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19-580: According to popular legend the Semigallian king Nameisis made a ring called the "namejs" so he could be identified by his family. But his enemies got hold of this information and sought the ring to kill the king (during a war) to have victories. The villagers also created these rings in order to protect the King. And for this reason Namejs is a popular ring for Latvians. In 1287, the Semigallian castle

38-476: Is a minor airfield, probably used during World War II. It appears on American Department of Defense Operational Navigation Charts from the 1980s, it was an even field suitable for plane landing/takeoff in case of eventual war. This Semigallia location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Semigallians Semigallians ( Latvian : Zemgaļi ; Lithuanian : Žiemgaliai ; also Zemgalians , Semigalls or Semigalians ) were

57-557: Is also not clear whether or not Rogvolod was the older brother of Davyd and Gleb . However, if he was given the Principality of Drutsk it, probably, corresponds to the line of succession which presumably made him second in that line. It also possible that he was the Prince of Polotsk right after his father's death, but that account is rebutted by another fact which is supported by some Slavic chronicles that call Davyd Vseslavich as

76-535: Is an unconfirmed theory that the Semigallians were one of the first Baltic tribes to establish a monarchy , yet one weak in comparison to the power of the Semigallian nobles. One of the most notable Semigallian leaders was duke Viestards (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

95-649: 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. Rogvolod Vseslavich Rogvolod Vseslavich , baptismal name Boris , was the Prince of Drutsk and Polotsk . He was the son of Vseslav of Polotsk , Grand Prince of Rus. Rogvolod probably was named in honor of his ancestor Rogvolod . Some historians, including Mikhail Pogodin , believe that Rogvolod-Boris are two different princes. It

114-737: The Aizkraukle hillfort. In 1236, Semigallians attacked crusaders retreating to Riga after the Battle of Saule , killing many of them. After regular attacks, the Livonian Order partly subdued the Semigallians in 1254. In 1270, the Lithuanian Grand Duke Traidenis , together with Semigallians, attacked Livonia and Saaremaa . During the Battle of Karuse on the frozen gulf of Riga , the Livonian Order

133-586: The Baltic tribe that lived in the south central part of contemporary Latvia and northern Lithuania . They are noted for their long resistance (1219–1290) against the German crusaders and Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades . Semigallians had close linguistic and cultural ties with Samogitians . The name of Semigallia appears in contemporary records as Seimgala , Zimgola and Sem [ e ] gallen . The -gal[l] element means "border", while

152-695: The Danish chronicler Saxo Grammaticus wrote that the Viking Starkad crushed the Curonians , all the tribes of Estonia , and the peoples of Semgala. When the Rurikid successors of the Varangians tried to subjugate the Semigallians, the latter defeated the invading army of Polotsk led by Prince Rogvolod Vseslavich in 1106. Russian chronicles claim that 9,000 Russian soldiers were killed. At

171-2151: 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. The Rhymed Chronicle claims 100,000 migrated to Lithuania and once there continued to fight against the Germans. Bauska district Čapāni, Drenģeri-Čunkāni, Dumpji, Jumpravmuiža, Lielbertuši, Mežotne hillfort, Podiņi, Siliņi, Zeltiņi, Ziedoņskola Dobele district Atvases, Auce , Bāļas-Šķērstaiņi, Cibēni, Dobele hillfort, Gailīši, Grīnerti, Guntiņas, Īles mežniecība, Jāņogānas, Kaijukrogs, Ķūri, Lielogļi, Lozberģi, Oši, Skare, Tērvete hillfort Jelgava district Ciemalde, Diduļi, Eži, Gaideļi-Viduči, Kakužēni, Kalnaplāteri, Kraujas, Ķēķi, Mazgrauži, Pudžas, Rijnieki, Vilces parks Saldus district Griezes dzirnavas, Kerkliņi, Priedīši, Rūsīši-Debeši Tukums district Mutstrauti, Zante Riga district Pļavniekkalns Pasvalys district Ąžuolpamūšė hillfort , Berklainiai, Daujėnai, Kyburtai, Meldiniai, Noriai, Pamiškiai, Pamūšė, Skrebotiškis, Smilgeliai, Šakarniai, Vaidžiūnai Akmenė district Balsiai, Papilė hillfort, Pavirvytė-Gudai, Šapnagiai, Viekšniai Joniškis district Budraičiai, Daugalaičiai, Daunorava, Dvareliškiai, Ivoškiai, Jauneikiai, Joniškis , Kalnelis ( Sidabrė hillfort), Lieporai, Linkaičiai , Linksmėnai, Martyniškiai, Rudiškiai , Rukuižiai, Slėpsniai, Spirakiai, Stungiai, Žagarė ( Raktuvė hillfort) Pakruojis district Aukštadvaris, 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 district Daugėlaičiai, Gibaičiai, Jakštaičiai, Jurgaičiai hillfort ( Hill of Crosses ), Kaupriai, Kybartiškė, Mažeikiai, Norušaičiai, Norvaišiai, Račiai, Ringuvėnai, Valdomai, Visdergiai There

