Vykintas

Representation of Vykintas from the Chronicle of Alexander Guagnini published in 1578 .

Vykintas († approx. 1253 ) was a prince of Shamaites and a rival of the later King Mindaugas I of Lithuania .

Life

In 1236 Vykintas was the leader of the Schemaitic associations that inflicted a heavy defeat on the Order of the Sword Brothers in the Battle of Schaulen , as a result of which the order was forced to join the Teutonic Order .

In 1248 Mindaugas sent him along with his nephews Tautvilas and Edivydas on a campaign to Smolensk . When this failed, Mindaugas tried to appropriate their lands . The three then formed a large armed force that also included Tautvilas' brother-in-law Daniel Romanowitsch of Galicia , the Shemaites and the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order. The princes of Galicia-Volhynia succeeded in seizing rule over Black Ruthenia , an area ruled by Vaišvilkas , the son of Mindaugas'.

In 1250 the knights of the order made attacks against Nalšia , against Mindaugas and the areas of Shemaitiens, which Mindaugas still supported. Mindaugas managed, however, to bribe the order master Andreas von Stierland , who had still not forgiven Vykintas for the defeat of 1236, and to win him over to his side. Mindaugas was to be baptized and crowned King of Lithuania. In return, he gave the Order control of some areas in western Lithuania. In 1252, Vykintas and Tautvilas and their remaining allies attacked Mindaugas in Voruta , the unknown first capital of Lithuania. The attack failed and their troops had to retreat to Tverai Castle . Vykintas died around 1253; Tautvilas fled to his brother-in-law in Galicia-Volhynia and Mindaugas was crowned as agreed.

family

Vykintas was probably married to a sister of Mindaugas and had with her the son Treniota , who murdered Mindaugas and his sons in 1263. Vykintas 'sister was the wife of Mindaugas' brother Dausprungas .

literature

• Vytautas Spečiūnas: Lietuvos valdovai (XIII-XVIII a.): Enciklopedinis žinynas. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų Leidybos institutas, 2004. ISBN 5-420-01535-8 . Pp. 15-21