Ugaunia

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Ugaunia Ugandi

National motto: None

Ugaunia corresponded roughly to the present territory of Tartu, Põlva, Võru and a half of Valga maakond.

Language

Ugaunian

Capital

Otepää, Tarbatu

Elders

Area

ca 3000 hides

Population

Independence

- 1030; from Kievan Rus 1061 - 1227 to Bishopric of Dorpat

Currency

N/A

National anthem

N/A

Ugaunia (Ugaunian: Ugandi, Oandi; Latin: Ugaunia; Latvian: Igaunija; Low German: Uggn) was an ancient Estonian independent eldership, which corresponded roughly to the present territory of Tartu County, Põlva County, Võru County and half of Valga County.

The name Ugandi is derived by associating "Ugaunia" with the name of Uandimägi Hill near Otepää. An alternate theory proposes that the name "Ugaunia" could have been derived from the Slavic language word "Ug", meaning "South" (cf. Yugoslavia). In Latvian, Estonia is still called "Igaunija", after Ugaunia, their ancient warlike neighbor.

The power center of Ugaunia is believed to have been in the fortified stronghold of Odenpeh (Ugaunian for "bear's head"; Latin: "Caput Ursi", Russian: "Medvezh'ya Golova") in present-day Linnamägi Hill in the town of Otepää. The hill is indeed shaped like a head of a bear, thought to have been a holy animal for Ugaunians. Another important Ugaunian stronghold was Tharbata (Tarbatu) by the river Emajõgi (literally, "Mother River"). It was erected around 600 AD on the east side of Toome Hill (Toomemägi) in what is today Tartu.

In Sackalian folklore, Ugaunians ("ugalased") are enemy warriors and robbers. For example, a folk song from Viljandi (the capital of Sackalia) calls for speeding up the harvest work because Ugaunians might attack. "Ugalane" has also been used as a disparaging word for an unsophisticated country person.

Due to its location, Ugaunia always bore the brunt of East Slavs' attacks against Chudes, as they called Finnic peoples around their North-Eastern boundaries. In 1030 Tharbata was conquered by Kievan Prince Yaroslav I the Wise who forced Ugaunians to pay annual tribute; as well, he established his own fort there and named it Yuryev (literally "Yury's" - Yury being Yaroslav's Christian name). Kievan rule of Ugaunia may have lasted until 1061, when, according to Old East Slavic chronicles, Tharbata/Yuryev was burned down by Sosols (probably the people of Soopoolitse or Sackalians).