190-730: The christened Livonian chief Caupo conquer back his Turaida 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 and Curonians attacked the Daugavgrīva monastery, the main crusader stronghold at the Daugava river delta. The crusaders took revenge and invaded Semigallia. The Semigallians, in turn, pillaged land around

209-562: The first syllable corresponds to ziem ("north") or zem ("low"). So the Semigallians were the "people of the northern borderlands" or "people of the low borderlands", i.e. the lower parts of the Mūša and Lielupe river valleys. During the Viking Age , the Semigallians were involved in battles with Swedish Vikings over control of the lower part of the Daugava waterway . In Gesta Danorum

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228-550: The hillfort on right bank of Tērvete river to be the site of the legendary Tērvete castle described in chronicles from the Middle Ages. The hillfort was excavated by August Bielenstein between 1866 and 1892. The expedition of the Latvian Museum of History led by E. Brīvkalne carried out excavations in 1952–53 and 1954–59. Tērvete is also the site of an airfield , located 2 km (1 mi) east of Kalnamuiža . It

247-519: The leader of the Polotsk armed forces and possibly the main successor of the Polotsk throne. According to Vasily Tatishchev , Rogvolod has found the city of Barysaw in 1102, hence are the main speculation him being also called Boris. In 1106 he possibly participated in the united campaign of Polotsk Principality against the Semigallians , which ended in defeat. Sometime in 1120 Rogvolod founded

266-486: The master of the Livonian Order Willekin 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 the Battle of Aizkraukle , Grand Duke Traidenis of Lithuania supported a Semigallian revolt against the Livonian Order led by duke Nameisis . In the 1280s, the Livonian Order started a massive campaign against

285-726: The outside. After the crusaders broke the treaty and invaded his lands, he allied with Lithuanians , resulting in the near annihilation of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in the Battle of Saule in 1236. Duke Nameisis (Namejs, Nameitis), another renowned Semigallian leader, united Semigallian and Lithuanian tribes for a retaliatory counterattack on Teutonic Knights at Riga in 1279 and in Prussia after 1281. Main sources for his activities are Livländische Reimchronik and Das Zeugenverhör des Franciscus de Moliano (1312). What

304-567: The start of German conquests Semigallian lands were divided in Upmale, Dobele, Spārnene, Dobe, Rakte, Silene and Tērvete chieftaincies. According to the Livonian Chronicle of Henry , Semigallians formed an alliance with bishop Albert of Riga against rebellious Livonians before 1203, and received military support to hold back Lithuanian attacks in 1205. In 1207, the Semigallian duke Viestards ( Latin : dux Semigallorum ) helped

323-558: Was defeated, and its master Otto von Lutterberg killed. In 1287, around 1400 Semigallians attacked a crusader stronghold in Ikšķile 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

342-470: Was destroyed by the Livonian Order . In 1335, the wooden castle Hof zum Berg Kalnamuiža was built by the Order of Livonia near to the site of the former Semigallian fortifications, destroyed by the Lithuanian forces in 1345. A second legend describes the story of the German crusaders slowly moving into Latvian territory in the Middle Ages, taking over tribe after tribe. Namejs, the Semigallian king,

361-556: Was the last to subdue to the crusaders' power. Namejs and his people left their land and went south into Lithuanian territory. Namejs didn't want his people to forget their heritage and their origins and had the Namejs Ring designed for all of his people so that they could identify each other and have a common bond. Now it is a popular ring amongst Latvians that live outside of Latvia because it shows their love for Latvia and recognition of their heritage. In 1819, K. F. Watson declared

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