Pilėnai
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Pilėnai (also ''Pillenen'' in German) was a
hill fort A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...
in the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
. Its location is unknown and is subject to academic debates, but it is well known in the history of Lithuania due to its heroic defense against the
Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
in 1336. Attacked by a large Teutonic force, the fortress, commanded by Duke
Margiris Margiris or Margis (died 25 February 1336) was a Grand Duchy of Lithuania, medieval Lithuanian/Samogitian prince, mentioned by Caspar Schütz, via Wigand of Marburg, as the heroic defender of Pilėnai fortress in 1336. Not able to defend the fort ...
, tried in vain to organize a defense against the larger and stronger invader. Losing hope, the defenders decided to burn their property and commit mass suicide to deprive the Order of prisoners and loot (cf.
scorched earth A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy that aims to destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy. Any assets that could be used by the enemy may be targeted, which usually includes obvious weapons, transport vehicles, communi ...
). This dramatic episode from the Lithuanian Crusade has caught the public imagination, inspired many works of fiction, and became a symbol of Lithuanian struggles and resistance.


Sources

The attack and the defense of Pilėnai were briefly mentioned in several contemporary chronicles, including ''Epitome gestarum Prussiae'' by a Sambian canon, ''Der Chronist von Wolfenbüttel'' (Chronicler of Wolfenbüttel), ''Annalista Thorunensis'' (Annals of Thorn), and ''Kurze Reimchronik von Preussen'' (Short Rhymed Chronicle of Prussia). However, these sources recite the basic facts and do not provide enough information to reconstruct the events. The only contemporary source that describes the events in greater detail is the chronicle of Wigand of Marburg. However, Wigand's original German text has not survived. His work is known from a Latin translation commissioned by Jan Długosz in 1464. Several excerpts of the original German text were published by
Caspar Schütz Caspar Schütz (c. 1540 – 16 September 1594) was a German historian. Schütz was born in Eisleben. As professor of poetry at the University of Königsberg from 1562 to 1565, he developed interest in the history of Prussia. He then became th ...
(died 1594) and (died 1597). When Theodor Hirsch prepared Wigand's chronicle for publication in '' Scriptores Rerum Prussicarum'', he included these excerpts alongside the Latin translation. In particular, Hirsch believed that Schütz's text on Pilėnai was more complete and accurate copy of Wigand than the Latin translation. This opinion has been widely accepted and historians used Schütz's text, which paints a much more heroic and dramatic picture of Pilėnai, as Wigand's original. This long-standing belief has been challenged by Lithuanian historian
Darius Baronas Darius may refer to: Persian royalty ;Kings of the Achaemenid Empire * Darius I (the Great, 550 to 487 BC) * Darius II (423 to 404 BC) * Darius III (Codomannus, 380 to 330 BC) ;Crown princes * Darius (son of Xerxes I), crown prince of Persia, ma ...
. He has shown that Schütz's text was an unreliable and embellished retelling of Wigand's work. Therefore, the only reliable source is the Latin translation of Wigand's chronicle.


