Bandava (in Latvian and Lithuanian; la, Bandowe) - and old Curonian land which existed in the territory of the Latvia during the late

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...

until it was conquered and divided in 1253 by

Bishopric of Courland The Bishopric of Courland ( la, Episcopatus Curoniensis, Low German: ''Bisdom Curland'') was the second smallest (4500 km2) ecclesiastical state in the Livonian Confederation founded in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade. During the Livo ...

and Livonian Order.

History

It is first mentioned in the biography of Bishop

Ansgar Ansgar (8 September 801 – 3 February 865), also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the "Apostle of the North" b ...

("Vita Anskarii") written by Bishop

Rimbert Saint Rimbert (or Rembert) (''c.'' 830 - 11 June 888 in Bremen) was archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen, in the northern part of the Kingdom of East Frankia from 865 until his death in 888. He most famously wrote the hagiography about the life Ansgar, t ...

of Bremen (lived before 888 AD). It is also mentioned in the January 17, 1231 treaty between the Baldwin von Alna and Curonians. In the April 4, 1253 treaty it was split between Bishop of Courland and Order of Livonia.

Geography

The country was located between Ventava, ,

Piemare Piemare ( lt, Piemarė; la, Bihavelanc) was one of the main Curonian kihelkonds with an administrative center in Esestua ( Seeburg) before the 13th century. It was located between Bandava, Duvzare and the Baltic Sea on the territory of presen ...

, and the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...

on the present territory of Ventspils district and

Kuldīga district Kuldīga District ( lv, Kuldīgas rajons) was an Districts of Latvia, administrative division of Latvia, located in Courland region, in the country's west. It was organized into a city and thirteen parishes, each with a local government authority. ...

in Latvia with the administrative center near the modern-day

Kuldīga Kuldīga () (german: Goldingen) is a town in the Courland region of Latvia, in the western part of the country. It is the center of Kuldīga Municipality with a population of approximately 13,500. Kuldīga was first mentioned in 1242. It join ...

. It included some of the following villages (''villae''): , , Vepele, Libiņi,

Skrunda Skrunda (; german: Schrunden) is a town in the Courland region of Latvia. It lies 150 km (95 mi) west of the capital city Riga in Kuldīga Municipality. History The historical sources first mentioned Skrunda (german: Schrunden) in th ...

, Jērnieki, , Alsunga, Arsene, Asene, Ursuļi, Urāle, Ardone, Pakare, Nikte, Šķēde, , , , , , Tigve, Karitanke, Velži and Manestute. Enciklopēdija Latvijas Vēsture In the treaty of April 4, 1253, concluded by the Bishop of Courland Heinrich and the Master of the Livonian Order, the land of Bandava was divided into two parts. The north-eastern part with Kuldīga Castle near Venta river was received by the Livonian Order, but the south-western part with Aizpute and Embūte castles was further ruled by the Diocese of Kurzeme. The settlements of Bandava referred to in the Agreement in the part of the Livonian Order (two thirds of Bandava): * ''Walteten'' — ( Laidi Parish), * ''Sargamiten'' — Sermīte ( Laidi Parish), * ''Wepele'' — Vaipas ( Kazdanga Parish), * ''Lippeten'' or ''Lippayten'' — Lipaiķi ( Turlava Parish), * ''Libben'' — Libiņi ( Turlava Parish), * ''Scrunden'' —

, * ''Irien'' or ''Yrien'' — Jērnieki vai Dziras ( Nīgrande Parish), * ''Turlowe'' — Turlava ( Turlava Parish), * ''Alswangen'' — Alsunga, * ''Asen'' — Āžu mājas ( Kazdanga Parish), * ''Arsen'' — Ārzes or Ārdze ( Laidi Parish), * ''Iherusalem'' or ''Iursalen'' — Ursuļi ( Kazdanga Parish), * ''Arolde'' or ''Aralden'' — Urāle ( Aizpute Parish), * ''Arden'' — Ardone (?) ( Aizpute Parish), * ''castellatura Dzerbithen'' — Raņķu (Irbes?) pilskalns ( Raņķi Parish), * ''Mesete'' or ''Masote'' — ? ( Raņķi Parish), * ''Packare'' — Pakare?, * ''Nicken'' or ''Nitthen'' — Nikte ( Vārme Parish), * ''Scheden'' — Šķēde ( Vārme Parish), * ''Pavelden'' or ''Paiulden'' — Snēpele ( Snēpele Parish), * ''Villegale'' — Vilgale ( Kurmāle Parish), * ''Eze'' — Īvandes mācītājmuiža ( Īvande Parish), * ''Kewele'' or ''Kewalen'' — Ķimale ( Īvande Parish), * ''Kormale'' or ''Kormalen'' — Kurmāle ( Kurmāle Parish), * ''Kemalen'' — Ķimale ( Padure Parish), * ''Ywande'' — Īvande ( Īvande Parish), * ''Togowe'' or ''Tigwen'' — Tigas ( Padure Parish). The settlements of Bandava in the part of the bishop of Kurzeme mentioned in the agreement (one third of Bandava): * ''Amboten'' — Embūte, ( Embūte Parish), * ''Kalten'' — Kalši, ( Vaiņode Parish), * ''Baten'' — Bāte, ( Vaiņode Parish), * ''Waruwe'' — Vārve, ( Tadaiķi Parish), * ''Elkene'' — Elkuzeme, ( Vaiņode Parish), * ''Assiten'' — Asīte, (

Priekule Parish Priekule Parish ( lv, Priekules pagasts) is an administrative unit of South Kurzeme Municipality in the Courland region of Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvij ...

), * ''Rese'' — Rēzas, ( Embūte Parish), * ''Cepse'' — Sepene, ( Embūte Parish), * ''Padoren'' — Tāšu Padure, ( Kalvene Parish), * ''Selde'' or ''Celde'' — Cildi, ( Kazdanga Parish), * ''Lene'' — Lēņi, ( Rudbārži Parish), * ''Nodingen'' or ''Nedingen'' — Nēdinga, ( Embūte Parish), * ''Parbonen'' — Pērbone, ( Kalvene Parish), * ''Kalnien'' or ''Kalven'' — , ( Kalvene Parish), * ''Apussen'' — Vecapūze, ( Rudbārži Parish), * ''Hasenpotten'' — Aizpute, * ''Iameten'' — Jamaiķi, ( Turlava Parish), * ''Scherenden'' or ''Zerenden'' — Cerenda or Cindari, ( Gudenieki Parish), * ''Adze'' — Adze, ( Gudenieki Parish), * ''Pewe'' — Pievika ( Gudenieki Parish).

References

Bibliography

* *{{citation, last=Bielenstein, first=August Johann Gottfried, year=1892, title=Die Grenzen des lettischen Volksstammes und der lettischen Sprache in der Gegenwart und im 13. Jahrhundert, place=St. Petersburg Geographic history of Latvia 1253 disestablishments in Europe Historical regions in Latvia Former principalities