Šatrija hill, one of the highest points of the Samogitian upland, by Luokė, has a hillfort with a settlement whose finds go back to the first millennium BC; a wooden castle stood on the summit in the 14th century, and tradition places a pagan sanctuary there.
In 1200 it is one of the refuges and cult places of upper Samogitia; its defences at that date are not pinned.
Who holds it
- Title
- the dukes and elders of the land
- Since
- not pinned
- Confidence
- low
the dukes and elders of the land (names not pinned)
Lord in 1200
the dukes and elders of the land (names not pinned)
How things stand that morning
Samogitian; not pinned in detail.
Charter
none: a hillfort under the dukes and elders of its land, with no written privileges
Council
the assembly of the land's leading men; no town institutions
Communities
local people only; no foreign merchants recorded
Fairs and markets
none recorded
Militia
the men of the surrounding farms, who take refuge in the fort in war
Walls and castle
Earth and timber fort on a steep hill.
Trade and crafts
smiths, potters and bone-workers at the foot of the hill; local exchange (not pinned in detail)
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Later written evidence; 1200 state inferred.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.