Attack and defense

The
Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
waged the decades-long Lithuanian Crusade against the pagan
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
in hopes of converting it to Christianity. In early 1336, the Order organized another large campaign into Lithuania. Their force included Louis, Margrave of Brandenburg, counts of Henneberg (most likely ) and
Namur Namur (; ; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namu ...
(most likely Guy II, Marquis of Namur), and other nobles from France and Austria. In total, according to Wigand of Marburg, there were 200 nobles. Another German chronicle, known as ''Der Chronist von Wolfenbüttel'', counted a total of 6,000 soldiers. On the feast day of
Saint Matthias Matthias (Koine Greek: Μαθθίας, ''Maththías'' , from Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ ''Mattiṯyāhū''; cop, ⲙⲁⲑⲓⲁⲥ; died c. AD 80) was, according to the Acts of the Apostles (written c. AD 63), chosen by the apostles to r ...
(February 25), this large force attacked Pilėnai, located in Trapėnai land, where some 4,000 people from four different lands sought shelter from the invasion. Wigand's description of further events paints a chaotic and bloody scene. He claims that the people panicked as soon as they saw the Christian army and decided to burn their belongings and commit suicide. It was said that one old woman killed a hundred people with an ax before killing herself. Others managed to escape on horseback. Duke
Margiris Margiris or Margis (died 25 February 1336) was a Grand Duchy of Lithuania, medieval Lithuanian/Samogitian prince, mentioned by Caspar Schütz, via Wigand of Marburg, as the heroic defender of Pilėnai fortress in 1336. Not able to defend the fort ...
attempted to organize defense, but soon was overwhelmed by the attackers who threw burning wood and stones into the fortress. Margiris then cut his wife with a sword, threw her body into the fire, and killed his loyal guards and followers. Thus, Pilėnai fell and the Order collected the remaining prisoners and loot. ''Kurze Reimchronik von Preussen'' mentioned that 5,000 people were killed and only a handful escaped. That is all of the information available from contemporary sources. Later historians and authors added many heroic and dramatic details. For example, they added a large pyre and murder of children and women; the 4,000 people seeking shelter in the fortress became 4,000 armed soldiers; Lithuanians bravely and determinedly defended the fortress but chose death over converting to Christianity and becoming slaves of the Order; Margiris cut his wife in half and then killed himself; the Teutonic soldiers were moved by the terrible sight and noble sacrifice and returned to Prussia without loot. Possibly some of these details were inspired by similar events from the antiquity, including mass suicides in Astapa following the destruction of Illiturgis (206 BC), to "death or victory" defense of
Abydos Abydos may refer to: *Abydos, a progressive metal side project of German singer Andy Kuntz * Abydos (Hellespont), an ancient city in Mysia, Asia Minor * Abydos (''Stargate''), name of a fictional planet in the '' Stargate'' science fiction universe ...
(200 BC), and mass suicide during the desperate Siege of Masada (). It is difficult, if not impossible, to objectively evaluate the events as all that is known about Pilėnai comes from a single source, a German chronicler who saw Lithuanians as heathens and enemies. While there is written evidence about suicides in medieval Lithuania, Pilėnai is the only known instance where a ruler killed his own men.


Location

The exact location of Pilėnai is unknown and historians propose many different locations. ''Annalista Thorunensis'' and Wigand of Marburg mentioned that it was located in Trapėnai land (''terra Troppen'') but its location is also unknown. Maciej Stryjkowski (1547–1593) identified
Punia Punia can refer to: * ''Punia'' (cicada), a genus of cicadas *Punia, Lithuania, a town in Lithuania *Puniya Poonia or Punia is a clan (or gotra) of Jats. Notable people who bear the surname and may or may not be associated with the clan include: ...
as the location of Pilėnai (). This opinion, while not based on any historical arguments, spread widely to historical works and was popularized by various works of fiction. Punia hill fort became known as Margiris Hill and in 1973 a monument was erected in memory of Margiris (the monument is inscribed with four lines from a poem by Maironis). The town organizes events to commemorate the events of 1336. Based on superficial etymological connections, Teodor Narbutt identified Pilėnai with Pilionys (Naujaupis) hill fort in the
Kėdainiai District Kėdainiai () is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. It is located north of Kaunas on the banks of the Nevėžis River. First mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle of Hermann de Wartberge, its population is 23,667. Its old town dates to ...
() and
Jonas Basanavičius Jonas Basanavičius (, pl, Jan Basanowicz; 23 November 1851 – 16 February 1927) was an activist and proponent of the Lithuanian National Revival. He participated in every major event leading to the independent Lithuanian state and is often give ...
with Piliakalniai hill fort in the
Vilkaviškis District Vilkaviškis () is a city in southwestern Lithuania, the administrative center of the Vilkaviškis District Municipality. It is located northwest from Marijampolė, at the confluence of of and rivers. The city got its name from the Vilka ...
().
Zenonas Ivinskis Zenonas Ivinskis (25 May 1908 in Kaušėnai village, near Plungė – 24 December 1971 in Bonn, West Germany) was a noted Lithuanian historian. Education Ivinskis studied at Telšiai and Plungė gymnasiums. In 1925 he entered the University of ...
searched for Pilėnai along the lower reaches of the
Neman River The Neman, Nioman, Nemunas or MemelTo bankside nations of the present: Lithuanian: be, Нёман, , ; russian: Неман, ''Neman''; past: ger, Memel (where touching Prussia only, otherwise Nieman); lv, Nemuna; et, Neemen; pl, Niemen; ...
. He agreed with Kazys Paunksnis and identified Pilėnai with the Pypliai hill fort near the confluence of Nevėžis and Neman (). Alvydas Nikžentaitis focused on the location of Trapėnai and determined that it was a triangle between
Viešvilė Viešvilė is a small town in Tauragė County, in western Lithuania. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 843 people. Gallery File:Viesviles Teismo rumai.jpg, Former court palace File:ViešvilėParkUŽuvitak.JPG, Park File ...
, Ančia River (tributary of Šešuvis), and
Veliuona Veliuona ( sgs, Veliouna, pl, Wielona, german: Wehlonen) is a small town on the Nemunas River in the Jurbarkas district municipality in Lithuania. History Veliuona (also known as Junigeda) was first mentioned in 1291 in the chronicle of Pete ...
. Further, he paid particular attention to ''Ycoine'' mentioned by Jean d'Outremeuse in connection with Margiris' duel with King
John of Bohemia John the Blind or John of Luxembourg ( lb, Jang de Blannen; german: link=no, Johann der Blinde; cz, Jan Lucemburský; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of ...
in 1329 and identified it with Jūkainiai village in the
Raseiniai District Raseiniai District Municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. Symbols Coat of arms: ''A traditional Iberic shield Argent, resting on a base Vert a lynx salient Proper.'' References

