Tālava lies in northern Vidzeme between the Livs of Metsepole and Idumea to the west, the Estonian lands of Sakala and Ugandi to the north, Atzele to the east and Autīne to the south: the country of Valmiera, Trikāta, Strenči, Valka and Rūjiena.
Its chief fort is Beverin (Beverīna; the site is disputed) and Trikāta is another. en.wikipedia says Henry first names it in 1207 as a Christian land (by inference Orthodox), and from 1208 shows Talibald's people fighting the Ugaunian Estonians in an old feud. On 1 January 1200 it is a land of elders with a Rus' tribute tie and Estonian enemies; no event of that winter is recorded.
Who holds it
- Name
- Not pinned for 1200
- Title
- the elders of Tālava
- Since
- not applicable
- Born
- not applicable
- Family
- Talibald (Tālivaldis) of Tālava, whose seat en.wikipedia puts at Trikāta, appears in Henry from 1208 with his sons (Rameko, Waribule and Drivinalde are named in en.wikipedia's articles; Rameko and Waribule treat with the bishop in 1214). en.wikipedia says he was baptized Orthodox 'sometime before 1208' as a vassal of Pskov (unsourced there). Whether he led Tālava on 1 January 1200 is not pinned.
- Confidence
- low
Henry of Livonia (Brundage tr.); see sources.
Overlord
The Rus' of Novgorod and Pskov: modern accounts say Tālava was forced to pay tribute to Novgorod after Mstislav Rostislavich's campaign against the Chud in the winter of 1179-1180 and that Talibald and his sons took Orthodox baptism (en.wikipedia); not pinned for 1200.
What it holds
How things stand that morning
Free under its elders; tribute to the Rus' of the north likely but not pinned; feud with Ugandi likely but not pinned for this winter.
Wealth
Farming, cattle, furs and honey; the Gauja and Lake Burtnieks.
Military
Hillforts; levies. No numbers.
Threats
- Ugaunian and Sakalan Estonian raids
- Rus' tribute demands
Law and courts
Elders of the land and its forts with the assembled men; Rus' tribute collectors come from Pskov or Novgorod in the north-east (not pinned for 1200). No written law.
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
In 1200
- During 1200 (nothing dated for this land)No event in this land is recorded for 1200.
Later, on the likely course
- 1208 (later)Talibald and the Letts of Tālava ally with the Germans against the Ugaunians; a four-year war with the Estonians follows (en.wikipedia).Depends on: The German presence at Riga and Wenden.
Places of note
- Trikāta: hillfort of Tālava
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Henry names Tālava from 1207; the Rus' tribute and Orthodox baptism rest on modern reconstruction (en.wikipedia Tālava). Latvian sources could not be loaded.
On the map: Northern bounds toward Sakala and Ugandi follow the modern border loosely; very approximate.
Primary sources for The Latgalians
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- The Livonian Chronicle of Henry, Henry of Livonia (1225 to 1227). The chief source for the Baltic mission. Read online
- Charter book of Livonia, Estonia and Courland, volume 1, 1093 to 1300 (documents of 1093 to 1300, edited 1853). The documents of the Livonian mission: Innocent III's bull of 5 October 1199 calling for a crusade to protect the Livonian church, the privileges for Bishop Albert, Archbishop Hartwig of Bremen's acts for the see of Üxküll, and the later charters that settle who held what on the Düna.
Sources and studies
- Henry of Livonia, Chronicon Livoniae, tr. J. A. Brundage, The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia (1961): Books I-III, chapters I-IX read for this record
- Tālava (en.wikipedia)
- Tālivaldis (en.wikipedia)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.