Žvelgaitis

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Žvelgaitis (Svelgates) (literally, looker-about) was a Lithuanian knight.

In 1205, Žvelgaitis led several thousand horsemen northward, from Lithuania through Riga, on the way to attack and plunder Estonia. Returning from Estonia mid-winter, with booty and Estonian slaves, his troops were caught unawares and attacked while crossing through waist-high snowdrifts. He was attacked by the Latvian and German citizens of Riga, under the leadership of Vester, coordinating the attack from a sleigh. Žvelgaitis was killed by a javelin thrown by German Theodore Schilling. 1,200 Lithuanian knights perished; the Estonian slaves were slaughtered as well, in retribution for "past crimes" against the Latvians. In Lithuania, the return of Žvelgaitis was missed, and it is said that as many as fifty wives of the Lithuanian soldiers killed themselves in grief, hoping to be all the sooner at the sides of their slain husbands.

The above episode is given by Henry of Livonia, a thirteenth century German chronicler of Latvian history, spanning the years 1200-1227.

Žvelgaitis was not a Lithuanian ruler per-se but a notable leader in Lithuanian history.

[edit] References

• V. Daugirdaite Srougiene (Daugirdas Srouga), Lietuvos Istorija (Sestoji Laida), (Sixth Edition, no date, circa 1965, no card catalogue info) Knygu Leidykla TERRA (publisher TERRA) Chicago Illinois, printed at M. Morkunas printing, 2000 copies.