Raseiniai District Municipality, Muni ...
. There are five hill forts within a distance from Jūkainiai, including the Molavėnai-Graužai hill fort (). In 1995, Gintautas Zabiela organized a survey of these hill forts and determined that one of them is likely not even a hill fort and other three, including Molavėnai, lacked sufficient cultural layer and archaeological artifacts. An archaeological excavation of Molavėnai
outer bailey An outer bailey or outer ward is the defended outer enclosure of a castle.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 22. It protects the inner bailey and usually contains those ancillary bui ...
in 2009 found only a few minor items (fragments of clay pots, pieces of iron, stone grinders) that are dated to the 1st–5th century. Excavation of of the
upper bailey The inner bailey or inner ward of a castle is the strongly fortified enclosure at the heart of a medieval castle.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 22. It is protected by the outer wa ...
produced no artifacts but revealed up to thick layer of clay (cf.
earthen floor An earthen floor, also called an adobe floor, is a floor made of dirt, raw earth, or other unworked ground materials. It is usually constructed, in modern times, with a mixture of sand, finely chopped straw and clay, mixed to a thickened consiste ...
) used to increase hill fort's height which would date it to the second half of the 14th century. According to Zabiela's survey in 1995, the fifth hill fort, Ižiniškiai (), is now severely damaged by erosion and human activities but was a strong hill fort with a large settlement. Zabiela surveyed additional six hill forts in 1996, including Ivangėnai-Karšuva hill fort near Skaudvilė () but concluded that Ižiniškiai remained the most probable location of Pilėnai.
Tomas Baranauskas Tomas Baranauskas (born 12 September 1973 in Kaunas) is a Lithuanian historian specializing in the history of medieval Lithuania. He is the author of the book ''The Formation of the Lithuanian State''. Baranauskas spent his youth in Žeimelis a ...
disagreed with Nikžentaitis' analysis and searched for Pilėnai in the area of five hill forts that, according to
Guillaume de Machaut Guillaume de Machaut (, ; also Machau and Machault; – April 1377) was a French composer and poet who was the central figure of the style in late medieval music. His dominance of the genre is such that modern musicologists use his death to ...
, were captured by the Teutonic campaign to Medvėgalis in 1329. He concluded that Pilėnai stood in Pilės hill fort near
Kaltinėnai Kaltinėnai ( Samogitian: ''Kaltinienā'', pl, Kołtyniany) is a small town in the west of Lithuania, located near Žemaičių highway in Šilalė district municipality, Tauragė County. Kaltinėnai has around 728 inhabitants (2011). The town ...
in
Tauragė District Tauragė (; see #Names and etymology, other names) is an industrial city in Lithuania, and the capital of Tauragė County. In 2020, its population was 21,520. Tauragė is situated on the Jūra, Jūra River, close to the border with the Kaliningra ...
(). However, an excavation of area in 1990 produced no artifacts. Bilionys hill fort in the
Šilalė District Šilalė (, Samogitian: ''Šėlalė'', yi, שילעל ''Shilel'', pl, Szyłele) is a town in Western Lithuania, Samogitia, Tauragė County. It is located north of Tauragė. The River Lokysta flows through the town and there is a pond in the ...
() was first suggested by German historian
Johannes Voigt Johannes Voigt (27 August 1786 – 23 September 1863) was a German historian born in Bettenhausen, Thuringia, Bettenhausen, which today is situated in the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. He studied history, theology and philology at the Unive ...
. This version is supported by Stasys Kasparavičius who noted that Bilionys is sometimes known as Pilionys and is very similar to Pillenen mentioned in written sources. Additionally, Bilionys is located just south of Medvėgalis which was attacked in 1329 and also likely defended by
Margiris Margiris or Margis (died 25 February 1336) was a Grand Duchy of Lithuania, medieval Lithuanian/Samogitian prince, mentioned by Caspar Schütz, via Wigand of Marburg, as the heroic defender of Pilėnai fortress in 1336. Not able to defend the fort ...
. Bilionys must have been a large and strong fortress as its upper bailey but there is no mention in written sources that it was attacked while neighboring hill forts were attacked several times. However,
etymological Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words and ...
connection between Bilionys and Pilėnai is dubious as the
toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...
Bilionys likely derived from a personal name. Nevertheless, since 2012 Verkiai Regional Park organizes events to commemorate Pilėnai on Bilionys hill fort.


