Courses

On the map you can find such reminders of the Curonian lagoon as the city of Kursenai , the Curonian Spit and the Curonian Lagoon (in Lithuania and the Kaliningrad Region), the village of Kurshi in the Talsi Region , the villages of Kurshi and Kursisi in the Saldus Region (in Latvia), the former name of the city of Pionersky ( city) in the Kaliningrad region , the towns of Courchelia in the Klaipeda region , Courcheia in the Kälmesse , Panevezys , Telšiai and other areas of Lithuania.

Early History

In the Bronze Age (1500-500 BC), the border of the Kurzeme Balts (West-Baltic culture of burial mounds ) and Finno-Ugric peoples is determined.

In the 1st century, Tacitus , the 6th century - Jordan , the 9th century - Wulfstan and Einhard writes about the Estonians ( aestorum, aesti, easti, esti ), who can confidently be identified with the Prussians , the closest relatives of the Curonian.

In the 1st century, Ptolemy (c. 90-168) on his maps, near the shores of the Baltic Sea, noted the Galindai and the Sudava ( soudinai ). It was suggested that he mentioned boruskai and kareotai, respectively, Prussians and Curonians, but this is a poorly substantiated assumption.

In Grobin, from 650 there was a large settlement of the Scandinavians, which the Curonians conquered approx. 800 years. Perhaps the existence of this settlement is evidenced by a saga about the Swedish king Ivar Vidfamne , who conquered the Gardariki until 695, whose main range covered the territory of the present north-west of Russia .

In 875, a Catholic missionary wrote Vita s. Anskarii ” , part of which is devoted to the Curonians (see below“ Rimbert, a student of Angars, about the Curonians ”) . He reports that in 853 the Danes invaded the Course, but were defeated. Upon learning of this, the Swedish king Olaf attacked the main port of Kursa Seeburg and burned it, surrounded the ancient city ​​of Apuole and received rich ransom and hostages from the kurshes. From Rimbert it is known that already in the 9th century the Kurshes had a state formation, consisting of five principalities, - regnum vero ipsum quinque habetat civitates. Civitates in Germanic languages called small principalities, each of which had its lord, lord ( princeps, Kleikönig ), in turn regnum was a state in which the king or ruler ( rex ) ruled.

The fragmentary historical evidence that has come down to us shows that in the 9th- 12th centuries the Curonian tribes continue to trade and wage war against the Scandinavians. Two Curonian rulers are known who fought with the Vikings in the second half of the 9th century - Loker (possibly from the Curonian Loķis , “The Bear”) and Dorno .

Around 925, the Icelandic Viking Egil Skallagrimsson robs the Course.

In 1170, the Curonians rob Eland . On the first day, they defeat the Danes in time. Saxon Grammatic writes that "the Curonians spent the night singing war songs." The next day they made a tactical mistake and lost the battle.

13th Century Cross Wars

In the XIII century, the Curonians faced the Livonian Order and fought a fierce battle with it for more than half a century. In 1210, the Curonians near Gotland in a naval battle defeated the crusaders who were returning to Germany, however, an attempt made in the same year by the Curonian flotilla to seize the German outpost Riga failed.

In 1228, the Curonians, together with the Zemgale, destroyed the well-fortified Daugavgriva Monastery . In response, in 1229, the crusaders first invaded the Course and devastated the Curonian lands in the Abava Valley. After the campaign, famine began there, and the Curonians from the Abava Valley asked the Riga merchants for bread, for their part promising to adopt Catholicism and become vassals of the Riga bishop. In 1230, the Curonian elders of Vanem signed a peace treaty at a ceremony in Riga, and later this land was called the Peace Course .

In 1232, the Curonian tribes of the Bandavas , Vanemas , and Ventavas entered into an agreement with the Pope. Two years later, the pope's legate made the first bishop of Courland the monk Engelbert, whom the Curonians killed during the rebellion after the battle of Saul in 1236 . In 1242, the crusaders again invaded the Course, and the Curonians were forced to restore peace treaties.

In 1252, the Livonian Order invaded the southern lands of the Curon and built the castle of Memelburg . In the following year, 40,000 Sambians besieged this castle, unsuccessfully trying to capture it.

