Tērvete (Terwerten) is the centre of western Semigallia, on the Tērvete stream; with it the lands of Silene and Žagarė to the south (Žagarė, Joniškis).
Its fort is the later stronghold of Viesthard. On 1 January 1200 it is free and pagan.
Who holds it
- Name
- None named for 1200
- Title
- the elders of Tērvete
- Since
- not applicable
- Born
- not applicable
- Family
- Viesthard (Viestards), named from 1205 as a noble and later duke of the Semigallians, is linked to Tērvete; not pinned for 1200.
- Confidence
- low
Henry of Livonia (Brundage tr.); see sources.
What it holds
- Tērvete hillfort (town record Tērvete)
- Žagarė and the southern villages
How things stand that morning
Free and pagan.
Wealth
Farming.
Military
Hillforts; levies. No numbers.
Threats
- Lithuanian raids
- Feud with the Livs
- The papal and merchants' ban on the Semigallian harbour (1200, likely course)
Law and courts
Elders of each land and fort with the assembled men; in 1205 the Germans took one hostage from each Semigallian fort, which shows the forts as the units of the people. 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
- 1205 (later)Viesthard allies with the Germans against the Lithuanians (Henry IX.2).
Places of note
- Tērvete: hillfort, centre of western Semigallia
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Names from Henry and 13th-century documents; bounds are reconstructions.
On the map: Silene and Žagarė are folded in; very approximate.
Primary sources for The Semigallians
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
- Semigallia (en.wikipedia)
- Semigallians (en.wikipedia)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.