Citizendia

The Lithuanian Chronicles (Lithuanian: Lietuvos metraščiai) are three redactions of chronicles compiled in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. In the study of Literature, redaction can refer to a form of Editing, in which multiple source texts are combined together ( redacted) and are The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje All redactions were written in Old Church Slavonic and served the needs of Lithuanian patriotism. to make sure old Cyrillic letters are displayed properly (For example instead of just Ѣ write Ѣ [1] The first redaction, compiled in the 1420s, glorified Vytautas the Great and supported his side in power struggles. Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian:; Vitaŭt; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; Witold Ruthenian: Vitovt; c The second redaction, prepared in the first half of the 16th century, started the myth of Lithuanian Roman origin: it gave a fanciful genealogy of Palemon, a noble from the Roman Empire who founded the Grand Duchy. Genealogy (from Greek: el γενεά el-Latn genea, "descent" and el λόγος el-Latn logos, "knowledge" is the study of The Palemonids were a Legendary Dynasty of Grand Dukes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Ruthenia. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial This noble origin of Lithuanians was important in cultural rivalry with Poland. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The third redaction, known only from the Bychowiec Chronicle, elaborated even further on the legend, but also provided some useful information about the second half of the 15th century. The Bychowiec Chronicle (also spelled Bykhovets, Bykovets or Bychovec) named the Letopis of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania is an anonymous 16th The three redactions, the first known historical accounts produced within the Grand Duchy, gave rise to the historiography of Lithuania. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the [2] All medieval historians used these accounts, that survived in 22 known transcriptions,[1] as basis for their publications and some of the myths created in the chronicles persisted even to the beginning of the 20th century.

Contents

The first redaction

The first or the short redaction (also known as Chronicle of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania or Letopisec Litovskii) was compiled sometime in the 1420s, when Vytautas the Great hoped to be crowned as King of Lithuania. Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian:; Vitaŭt; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; Witold Ruthenian: Vitovt; c King of Lithuania, the title of rulers of Lithuanian state recognised by the Pope. [2] This redaction included the earliest known historical account produced in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: Dis ist Witoldes sache wedir Jagalan und Skargalan, a complain and memorial written by Vytautas in 1390 when he escaped to the Teutonic Knights. The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. [3] It detailed his power struggles against cousins Jogaila and Skirgaila in 1379–1390 and supported his claims to Trakai and title of Grand Duke of Lithuania. Jogaila, later Władysław II Jagiełło (b about 1362 d 1 June 1434 was Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. Skirgaila, also known as Ivan; ca 1353 or 1354 – 11 January 1397 in Kiev; baptized 1383/1384 as Casimir) was a regent of the Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, capital of Lithuania Two translations of this document survive: Latin Origo regis Jagyelo et Witholdi ducum Lithuaniae from the 15th century and Russian Litovskomu rodu pochinok from the 14th century. [1] Later this document was expanded to include events up to 1396. [4] It formed the backbone of the first chronicle.

However, the first redaction survived only from later transcriptions and compilations. The earliest known compilation was prepared in Smolensk around 1446 by bishop Gerasim and his clerk Timofei. Smolensk (Смоленск is a city in western Russia, located on the Dnieper River, the administrative centre of Smolensk Oblast. [3] The compilation also included a praise to Vytautas, written by Gerasim, a story about Podlachia, written in 1431–1435 to support Lithuanian side in conflict with Poland,[4] a description of power struggles between Švitrigaila and Sigismund Kęstutaitis, a short summary of Moscow's chronicles (854–1428),[1] and latest events in Smolensk (1431–1445). Podlachia, Podlesia, or Podlasie is a historical region in the eastern part of Poland and western Belarus. Švitrigaila (ca 1370 – 10 February 1452) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1430 to 1432 For other nobles of the same name see Sigismund. Sigismund Kęstutaitis (Žygimantas I Kęstutaitis Zygmunt Kiejstutowicz born ca [3] The compilation also did not survive in its original state. It is known form several transcriptions:[3]

