Vaidotas

Kaunas Castle was unsuccessfully defended by Vaidotas

Vaidotas or Wojdat (14th century – after 1401) was a son of Kęstutis, Grand Duke of Lithuania. In reliable historical sources he is mentioned only twice.[1]

According to the chronicles of Wigand of Marburg, he was the commander of the garrison of the newly built Kaunas Castle during a three-week-long siege in April 1362. After strong resistance the castle was taken over and then destroyed. Vaidotas with 36 men tried to break through, but was taken prisoner.[1] The defeat was one of the largest and important military victories of the Teutonic Knights in the 14th century against Lithuania.

From a document by his brother Vytautas the Great from 1401 it is known that Vaidotas and his brother Tautvilas Kęstutaitis were given to rule Navahrudak equally.[2] His further fate is unknown.

Because of very limited historical sources, Vaidotas is sometimes confused with Vaidutis (Waydutte), son of Butautas and grandson of Kęstutis.[1] Some historians also argue that Butautas and Vaidotas were the same person and their names are different because of a different dialect.[3] Further confusion is introduced by Bychowiec Chronicle, an unreliable chronicle from the 16th century, which claims that Vaidotas died in his youth in Lithuania.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Simas Sužiedėlis, ed. (1970–1978). "Vaidotas". Encyclopedia Lituanica VI. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. p. 21. LCC 74-114275.
  2. ↑ Vytautas Spečiūnas, ed. (2004). "Vaidotas". Lietuvos valdovai (XIII-XVIII a.): enciklopedinis žinynas (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas. p. 76. ISBN 5-420-01535-8.
  3. ↑ Rowell, S. C. (1994). Lithuania Ascending: A Pagan Empire Within East-Central Europe, 1295–1345. Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series. Cambridge University Press. xxxiii. ISBN 978-0-521-45011-9.