? Duchess of Kozelsk? | ||||||||||||||||||
2 daughters | 2 children | 3 children | |||||||||||||||||||||
Vytautas? Duke of Trakai? |
Manvydas Prince of Slonim and Kernavė |
Narimantas Baptized: Gleb Duke of Pinsk |
Algirdas Grand Duke of Lithuania |
Kęstutis Grand Duke of Lithuania |
Jaunutis Baptized: Iwan Grand Duke of Lithuania |
Karijotas Baptized: Mikhail Duke of Navahrudak |
Liubartas Baptized: Dymitr Duke of Volhynia | ||||||||||||||||
1 son | 3, 4, or 5 sons | 22 children
|
7 or 8 children
|
2 sons | 4 to 10 children | 3 sons | |||||||||||||||||
* Pagan name unknown; Christian (baptismal) name provided Main sources:
|
See also
- House of Mindaugas
- Palemonids – legendary dynasty related to Polemon II of Pontus, a client king of Roman empire who allegedly settled in Lithuania
- Gediminids
- Gediminas' Tower
- Columns of Gediminas
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Baranauskas, Tomas (1996-11-23). "Gedimino kilmė". Voruta (in Lithuanian). 44 (278): 6. Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-521-45011-9.
- ^ a b Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 69
- ISBN 5-86153-012-2.
- ^ a b c Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, pp. 52–55
- ^ Jokimaitis, Rimantas; Algis Kasperavičius; Eugenijus Manelis; Beatričė Stukienė (1999). World and Lithuanian History. VI-XVIII centuries. The World and Lithuania. Vilnius: Kronta. pp. 118–135. Archived from the original on 2005-09-25. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Nikžentaitis, Alvydas (1989). Gediminas (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. pp. 7–16.
- ^ Nikžentaitis, Alvydas. Gediminas, p. 23
- ^ Rowell, C. S. Lithuania Ascending, p. 60
- ^ a b Jonas Zinkus; et al., eds. (1988). "Vainius". Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Vol. IV. Vilnius, Lithuania: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. p. 419.
- ^ ISBN 5-420-01535-8.
- ^ Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 100
- ^ a b Nikžentaitis, Alvydas. Gediminas, pp. 55–57
- ^ Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, pp. 275–276
- LCCN 55020366.
- ISBN 5-420-01535-8.
- ^ a b c d e Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, pp. 87–88
- ISBN 9986-810-13-2.
- ^ a b c Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 114
- ^ ISBN 5-420-01535-8.
- ^ a b Jonynas, Ignas (1933). "Aldona". In Vaclovas Biržiška (ed.). Lietuviškoji enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Vol. I. Kaunas: Spaudos Fondas. pp. 208–211.
- ^ a b c Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. xxxvi
- ^ a b Jonynas, Ignas (1937). "Damilla". In Vaclovas Biržiška (ed.). Lietuviškoji enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Vol. V. Kaunas: Spaudos Fondas. p. 1414.
- ^ Jonynas, Ignas (1937). "Danutė". In Vaclovas Biržiška (ed.). Lietuviškoji enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Vol. 5. Kaunas: Spaudos Fondas. pp. 1501–1502.
- ^ a b Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 224
- ^ LCCN 74-114275.
- ^ Jonynas, Ignas (1933). "Aigustė". In Vaclovas Biržiška (ed.). Lietuviškoji enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Vol. I. Kaunas: Spaudos Fondas. p. 112.
- ^ ISSN 0198-9405.
- ^ Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 82
- ^ Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 160–161
- ^ Zemlickas, Gediminas (2006-06-21). "Istorija ir "Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija" (2)". Mokslo Lietuva (in Lithuanian). 11 (345). Archived from the original on 2009-02-13. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
- ^ Jonynas, Ignas (1933–1944). "Andrius". In Vaclovas Biržiška (ed.). Lietuviškoji enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Vol. I. Kaunas: Spaudos Fondas. pp. 575–585.
- ^ a b Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 280
- ^ a b Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, pp. 282–283
- LCCN 74-114275.
- ISBN 9986-810-13-2.
- ^ Ivinskis, Zenonas (1978). Lietuvos istorija iki Vytauto Didžiojo mirties (in Lithuanian). Rome: Lietuvių Katalikų Mokslo Akademija. pp. 271–274.
- ^ "Kestutis". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ^ ISBN 5-420-01535-8.
- ^ Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 175
- ^ Rowell, S. C. Lithuania Ascending, p. 251
- LCCN 74-114275.