Gediminids
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Gediminids (Lithuanian: Gediminaičiai, singular: Gediminaitis) were a dynasty of monarchs of the medieval Lithuania that reigned from the 13th to the 16th century. One branch of this dynasty, known as the family of Jagiellons, reigned also in Poland, Hungary and Bohemia. Several other branches ranked among the leading aristocratic dynasties of Russia and Poland into recent times.
Their monarchical title was Didysis kunigaikštis of Lithuania, which would be translated as High King according to the contemporary perception. The later construct for its translation is Grand Duke (for its etymology, see Grand Prince). They were rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which realm chiefly meant that of Lithuanians and Ruthenians, being at least half-Slavic.
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[edit] Their origin
The origin of Gediminas himself is much debated. Some sources say he was Vytenis' ostler, others that he was of peasant stock. Most scholars agree, however, that he was related to Vytenis, although it is a moot point whether he was Vytenis' son. The parentage of Vytenis is explained differently in various fake genealogies, compiled from the 16th century onwards. According to the latest Polish research, his parentage cannot be established. For more information see Jan Tęgowski, "Pierwsze pokolenia Gedyminowiczów", 1999.
- Vytenis
- Gediminas
- Jaunutis
- Algirdas
- Jogaila
- Kęstutis
- Vytautas
- Švitrigaila
- Žygimantas Kęstutaitis
- Kazimieras Jogailaitis
- Aleksandras
- Žygimantas Senasis (the Old)
- Žygimantas Augustas
[edit] Branches of the dynasty
The Eastern Orthodox branches of the family were mostly Ruthenian, which also was the one of the two main languages of their established state. Some of these families (e.g., Czartoryski) later converted to Roman Catholicism and became thoroughly Polonized. Others (e.g., Galitzine) moved to Muscovy and became thoroughly Russified.
Some of the noblest princely families of Russia and Poland belong to the Gediminid stock. In Belarusian the Gediminids are known as Гедзімінавічы (Giedziminavičy, sing.: Гедзімінавіч, Giedziminavič), in Polish — as Giedyminowicze (sing.: Giedyminowicz), in Ukrainian - as Гедиміновичі (Hedyminovychi, sing. Гедимінович Hedyminovych), and in Russian — as Gediminovichi (sing.: Гедиминович).
In Poland, most Gediminid families (such as Korecki, Olelkowicz-Słucki, Wiśniowiecki, Zbaraski, Jagiellons) are extinct, but at least three families survive to the present: Czartoryski, Sanguszko, and Koriatowicz-Kurcewicz.
The Russian Gediminid families include Galitzine, Kurakin, Khovansky, Trubetskoy, Mstislavsky, Belsky, and Volynsky.
