Battle of Saule

Background

The Sword-Brothers were established in 1202 in Riga to conquer and convert pagan Baltic tribes to Christianity. By the 1230s, under the leadership of Master Volkwin, the order was coping with strained financial resources, decreasing manpower, and an ill reputation. However, on 19 February 1236, Pope Gregory IX issued a papal bull declaring a crusade against Lithuania. Volkwin was reluctant to launch offensive actions against Lithuanian lands. His reluctance was determined by understanding that the order lacked strength to wage war against the Lithuanians. The lack of strength was a result of internal conflicts with the Bishopric of Riga. Livonians, Latgallians, Curonians, and Estonians.

Events of the battle

Crossing the lands of Semigallians, which were not in the order's control, 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."

Location

The exact location where the battle took place is unknown. The Chronicum Livoniae by Hermann de Wartberge mentioned that the battle was fought in terram Sauleorum. Traditionally, this was identified with Šiauliai (, ) in Lithuania or with the small town of Vecsaule, near Bauska, in what is today southern Latvia. In 1965, the German historian Friedrich Benninghoven proposed Jauniūnai village in Joniškis district, Lithuania, as the battle site. The theory gained some academic support and in 2010, the Lithuanian government sponsored construction of a memorial in Jauniūnai – a 29 m tall sundial, a pond, and a park of oaks. The village of Pamūšis, situated some 10 km east of Janiūnai on the Mūša River, also claims to be the location of the battle. Saule/Saulė means "the Sun" in both Latvian and Lithuanian, and is the name of the Baltic Sun goddess.

References

References

1. Baranauskas, Tomas. (2006-09-22). "Ar priminsime Europai apie Šiaulių mūšį?". [[Delfi.lt]].
2. (1987). "Saulės mūšis". Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija.
3. (September 19, 2015). "Lithuania and Latvia celebrate Baltic Unity Day". [[Baltic News Network]].
4. (September 22, 2018). "Latvians, Lithuanians remember victory over crusaders". [[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]].
5. Urban, William. (2000). "The Prussian Crusade". Lithuanian Research and Studies Center.
6. Zikaras, Karolis. (2014). "Battle of Saulė 1236".
7. Christiansen, Eric. (1997). "The Northern Crusades". [[Penguin Books]].
8. Gudavičius, Edvardas. (1998). "Mindaugas". Žara.
9. David Nicolle (2005). ''Lake Peipus 1242 – Battle on the Ice''. Osprey. p. 40. {{ISBN. 1-85532-553-5.
10. (1970–1978). "Saulė-Šiauliai, Battle of". Juozas Kapočius.
11. Baranauskas, Tomas. (July 2005). "Naujausių Mindaugo vertinimų labirintai". Kernavė.
12. Lithuanian National Radio and Television. (2010-02-14). "Saulės mūšio memorialui pabaigti skirs milijoną litų". [[Delfi.lt]].
13. Baškys, Vytautas. (2006-09-23). "Baltų vienybės diena – Saulės mūšio atgarsis". Šiaurės Atėnai.