After defeating the crusaders at the Battle of Durb, the Curonians again rebelled against German rule. They asked zhemites for help as compensation for their help in the victory at Durb . The uprising was only able to be crushed after the Orthodox king Wojskelk became king of Lithuania, who in 1265 made peace with the order and ceased supporting the unbaptized allies of his adversary Troinat - zhemites , Prussians , Kurshis and Zemgals .

By 1267, most of the kurshes were conquered, except for the inhabitants of Tzeklis and Meguva .

In the XIII-XIV centuries, the process of assimilation of the northern Curonian zemgale and the southern by the Lithuanians began . The last mention of the Curonians as a people dates back to the end of the 16th century . The last native speakers of the Curonian language became extinct by the middle of the 17th century .

In the territory where the Curon lived, about 100 hillforts are known, which are usually located in the immediate vicinity of the water. Most often, capes of river bends or between two ditches were chosen. The site is separated from the vicinity by one or more shafts and a ditch. Less commonly, settlements were set up in isolated hills. The sites of the Curonian settlements reach 10,000 m², but most often their area is from 500 to 3000 m². For many settlements, an integral part was at the foot of the settlement. Some of them occupied 50,000 m².

Belief

Curonian mythology was similar to the mythology and natural cults of other Baltic peoples (especially Prussians and Lithuanians) and Livs . In a bullet of October 5, 1199, Pope Innocent III called for a crusade against Livonia and the living barbarians who "worship animals, deciduous trees, clear waters, green grass and unclean spirits."

The highest deity was Perkunas . Next, we should mention a considerable number (several hundred) of the mother goddesses - the Earth mother, Forest mother, Water mother, River mother and others. Lyme and Dekla (especially in Courland) were considered women in labor , Yumis - the god of fertility, Usins - the patron of horses. A large place was occupied by the cult of veneration of the souls of deceased ancestors.

From the 10th century, the Curonians switched to the cremation of the dead, who were burned along with jewelry, weapons and tools. A kind of dowry was miniature objects in the form of small vessels, jewelry, weapons, etc., which were symbols of ordinary things. This cremation tradition was observed in 1413 by the knight, diplomat and traveler Gilbert de Lannoy . He writes: “... their dead [part of the chicken], dressed and decorated with the best decorations, are burnt instead of burial in the nearest forest or oak wood grove; and they believe that if smoke rises straight up to heaven, the soul is saved ... ”Under the influence of Christianity, the burning of the dead disappears in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Obviously, the chickens did not have temples . Otherwise, the crusaders would destroy them, as happened in the lands of the Western Slavs . Instead, there were holy forests, groves, hills, fields and rivers where it was not allowed to cut trees, plow the land and fish.

From the 13th century, written sources report the holy forests of the Curonian lagoon. For the first time “holy forests” is mentioned in the treaty of the Courland bishop Heinrich of Courland from 1252 in connection with the foundation of the parish. Holy forests featured on medieval documents as an integral part of the cultural environment of the whole Courland.

In 1584, a pharmacist from Königsberg, Reinhold Lubenau, testified that the Curonians never cut their “sacred forest” and hunt there once a year during Christmas: “The roe deer , deer, and hares were skinned, the meat was fried, and in order to honor the souls of their parents , ancestors and children and relatives, around the table a lot of candles were poured, and then they ate and drank and they offered us .. later women and men danced, also children; went on like this all night. When at last everyone went to bed, they asked us to eat and take with us as much as we wish; because they didn’t eat the rest. ” ^[one]

Courland church inspector Solomon Henning wrote in Salomon Henning's lifflendische churlendische Chronica von 1554 bis 1590 ... that Kurzeme Latvians considered snakes and toads deities, and if any of them were killed, old lamenters came and yelled: Man peneath , man pene math (My dairy mother, my dairy mother). ^[2]

Jewelry

One of the most frequent adornments was neck hryvnias , twisted from three massive bronze wires.

Both women and men wore necklaces made of beads , both of glass and bronze and amber .

