The Battle of Matthew's Day ( et, Madisepäeva lahing) was fought near

Viljandi Viljandi (, german: Fellin, sv, Fellin) is a town and municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 17,407 in 2019. It is the capital of Viljandi County and is geographically located between two major Estonian cities, Pärnu and Tartu ...

(probably in Vanamõisa) on 21 September 1217Battle of St. Matthew's Day (September 21) @ during the

Livonian Crusade The Livonian crusade refers to the various military Christianisation campaigns in medieval Livonia – in what is now Latvia and Estonia – during the Papal -sanctioned Northern Crusades in the 12–13th century. The Livonian crusade was cond ...

. The adversaries were the Sword Brethren (a German Crusading order) with their recently converted Livonian and Latgalian allies versus an army of 6000

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

n men from different counties, led by

Lembitu Lembitu (Estonian also: Lembit, died 21 September 1217) was an ancient Estonian senior ( elder) from Sakala County and military leader in the struggle against conquest of the Estonian lands by the German Livonian Brothers of the Sword at the ...

, who had attempted to unify the Estonians. The Germans won, although the converted Livonian chieftain

Caupo of Turaida Caupo of Turaida, or Kaupo (died 21 September 1217) was a leader of the Finnic-speaking Livonian people in the beginning of the 13th century, in what is now part of Latvia and Estonia. He is sometimes called a 'King of Livonia', the Chronicle o ...

died. Lembitu was also killed, and many other Estonians were forced to convert.

References

Battles of the Livonian Crusade Battles involving Estonia Battles involving Livs Battles involving Letts Battles involving the Livonian Brothers of the Sword Battles in Estonia 1217 in Europe Conflicts in 1217 Viljandi County {{Estonia-stub