Caupo of Turaida , Kaupo or Kaupo Lieven , sometimes Kubbe (died 21 September 1217) was a leader of the Finnic -speaking Livonian people in the beginning of the 13th century, in what are now parts of Latvia and Estonia by the Gulf of Riga . He is sometimes called a 'King of Livonia', the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia refers to him as quasi rex , 'like a king.
7-506: He is considered to be the progenitor of the Lieven family. He was most likely born in the Swedish settlement of Kaup in modern-day Kaliningrad, presumably a descendant of Varangians who participated in the founding of Kievan Rus’ . Caupo was the first prominent Livonian to be christened . He was probably baptized around 1191 by Theoderic of Turaida, a preacher who would later become
14-456: A modern viewpoint to a medieval chieftain. Some Latvian folk tales name him "Kaupo the accursed, the scourge of the Livs,... Kaupo who has sold his soul to the foreign bishops." Lieven The House of Lieven ( Latvian : Līveni ; Russian : Ливен ; Swedish : (von) Liewen ) is one of the oldest and most aristocratic families of Nordic and Baltic-German origin. The family
21-598: A siege of his former fortress in Turaida in 1212. The wooden fort was rebuilt two years later out of brick and stone, closer to its present surviving form. Caupo participated in a crusader raid against the still pagan Estonians and was killed in the Battle of St. Matthew's Day in 1217, fighting against the troops of the Estonian leader Lembitu of Lehola . Caupo had male successors, his son Bertold had been killed 1210 in
28-576: Is descended from Caupo of Turaida (Latvian, Kaupo ), the Livonian quasi rex who converted to Christianity in 1186, when Bishop Meinhard attempted to Christianize the region. The Livonian Chronicle of Henry tells that in the winter 1203–1204 Caupo went to Rome with Theoderich von Treyden , a Cistercian Monk who was later to become the founder of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and
35-404: The Battle of Ümera . His grandson, Nicholas, was the first descendant who started using the name Lieven more frequently. Modern Estonians, Latvians , and remaining Livonians do not have a singular view about the historical role of Caupo. Baltic nationalists generally consider him a negative figure and a traitor to his people, however, such claims are sometimes dismissed by scholars as applying
42-455: The abbot of Daugavgrīva Abbey . He became an ardent Christian and a friend of Albert of Buxhoeveden , Bishop of Riga , who, in 1203–1204, took him on a journey to Rome and introduced him to Pope Innocent III . The Pope was impressed by the converted pagan chief and presented him a Bible , hundred gold pieces, ennobled him and gave him the name “Lieven.” When he returned from the journey, his tribe rebelled against him and Caupo took part in
49-633: The first bishop of Estonia . They were received in Rome by Pope Innocent III who supported their plans to Christianize Livonia, ennobled Caupo and granted him his coat of arms and the name Lieven. Caupo's grandson Nicholas was the first to spell his name Lieven. According to feudal records, the Lieven ancestor Gerardus Līvo (1269) and his son Johannes (1296) entered service as vassals to the Archbishop of Rīga . One of Caupo's daughters married an ancestor of
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