Curon also made bracelets , decorative pins , a variety of rings and brooches .

Bracelets are the most beautiful and most often found Curonian jewelry. They were both ribbon-shaped and spiral, and decorated with animal-headed ends. Women even wore 6-10 ribbon-shaped bracelets on one arm.

The Curonian lands were first documented in 1230 and in 1231 in treaties between the papal legate in the Baltic States Baldwin from Alna ( German Baldwin von d'Aule , French Baudoin d'Aulne ) and the Curonian ruler Lamekin . The land-sharing agreements of the southern Courses were concluded between the Livonian Order and the Kurzeme Bishop in 1252 and in 1253 . In addition to these nine principalities, about 190 Curonian settlements were named. Almost all settlements are identified, which allows you to accurately establish the boundaries of the Curonian lands. Most of these villages exist today.

• Bandava , in the Latin terra Bandowe (now partly Aizput , Alsung , Kuldig , Priekulsky , Skrunda and Vainedi territories in Latvia)
• Duvzare , terra Dowzare, Duizare (now Nice and Rucavas , partially Priekulsky in Latvia and a small territory in Lithuania - Senuoy Impiltis and Butinge )
• Ceclis , terra Ceklis (now Skuodas , Kretinga , Telšiai and Plunge regions in Lithuania)
• Megava , terra Megowe (now Palanga , partly Kretinga district in Lithuania)
• Piemare , terra Bihavelanc (now the city of Liepaja and Durba , Grobinsky and Pavilostsky territories in Latvia)
• Pilsats , terra Pilsaten (now part of Klaipeda County in Lithuania)
• Vanem , or Peace Course terra de Wanneman sive Vredecuronia (now Dundag, Engure , Mersrag , Roysky Territory, the western part of the Talsi and Ventspils Territories, the northern part of the Tukums Territory in Latvia); in the areas along the coast of the Gulf of Riga and the Irbensky Strait lived livs , the Curonian lived mainly in the inland areas near the hillforts
• Ventava , terra Saggara , German Wynda or Winda (now partially Ventspils region and a small part of Kuldiga region in Latvia); the Curonians conquered Ventava in the 10th-10th centuries, crowding out or assimilating the living local Finno-Ugric peoples there.
• The land between Skrunda and Zemgale or Mezhzemlye (now most of the Saldus region and a small part of the Brocene region in Latvia)

Courses in the Egil Saga (period ~ 850)

Torolv and Egil lived at Thorir's esteem. And in the spring the brothers equipped a large warship, recruited people on it and went to war in the eastern lands. They entered the battle many times and gained great wealth. They arrived in Kurland, landed on the beach and agreed with the inhabitants of a fortnight to keep peace and trade. When this period expired, they began to raid, landing in different places. Once they landed in a wide estuary ... ^[3]

Rimbert, student of Ansgar , on the Curls (876)

The power of the Sveons has long been subordinated to a certain tribe that lived far from them and was called chickens. But now for a long time the hens rebelled and did not recognize their power. Knowing this, they were given at a time when the bishop had already arrived in Sveonia [852-853], collecting many ships, went to the country there, wanting to plunder the good of its inhabitants and subjugate them to themselves. There were five cities in this state.

So, the people who lived there, having learned about their arrival, got together and began to courageously fight and defend themselves. Having won and destroyed half of the Danes in the massacre, they plundered half of their ships, seizing gold, silver and many other spoils from them.

Hearing about this, the aforementioned King Olaf and the people of the Sveons, wanting to get the name of those who managed to accomplish what they did not do, especially since before the chickens obeyed them, gathered countless troops and came to the local lands. First, they unexpectedly approached a certain city of their state, called Seeburg, in which there were seven thousand soldiers, and, completely devastating and looting, set it on fire.