Cultural significance

The heroic defense of Pilėnai inspired many artistic works. The events were described by
Władysław Syrokomla Ludwik Władysław Franciszek Kondratowicz (29 September 1823 – 15 September 1862), better known as Władysław Syrokomla, was a Polish romantic poet, writer and translator working in Vilnius and Vilna Governorate, then Russian Empire. Biogr ...
in his epic poem ''Margier'' (1855). The 4000-line poem inspired an opera by
Konstanty Gorski Konstanty Antoni Gorski () (Lida, 13 June 1859 – 31 May 1924, Poznań) was a Polish composer, violinist, organist and music teacher.Józef Władysław Reiss Najpiękniejsza ze wszystkich jest muzyka polska - 1984 Page 155 "Konstanty Gorsk ...
which premiered in 1927. The poem also prompted novel ''Kunigas'' (1881) by Józef Ignacy Kraszewski. This novel, in turn, inspired an opera by Marcelinas Šikšnys (1905). In 1933,
Vincas Krėvė-Mickevičius Vincas Mickevičius (pl. ''Wincenty Mickiewicz'', October 19, 1882 – July 17, 1954), better known by his pen name Vincas Krėvė-Mickevičius, was a Lithuanian writer, poet, novelist, playwright and philologist. He is also known as Vincas Krė ...
published a collection of legends from Dainava, including a story about Pilėnai. Maironis and
Paulius Širvys Paulius Širvys (6 September 1920 – 27 March 1979) was a Lithuanian poet. Biography Paulius Širvys was born in Padustėlis village (now in Zarasai District Municipality), but soon moved to Degučiai village. After his parents and brother died, ...
composed short poems on the events. The opera ''Pilėnai'' was written by the musical composer
Vytautas Klova Vytautas Klova (January 31, 1926 in Tirkšliai, Mažeikiai district municipality, Mažeikiai district – December 10, 2009 in Vilnius) was a Lithuanian composer and educator. His best-known work is opera ''Pilėnai (opera), Pilėnai'', based on th ...
, and the
libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...
was written by Jonas Mackonis. The opera premiered in 1956, and is often performed in Lithuania. In 2001 the performances took place at the Trakai Island Castle. The
Lithuanian Opera Company of Chicago The Lithuanian Opera Company of Chicago was founded by Lithuanian emigrants in 1956, and presents operas in Lithuanian. It celebrated fifty years of existence in 2006, and operates as a not-for-profit organization. It is noteworthy for per ...
performed the work in 2006 to commemorate its 50th anniversary. In 2002, there was a proposal to create Duke Margiris state award for defending Lithuanian independence with emphasis on loyalty and sacrifice. It was intended for members of armed and unarmed resistance during the Soviet and Nazi Germany occupations in 1940–90.


Historiography

The story of Pilėnai spread from one history book to another, from
Simon Grunau Simon Grunau (c. 1470 – c. 1530) was the author of ''Preussische Chronik'',Full title: ''Cronika und beschreibung allerlüstlichenn, nützlichsten und waaren historien des namkundigenn landes zu Prewssen'' or ''Chronicle and description of the mos ...
, Maciej Stryjkowski,
Albert Wijuk Kojałowicz Albert Wijuk Kojałowicz ( pl, Wojciech Wijuk Kojałowicz; lt, Albertas Vijūkas-Kojelavičius; la, Koialovicius-Wijuk Albertus; 1609–1677) was a Lithuanian historian, theologian and translator. He was devoted Jesuit and religious polemicist, ...
, to Teodor Narbutt, but these are just retellings and embellishments of Wigand's original information.


References


External links


Opera Pilėnai


{{DEFAULTSORT:Pilenai Former castles in Lithuania Conflicts in 1336 Battles involving the Teutonic Order Last stands Battles involving the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Mass suicides 14th century in Lithuania 14th century in the State of the Teutonic Order