The second redaction

The second, more extensive, redaction (also known as Chronicle of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Samogitia) was compiled in the second half of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century. Count Aleksey Sergeyevich Uvarov (Russian Алексей Сергеевич Уваров 28 February 1825 — 29 December 1884) was a Slutsk (Слуцк Слуцк Sluckas is a town in Belarus, located on the Sluch River 105 km south of Minsk. Mikhail Olelovich, also known as Mikhail Aleksandrovich was a Lithuanian prince the brother of Prince Semen (Simon of Kiev and cousin of Grand Prince Ivan III of Moscow Gediminas (ca 1275 – winter 1341 was the Monarch of medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the title lt didysis kunigaikštis (вялікі князь The Monastery of the Annunciation in Supraśl ( Polish: Monaster Zwiastowania Najświętszej Marii Panny w Supraślu) also known as the Supraśl Lavra [1] The redaction traced back the foundations of the Lithuanian state to the 1st century, when legendary Palemon escaped from Roman Empire and settled at the mouth of Dubysa. The Palemonids were a Legendary Dynasty of Grand Dukes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Ruthenia. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Dubysa He founded a dynasty, Palemonids and became ruler of Lithuania. The Palemonids were a Legendary Dynasty of Grand Dukes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Ruthenia. [3] This legendary part was then followed by the revised first redaction, detailing the lineage of the Gediminids. The Gediminids ( Lithuanian: Gediminaičiai, singular Gediminaitis) were a Dynasty of Monarchs of the medieval Lithuania Mindaugas, the first King of Lithuania crowned in 1253, and other earlier historically attested dukes were skipped entirely. Mindaugas (ˈmındoʊgʌs ca 1203 – 12 September 1263) was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania, a title he gained ca The Kingdom of Lithuania was a Lithuanian Monarchy which existed from 1251 to roughly 1263 [2] The elaborative story that Lithuanians were of noble Roman origins had no historical basis and was discarded by modern historians as nothing more than a myth. [5]

While many modern historians discount the text as useless, it can still provide useful bits and pieces of Lithuanian history as it incorporates many garbled fragments of earlier documents and chronicles. [5] Also, the mythical Palemon is a good evidence of political tensions and cultural ideology of Lithuanian nobles in the 16th century. This myth served Lithuanian interests in conflicts with Poland and Russia. Poland, then in personal union with Lithuania, claimed that it brought civilization to this barbaric pagan land. The term Polish–Lithuanian Union sometimes called as United Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania refers to a series of acts and alliances between the Kingdom of Poland By creating fanciful genealogies, linking Lithuanians with noble Romans, Lithuanian nobility could counter these claims and demand political independence. The Lithuanian nobility was historically a legally privileged class in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania consisting of Lithuanian (from historical [3]

This redaction rarely included dates and contained several independent stories that cherished by 19th century nationalists: legends how Gediminas founded Vilnius because of his dreams, Kęstutis took Birutė for his wife, Vytautas lavishly treated his guests at the conference in Lutsk in 1429, etc. Kęstutis (kæsˈtuːtıs born ca 1297 died on August 3 or August 15, 1382 in Kreva) was Monarch of medieval Lithuania Birutė (died in 1382 was the second wife of Kęstutis, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and mother of Vytautas the Great. Lutsk (Луцьк translit Luts’k, Łuck is a city located by the Styr River in north-western Ukraine. [3] Among them were some factual stories; for example, about Algirdas' three sieges of Moscow. Algirdas, (ɑlgərdɑːs known as Olgierd Альгерд Ольгерд b Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of [6] This format differed significantly from other Slavic chronicles that tended to list inter-related events year-by-year. [1] The second redaction also considerably trimmed and fragmented parts about Ruthenia and Grand Duchy of Moscow; thus the text became primarily Lithuanian. Ruthenia is a geographic and culturo-ethnic name applied to the parts of Eastern Europe populated by Eastern Slavic peoples, as well as to the past various The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and The chronicle was popular and often copied; at least five different versions survive. [2] It shaped the political mentality of the Lithuanian nobility, formed basis for Lithuanian historiography until the dawn of the 20th century, and inspired many literary works.

