The Selonians ( lv, sēļi; lt, sėliai, from liv, sälli – "highlanders") were a tribe of
Baltic peoples. They lived until the 15th century in
Selonia, located in southeastern
Latvia and northeastern
Lithuania. They eventually merged with neighbouring tribes, contributing to the
ethnogenesis
Ethnogenesis (; ) is "the formation and development of an ethnic group".
This can originate by group self-identification or by outside identification.
The term ''ethnogenesis'' was originally a mid-19th century neologism that was later introd ...
of modern
Latvians
Latvians ( lv, latvieši) are a Baltic ethnic group and nation native to Latvia and the immediate geographical region, the Baltics. They are occasionally also referred to as Letts, especially in older bibliography. Latvians share a common La ...
and
Lithuanians. They spoke the
Eastern Baltic Selonian language
Selonian was an Eastern Baltic language, which was spoken by the Eastern Baltic tribe of the Selonians, who until the 15th century lived in Selonia, a territory in southeastern Latvia and northeastern Lithuania.
History
During the 13th� ...
.
History
Little is known about the Selonians. There is little archaeological evidence and in historic sources the region is often described as a "scarcely populated land". In written sources they are mentioned only few times.
Archeological data can trace the Selonians back to the beginning of 1st millennium AD when they lived on both sides of the
Daugava River
, be, Заходняя Дзвіна (), liv, Vēna, et, Väina, german: Düna
, image = Fluss-lv-Düna.png
, image_caption = The drainage basin of the Daugava
, source1_location = Valdai Hills, Russia
, mouth_location = Gulf of Riga, Baltic S ...
. But since the 6th and 7th centuries their settlements can be traced only on the left bank of the river.
Selonian culture had a very strong
Latgalian influence. Selonian and Latgalian burial traditions show little difference. Some scholars speculate that during the late Iron Age the Selonians had already partly merged with the Latgalians.
The
Chronicle of Henry of Livonia
The ''Livonian Chronicle of Henry'' ( la, Heinrici Cronicon Lyvoniae) offers a Latin narrative of events in Livonia (roughly corresponding to today's inland Estonia and the northern part of Latvia) and surrounding areas from 1180 to 1227. It was ...
mentions the Selonians at the beginning of the 13th century, when they were conquered and christened. The author of the chronicle describes the Selonians as ''Lithuanian allies''.
Their lands were subjects of the principalities of
Jersika
The principality of Jersika ( la, Gerzika, terra Lettia, german: Gerzika, Zargrad, russian: Ерсика, Герцике; also known as ''Лотыголa'') was an early medieval Latgalian principality in eastern modern-day Latvia and one of th ...
and
Koknese, which were vassals of the
principality of Polotsk
The Principality of Polotsk ( be, По́лацкае кня́ства, ''Polackaje kniastva''; la, Polocensis Ducatus), also known as the Duchy of Polotsk or Polotskian Rus', was a medieval principality of the Early East Slavs. The origin and ...
. The Southern lands however were ruled by
Lithuanian lords.
In 1207, the German
Brothers of Sword together with their
Livonian and Latgalian allies besieged the main Selonian centre at
Sēlpils hillfort. Reason for the attack were German claims that Sēlpils hillfort was used as main Lithuanian support base for their attacks in
Livonia
Livonia ( liv, Līvõmō, et, Liivimaa, fi, Liivinmaa, German and Scandinavian languages: ', archaic German: ''Liefland'', nl, Lijfland, Latvian and lt, Livonija, pl, Inflanty, archaic English: ''Livland'', ''Liwlandia''; russian: Ли ...
. After a long siege the Selonians agreed to baptism and German rule and the stone
Sēlpils Castle (German: Selburg) was built in place of the hillfort.
[Indriķa hronika. Ā. Feldhūna tulk., Ē. Mugurēviča priekšvārds un komentāri. Rīga: Zinātne, 1993. 453 lpp.] The Selonians were last mentioned in written sources in the 15th century.
References
See also
*
Selonian language
Selonian was an Eastern Baltic language, which was spoken by the Eastern Baltic tribe of the Selonians, who until the 15th century lived in Selonia, a territory in southeastern Latvia and northeastern Lithuania.
History
During the 13th� ...
Medieval ethnic groups of Europe
Medieval Latvia
Medieval Lithuania
Historical Baltic peoples
{{Ethno-stub