Mežotne

Who holds it

Name

None named

Title

the elders of Mežotne

Since

not applicable

Born

not applicable

Confidence

low

See sources.

Lord in 1200

The Semigallian elders.

How things stand that morning

A free Semigallian fort.

Charter

None: an unwritten customary community.

Council

The elders of the land; no town council.

Communities

Semigallians.

Fairs and markets

None recorded.

Militia

The men of the fort and its villages.

Walls and castle

Earth and timber hillfort over the Lielupe.

Trade and crafts

Grain; river trade with the summer merchants.

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.

1. 1200 (Henry IV.6)The papal and merchants' ban on the Semigallian harbour.Depends on: Albert's expedition succeeding.

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: Named in Henry's later chapters; position 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.