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Semigallians (Latvian:Zemgaļi;Lithuanian:Žiemgaliai; alsoZemgalians,Semigalls orSemigalians) were theBaltic tribe that lived in the south central part of contemporaryLatvia and northernLithuania. They are noted for their long resistance (1219–1290) against the Germancrusaders andTeutonic Knights during theNorthern Crusades.Semigallians had close linguistic and cultural ties withSamogitians.
The name ofSemigallia appears in contemporary records asSeimgala,Zimgola andSem[e]gallen. The -gal[l] element means "border", while the first syllable corresponds toziem ("north") orzem ("low"). So the Semigallians were the "people of the northern borderlands" or "people of the low borderlands", i.e. the lower parts of theMūša andLielupe river valleys.[1]
During theViking Age, the Semigallians were involved in battles withSwedish Vikings over control of the lower part of theDaugava waterway. InGesta Danorum the Danish chroniclerSaxo Grammaticus wrote that the VikingStarkad crushed theCuronians, all the tribes ofEstonia, and the peoples of Semgala.[2] When theRurikid successors of theVarangians tried to subjugate the Semigallians, the latter defeated the invading army ofPolotsk led by PrinceRogvolod Vseslavich in 1106. Russian chronicles claim that 9,000 Russian soldiers were killed.[3]
At the start of German conquests Semigallian lands were divided in Upmale, Dobele, Spārnene, Dobe, Rakte, Silene and Tērvete chieftaincies.
According to theLivonian Chronicle of Henry, Semigallians formed an alliance with bishopAlbert of Riga against rebelliousLivonians before 1203, and received military support to hold backLithuanian attacks in 1205. In 1207, the Semigallian dukeViestards (Latin:dux Semigallorum) helped the christened Livonian chiefCaupo conquer back hisTuraida castle from pagan rebels.
In 1219, the Semigallian-German alliance was canceled after a crusader invasion in Semigallia. Duke Viestards promptly formed an alliance with Lithuanians and Curonians. In 1228, Semigallians andCuronians attacked theDaugavgrīva monastery, the main crusader stronghold at the Daugava river delta. The crusaders took revenge and invaded Semigallia. The Semigallians, in turn, pillaged land around theAizkraukle hillfort. In 1236, Semigallians attacked crusaders retreating to Riga after theBattle of Saule, killing many of them. After regular attacks, theLivonian Order partly subdued the Semigallians in 1254.
In 1270, the Lithuanian Grand DukeTraidenis, together with Semigallians, attacked Livonia andSaaremaa. During theBattle of Karuse on the frozengulf of Riga, the Livonian Order was defeated, and its masterOtto von Lutterberg killed.In 1287, around 1400 Semigallians attacked a crusader stronghold inIkšķile and plundered nearby lands. As they returned to Semigallia they were caught by the Order's forces, and the great battle began near the Garoza river (Battle of Garoza). The crusader forces were besieged and badly defeated. More than 40 knights were killed, including the master of the Livonian OrderWillekin von Endorp, and an unknown number of crusader allies. It was the last Semigallian victory over the growing forces of the Livonian Order.
In 1279, after theBattle of Aizkraukle, Grand Duke Traidenis of Lithuania supported a Semigallian revolt against the Livonian Order led by dukeNameisis. In the 1280s, the Livonian Order started a massive campaign against the Semigallians, which included burning their fields and thus causing famine. The Semigallians continued their resistance until 1290, when they burned their last castle in Sidrabene, and a large number of Semigallians – theRhymed Chronicle claims 100,000 – migrated to Lithuania and once there continued to fight against the Germans.
Bauska districtČapāni, Drenģeri-Čunkāni, Dumpji, Jumpravmuiža, Lielbertuši,Mežotne hillfort, Podiņi, Siliņi, Zeltiņi, Ziedoņskola
Dobele districtAtvases,Auce, Bāļas-Šķērstaiņi, Cibēni,Dobele hillfort, Gailīši, Grīnerti, Guntiņas,Īles mežniecība, Jāņogānas, Kaijukrogs, Ķūri, Lielogļi, Lozberģi, Oši, Skare,Tērvete hillfort
Jelgava districtCiemalde, Diduļi, Eži, Gaideļi-Viduči, Kakužēni, Kalnaplāteri, Kraujas, Ķēķi, Mazgrauži, Pudžas, Rijnieki,Vilces parks
Saldus districtGriezes dzirnavas, Kerkliņi, Priedīši, Rūsīši-Debeši
Tukums districtMutstrauti, Zante
Riga districtPļavniekkalns
Pasvalys districtĄžuolpamūšė hillfort, Berklainiai, Daujėnai, Kyburtai, Meldiniai, Noriai, Pamiškiai, Pamūšė, Skrebotiškis, Smilgeliai, Šakarniai, Vaidžiūnai
Akmenė districtBalsiai,Papilė hillfort, Pavirvytė-Gudai, Šapnagiai, Viekšniai
Joniškis districtBudraičiai, Daugalaičiai, Daunorava, Dvareliškiai, Ivoškiai, Jauneikiai,Joniškis, Kalnelis (Sidabrė hillfort), Lieporai,Linkaičiai, Linksmėnai, Martyniškiai,Rudiškiai, Rukuižiai, Slėpsniai, Spirakiai, Stungiai,Žagarė (Raktuvė hillfort)
Pakruojis districtAukštadvaris, Dargužiai, Degesiai, Diržiai, Dovainiškis, Karašilis, Karpiškiai, Kauksnujai, Lauksodis, Liesai, Linkavičiai, Linksmučiai,Linkuva,Pakruojis, Paliečiai, Pamūšis,Pašvitinys, Peleniškiai, Petroniai, Plaučiškai, Sakališkiai, Stačiūnai, Šukioniai, Vėbariai,Žeimelis
Šiauliai districtDaugėlaičiai, Gibaičiai, Jakštaičiai,Jurgaičiai hillfort (Hill of Crosses), Kaupriai, Kybartiškė, Mažeikiai, Norušaičiai, Norvaišiai, Račiai, Ringuvėnai, Valdomai, Visdergiai[4][5]
There is an unconfirmed theory that the Semigallians were one of the first Baltic tribes to establish amonarchy, yet one weak in comparison to the power of the Semigallian nobles.
One of the most notable Semigallian leaders was dukeViestards (Viesturs). Upon uniting hostile Semigallian clans into a single state in the early 13th century, Viestards formed an alliance with the German crusaders to defeat his enemies on the outside. After the crusaders broke the treaty and invaded his lands, he allied withLithuanians, resulting in the near annihilation of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in theBattle of Saule in 1236.
DukeNameisis (Namejs, Nameitis), another renowned Semigallian leader, united Semigallian and Lithuanian tribes for a retaliatory counterattack onTeutonic Knights atRiga in 1279 and inPrussia after 1281. Main sources for his activities areLivländische Reimchronik andDas Zeugenverhör des Franciscus de Moliano (1312). What is known with certainty, however, is that by the end of the 1270s, a new powerful leader had emerged who achieved several major victories over German crusaders in Zemgale and East Prussia.