The third redaction

Main article: Bychowiec Chronicle

The third and most extensive redaction is known as the Bychowiec Chronicle. The Bychowiec Chronicle (also spelled Bykhovets, Bykovets or Bychovec) named the Letopis of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania is an anonymous 16th The Bychowiec Chronicle (also spelled Bykhovets, Bykovets or Bychovec) named the Letopis of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania is an anonymous 16th It is based on the second redaction. It is believed that this redaction was prepared around the same time as the second redaction with support from Albrecht Goštautas. [7] The only known version was discovered in a manor owned by Aleksander Bychowiec and was published in full by Teodor Narbutt in 1846. Aleksander Bychowiec of Mogiła was a 19th century Polish noble and an amateur historian Teodor Narbutt (1784 – 1864 was a Polish-Lithuanian writer Romanticist Historian and military engineer This transcription was updated to include events up to 1574. [5] Initially there were doubts if the chronicle is authentic and some suggested that Narbutt falsified it. The doubts were inspired by its sudden discovery and its peculiar similarity with the chronicles of Maciej Stryjkowski; also Narbutt is known to have falsified several other documents. Maciej Stryjkowski (also referred to as Strykowski and Strycovius; ca [2] However, new evidence came to light that portions of the chronicle were published in 1830. Historians now suggest that similarity with Stryjkowski's works resulted from using the same document, maybe even the original third redaction, as the source. [3]

The patriotic themes were even more prevalent than in the second redaction. It continued to elaborate on the Palemon legend: to improve chronology Palemon was moved to the 5th century Rome, devastated by Attila the Hun, and Mindaugas and other historical dukes were incorporated into the legend. [2] It also concentrated more on Catholic Church than earlier revisions, paying close attention to Eastern Orthodoxy. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world [5] It is important source for the late 15th century events, especially years of Alexander Jagiellon. Alexander Jagiellon ( Lithuanian: Aleksandras Jogailaitis; Polish: Aleksander Jagiellończyk; 5 August 1461 – 19 August [1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g (Lithuanian) "Lietuvos metraščiai". Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija 2. (1986). Ed. Jonas Zinkus, et. al. Vilnius, Lithuania: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. 584–585.  
  2. ^ a b c d e f (Lithuanian) Ivinskis, Zenonas (1953–1966). "Metraščiai". Lietuvių enciklopedija 18. Boston, Massachusetts: Lietuvių enciklopedijos leidykla. 307–310. LCC 55020366. The Library of Congress Classification ( LCC) is a system of Library classification developed by the Library of Congress.  
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Chronicles, Lithuanian". Encyclopedia Lituanica I. Encyclopedia Lituanica (likely named after Encyclopædia Britannica or Encyclopedia Americana) is a six-volume (about 3600-page English language Encyclopedia (1970-1978). Ed. Simas Sužiedėlis. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. 519–521. LCC 74-114275. The Library of Congress Classification ( LCC) is a system of Library classification developed by the Library of Congress.  
  4. ^ a b (Lithuanian) "Lietuvos didžiųjų kunigaikščių metraštis". Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija 2. (1986). Ed. Jonas Zinkus, et. al. Vilnius, Lithuania: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. 566–567.  
  5. ^ a b c d 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, 41–43. ISBN 9780521450119.  
  6. ^ (Lithuanian) "Lietuvos ir žemaičių didžiosios kunigaikštytės kronika". Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija 2. (1986). Ed. Jonas Zinkus, et. al. Vilnius, Lithuania: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. 569.  
  7. ^ (Lithuanian) "Bychovco kronika". Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija 1. (1985). Ed. Jonas Zinkus, et. al. Vilnius, Lithuania: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. 244.  
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org