From there, encouraged by the spirit, leaving the ships, for five days, with ferocious hearts, they hastily arrived at another city there, called Apulia. There were fifteen thousand fighters in this city. So, when they approached the city, the inhabitants locked themselves in it. They began to besiege the city from the outside, those courageously defend it from the inside; they drove them in, they threw them out. So eight days have passed. Every day from morning till night, the enemies were zealous in battle, and many fell on both sides, but neither of them could achieve victory. And so, on the ninth day, the people of the Sveons, tired of such a long struggle, began to become exhausted and, with fright and trembling in their hearts, thought only of how to flee from there, saying: "Here we will not have luck, and our ships are far away." For, as we said above, the path to the harbor in which their ships stood was five days. And when they, greatly embarrassed, did not know at all what to do, it was decided to find out by lot who of their gods wanted to help them, so that they either won or left alive. And so, casting lots, they could not find any of the gods who would like to help them. When this was announced by the people, loud groans and cries were heard in the camp, and all courage left the swine. They said: “What do we unhappy do? The gods turned their backs on us. and none of them are our helper. Where will we run? Now, our ships are far away, and when we run, the enemies, pursuing us, will completely destroy us. What do we hope for? ”

И когда они оказались в таком тяжелом положении, некоторые из купцов, помнившие обычай учения епископа, стали говорить им: «Бог христиан очень часто помогает взывающим к Нему, Он — могущественнейший в подмоге. Узнаем же, желает ли Он быть с нами, и обещаем ему, что весьма охотно дадим угодные ему обеты». Итак, после всеобщей смиренной просьбы был брошен жребий, обнаруживший, что Христу угодно им помочь. После того как это было публично всем объявлено, все сердца вдруг укрепились, так что свеоны бесстрашно возжелали немедленно пойти на приступ города, говоря: «Чего нам теперь опасаться и чего бояться? С нами Христос. Так будем биться и мужественно бороться, и ничто не сможет нам противостоять; не уйдет от нас эта победа, ибо нам помощником могущественнейший из богов». Все они, собравшись вместе, с радостным и укрепленным духом бросились на завоевание города.

Когда же они окружили город и хотели начать битву, те, кто находился внутри, решили начать переговоры о выдаче откупа. Король свеонов согласился на это, и они тотчас это и сделали: «Мир уже угоден нам больше, чем война, и мы желаем заключить с вами договор. Прежде всего, мы даем вам в залог мира то золото и оружие, которые мы приобрели в прошлом году в качестве добычи у данов. Затем, за каждого человека, находящегося в городе, мы даем полфунта серебра. Мы будем выплачивать вам дань больше той, что платили раньше, дадим заложников и желаем отныне, как и прежде, подчиняться вам и покорно пребывать под вашей властью».

Однако, после того как [осажденные] это предложили, души молодых людей не могли сразу успокоиться, но сделались ещё более возбуждены, и они, неустрашимые, хотели биться, говоря, что силой оружия возьмут город и разграбят все, что там есть, а жителей уведут пленниками. Но король и знатнейшие, последовав более здравому совету, приняли условия осажденных и заключили договор. Взяв бесчисленные богатства и тридцать заложников, они с весельем возвратились к себе. ^[four]

Адам Бременский о куршах (~1080)

Лаланд расположен ближе к пределам склавов. Сии пятнадцать островов принадлежат к королевству данов. Все они украшены светом христианства. Дальше за ними лежат и другие острова, последние подчиняются власти свеонов. Самым-большим из них, пожалуй, является Курланд. Его величина составляет восемь дней пути. Там обитает племя, которого все избегают, из-за того что жителям этого края свойственно чрезмерное почитание идолов. [На Курланде] много золота и превосходные кони. Все там кишит прорицателями, авгурами и черноризцами, [которые даже ходят в монашеском облачении]. Со всего света съезжаются туда за пророчествами, а особенно часто из Испании и Греции. Мы полагаем, что именно этот остров в «Житии святого Ансгария» назван Куры, платившим в те времена дань свеонам. Сейчас — благодаря стараниям одного торговца, которого посредством многих даров приманил туда король данов, — на сем острове построена одна церковь. Эту историю, радуясь о Господе, рассказал мне сам король. ^[five]

Генрих Латвийский о куршах (1210)

Шел двенадцатый год епископства, и церковь жила в тишине, но лишь немного дней. Ибо, когда епископ с пилигримами уехал в Тевтонию, а в Ливонии остались его люди с некоторыми пилигримами, внезапно враги рода христианского, куры, с восемью пиратскими судами появились на морском побережье у Зунда.

