Žvelgaitis is the earliest Lithuanian whose name is known.
In the winter of 1204-1205 he led a host of several thousand horsemen north past the site of Riga through the Liv and Latgalian lands to plunder Estonia; on the way back, laden with captives, his men were caught in deep snow near Ropaži by the Semigallians under Viestards and the Germans of Riga, and he was killed by a German's spear. He is listed here because a man of his standing may already have been leading war bands in 1200, but nothing places him on that date.
Who he is
- Name
- Žvelgaitis (Henry of Livonia: Svelgate)
- Title
- duke and war leader
- Since
- not pinned
- Born
- not pinned
- Family
- not pinned
- Confidence
- low
Henry of Livonia calls him rich and powerful and says he led the Lithuanian host of 1204-1205 on behalf of another, more powerful duke. He was killed in February 1205. Whether he was already a leader on 1 January 1200, and what land he held, is not pinned.
Overlord
a more powerful Lithuanian duke, unnamed (Henry of Livonia, 1205)
What it holds
- not pinned
Allies and rivals
Served a greater duke; enemy of the Semigallians and the Germans of Riga in 1205.
How things stand that morning
Not pinned: a probable war leader among the Lithuanian dukes' men; no land or office is known.
Wealth
Henry calls him rich.
Military
Commanded the great raid of 1204-1205; Henry counts 1,200 Lithuanians killed in its defeat.
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.
- winter 1204-1205 (later)Leads the raid to Estonia and is killed on the return (February 1205).Depends on: the Lithuanian-Semigallian enmity and the German presence at Riga Stopped by: any earlier death or change in the Daugava balance
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: One episode in Henry of Livonia, five years after the map date.
Primary sources for Lithuanians
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 Chronicle of Novgorod (kept year by year; the Synodal manuscript written in the 13th and 14th centuries). Novgorod's own record, kept at St Sophia. Read online
- The Livonian Chronicle of Henry, Henry of Livonia (1225 to 1227). The chief source for the Baltic mission. Read online
Sources and studies
- Wikipedia, Zvelgaitis (after Henry of Livonia IX, tr. 2003 pp. 47-49)
- Henry of Livonia, Chronicle (Heinrici Chronicon Livoniae), tr. J. A. Brundage, The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia (1961; Columbia University Press 2003)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.