Karšuva is the forested country of the lower Jūra and the north bank of the Neman round the later Tauragė and Jurbarkas, between upper Samogitia and the Skalvian Prussians of the lower Neman.
Whether its people counted as Samogitians or Skalvians in 1200 is not settled.
Who holds it
- Title
- elders of Karšuva
- Since
- not pinned
- Confidence
- low
Karšuva is named in the grants of the 1250s as a Samogitian land; some historians count it Skalvian. Its 1200 leaders are unknown.
How things stand that morning
Self-governing; on the Skalvian border (the Prussians' ground on the Poland and Hungary map lies to the south and west).
Wealth
Forest goods, cattle, the Neman route.
Military
Small hillforts; levies.
Customs and assemblies
Elders and dukes of the land with the free farmers decide its affairs; the hillfort is the refuge and meeting place in war. No written law; pagan cult at groves and hills.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Named in the 1250s; Samogitian or Skalvian identity disputed.
On the map: Baltic lands were clusters of settlement round hillforts divided by forest and bog; the outline is a convention traced along rivers and later boundaries.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.