Увидев их, пилигримы сошли с больших грузовых кораблей (de coggonibus) , сели в меньшие и поспешили к язычникам, но при этом ладьи неосмотрительно торопились, стараясь опередить друг друга и пораньше добраться до врагов. Куры же, разгрузив спереди свои разбойничьи суда, двинули их навстречу идущим и, соединив по два, между каждой парой оставили пустое пространство. Пилигримы, подойдя на двух первых ладьях, или малых кораблях, были вовлечены в этот промежуток между пиратскими судами и со своих маленьких суденьшек не могли достать до врагов, стоявших высоко вверху над ними.Поэтому одни из них были перебиты вражескими копьями, другие потонули, некоторые были ранены, а иные вернулись к своим большим кораблям и спаслись. Куры, собрав тела убитых, обнажили их, а одежду и прочую добычу разделили между собой. Впоследствии трупы были подобраны жителями Готландии и благоговейно похоронены. Всего там пало около тридцати человек рыцарей и других. Епископ несколько дней скорбел о своих, но он знал, что полезны преследования терпящим их, ибо блаженны, кто терпит преследования за правду, и как сосуды из глины испытуются печью, так мужи правды - испытанием страдания. ^[6]

Договор между северо-восточными куршами и легатом папы Римского братом Балдуином из Альны (1231)

Брат Балдуин, монах из Альны ордена цистерианцев, господина Оттона, кардинальского диакона в тулианском монастыре святого Николая, легата апостольского наместника, пенитентиарий и посол в Ливонии, всем, к коим настоящая грамота прибудет, во веки.

Когда по милосердному внушению Духа Святого, где, когда и сколько возжелает, благоприятствующему нам, сколь бы недостойными управителями и попечителями мы ни были, язычники из земель куршей, а именно от Бандове, из Ваннеман, от [живущих] по ту сторону Венты, от деревень, названия коих таковы: Ренде, Валегалле, Матикхуле, Ванне, Пирре, Угенессе, Ка[н]дове, Анзес, Талсе, Аровелле, Попэ и от многих других, восприняли христианскую веру, то ради этого они дали своих заложников и приняли возрождающее таинство святого крещения.

Мы же с общего совета и согласия рижской церкви, воинов Христовых, всех сообща паломников, всех рижских граждан и купцов, в таковое соглашение с ними вошли и условие скрепили; а именно:

Что они принимают епископа, назначенного властью господина папы, и по непреложному обычаю прочих христиан ему во всем и при всех обстоятельствах повинуются и постоянно при всех обстоятельствах предоставляют своему епископу и своим прелатам те же самые права, которых придерживаются истинные христиане.

Они постоянно принимают священников, назначенных им нашей властью, с почетом обеспечивают их всем необходимым и им, как истинные христиане, во всем повинуются и при всех обстоятельствах их спасительным указаниям следуют; их от врагов будто самих себя защищают; от них все, как мужи, так жены и дети, тотчас приемлют возрождающее таинство святого крещения и отправляют прочие христианские обряды.

Походы против язычников, необходимо совершаемые как ради защиты христианской земли, так и ради распространения веры [Христовой], они участят, сообразуясь с непорочной волей господина папы во всем.

Дабы придать этому неизменную крепость, мы скрепили настоящую грамоту, после того как она была написана, прикрепив печать достопочтенных отцов господина Германа леальского епископа, Теодерика аббата из Дюнамюнде, в присутствии коих это было совершено, печать нашу и всех паломников.

Составлено в лето господне 1230, в шестнадцатые февральские календы . ^[7]

• Договоры немецкого Ордена и его союзников в куршами. земгалами и сааремасцами 1230—1284 гг. // Пути развития феодализма. М. 1972

• Карта расселения народов Европы в IX веке. УНПК Орловский Государственный Технический Университет
• Договор между северо-восточными куршами и легатом папы Римского братом Балдуином из Альны. 1231 (Russian) . Дата обращения 1 января 2019. Архивировано 20 сентября 2016 года.