The Šiauliai land lies where the Samogitian upland meets the Semigallian plain, round the lakes and rivers of the later Šiauliai.
The battle of Saulė (1236), where the Samogitians destroyed the Sword Brothers, was fought in or near it. It is drawn as a Samogitian land, though it may have been a land of its own.
Who holds it
- Title
- elders of the Šiauliai land
- Since
- not pinned
- Confidence
- low
The land of Saulė (Šiauliai) appears with the battle of 1236; its 1200 leaders are unknown.
How things stand that morning
Self-governing; borders the Semigallians to the north.
Wealth
Farming and cattle on the plain.
Military
Levies; small hillforts.
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: Known from 1236 onwards; 1200 extent inferred.
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.