1 00:00:26,064 --> 00:00:29,481 (dark atmospheric music) 2 00:03:25,786 --> 00:03:28,369 (gulls squawk) 3 00:03:37,078 --> 00:03:40,578 (moody atmospheric music) 4 00:03:54,117 --> 00:03:56,700 (gulls squawk) 5 00:04:09,100 --> 00:04:12,119 - [Narrator] Our story begins in the middle of the Baltic 6 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:16,803 Sea on a Danish merchant ship sailing to Prussian shores. 7 00:04:17,650 --> 00:04:21,639 Onboard is a young, seasick and disheartened merchant. 8 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,079 A Christian called Lars. 9 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:28,829 The Medieval book Liburcenses Dani mentions a merchant 10 00:04:28,830 --> 00:04:32,709 who would travel to the territories of the Baltic tribes 11 00:04:32,710 --> 00:04:36,263 to spy on behalf of the Danish king, Valdemar II. 12 00:04:37,970 --> 00:04:42,159 Lars will be our eyes and ears in the lands 13 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,117 of the last pagans of Europe. 14 00:04:48,929 --> 00:04:51,846 (moody folk music) 15 00:04:57,927 --> 00:05:00,594 (thunder claps) 16 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,272 - [Lars] Had I known the fate that awaited me, 17 00:05:11,273 --> 00:05:13,563 I would never have set out on this journey. 18 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:16,549 But I was young then and knew little 19 00:05:16,550 --> 00:05:17,983 of people and the world. 20 00:05:19,020 --> 00:05:23,109 I knew my craft well, where to find goods for low prices, 21 00:05:23,110 --> 00:05:25,210 and places I could sell them for a profit. 22 00:05:45,820 --> 00:05:49,403 I met an old merchant friend of my father's at the port. 23 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:52,979 He had come here to buy amber. 24 00:05:52,980 --> 00:05:56,519 He praised the goods I had brought with me and advised me 25 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:59,923 not to travel the pagan lands without a local guardsman. 26 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,909 For one osse ring, a bar of local currency, 27 00:06:11,910 --> 00:06:13,873 I hired a man named Kursaitis. 28 00:06:14,930 --> 00:06:16,819 He was the youngest son in his family 29 00:06:16,820 --> 00:06:19,839 and could not inherit his family's property. 30 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:23,703 So Kursaitis sold his strength and skills for money instead. 31 00:06:27,380 --> 00:06:29,089 As was the custom, 32 00:06:29,090 --> 00:06:32,569 I exchanged gifts with my father's friend. 33 00:06:32,570 --> 00:06:34,919 He gave me an amber necklace. 34 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:39,920 I must say, pagans or not, they have very fine artisans. 35 00:06:40,130 --> 00:06:43,989 When I offered him something in return, he declined, 36 00:06:43,990 --> 00:06:48,309 suggesting I'd better keep Christian symbols to myself. 37 00:06:48,310 --> 00:06:52,029 Even though Prussians were a peace-loving people, 38 00:06:52,030 --> 00:06:54,063 these were not safe times. 39 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:06,179 When planning the long and dangerous journey, I read about 40 00:07:06,180 --> 00:07:11,069 a merchant city called Truso in King Valdemar's archives 41 00:07:11,070 --> 00:07:15,199 where Danes, Gotlanders and Swedes met and traded 42 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,043 with the pagans peacefully and amicable. 43 00:07:19,210 --> 00:07:22,119 When I arrived in Truso, it was nothing like the 44 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:26,133 description and instead resembled a small fishing village. 45 00:07:26,970 --> 00:07:29,729 The once-renowned city of the Amber Road 46 00:07:29,730 --> 00:07:33,503 had lost its former glory and fallen into decay. 47 00:07:38,586 --> 00:07:42,003 (dark atmospheric music) 48 00:07:48,979 --> 00:07:52,709 As the evening progressed, I began to think that the pagans 49 00:07:52,710 --> 00:07:55,389 are not as frightening as I had thought and that 50 00:07:55,390 --> 00:07:58,343 the Prussians were not so different from us Christians. 51 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,039 My feeling of comfort came to an end when I witnessed 52 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,473 an event that made my blood run cold. 53 00:08:08,050 --> 00:08:11,793 The Prussians had captured and shackled a holy father. 54 00:08:44,242 --> 00:08:46,339 (moody folk music) 55 00:08:46,340 --> 00:08:49,549 - [Narrator] Christianity swept like a tidal wave 56 00:08:49,550 --> 00:08:52,879 from the Roman Empire across Europe, 57 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:54,823 changing its world forever. 58 00:08:55,820 --> 00:08:58,289 Upon converting to Christianity, 59 00:08:58,290 --> 00:09:02,699 the pagans renounced their gods and their way of life and 60 00:09:02,700 --> 00:09:06,749 gradually accepted European Christian values and customs, 61 00:09:06,750 --> 00:09:11,233 including new social structures, property rights and laws. 62 00:09:12,270 --> 00:09:15,659 The Prussian territory, home to several small 63 00:09:15,660 --> 00:09:19,439 related Baltic tribes, was the borderland between 64 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:23,610 the last remaining pagans of Europe and Christendom. 65 00:09:33,098 --> 00:09:36,515 (dark atmospheric music) 66 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:46,629 - [Lars] I was horrified by what I saw, 67 00:09:46,630 --> 00:09:49,346 and I remembered my last confession. 68 00:09:49,347 --> 00:09:52,026 "Lars," the bishop had said. 69 00:09:52,027 --> 00:09:55,673 "It's time to convert the pagans to the Christian faith. 70 00:09:56,577 --> 00:10:00,926 "You will be our eyes and ears in the pagan land. 71 00:10:00,927 --> 00:10:05,166 "Watch and listen carefully, because when you return, 72 00:10:05,167 --> 00:10:08,426 "we shall expect to hear every detail. 73 00:10:08,427 --> 00:10:10,723 "May God be with you, son." 74 00:11:19,810 --> 00:11:22,939 I had heard that for the past several hundred years, 75 00:11:22,940 --> 00:11:25,689 the church had been preaching the teachings of Christ 76 00:11:25,690 --> 00:11:29,289 in the Prussian lands, trying to turn the pagans 77 00:11:29,290 --> 00:11:31,483 to the one true faith, but not today. 78 00:11:39,260 --> 00:11:42,949 The priest's only crime had been that, unknowingly, 79 00:11:42,950 --> 00:11:47,519 much to his misfortune, or rather his wilful ignorance, 80 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,703 he had entered a sacred forest to gather firewood. 81 00:11:51,550 --> 00:11:55,143 A peasant saw this and reported the crime. 82 00:12:04,447 --> 00:12:08,489 Kursaitis knew that whenever gods were involved, 83 00:12:08,490 --> 00:12:12,153 a pagan priest, Grieves, would settle the dispute. 84 00:12:14,970 --> 00:12:18,179 The pagans called it the Trial of the Gods, 85 00:12:18,180 --> 00:12:21,073 but this had nothing to do with our Christian god. 86 00:12:22,560 --> 00:12:25,819 I felt sick to my stomach when I learned how the pagans 87 00:12:25,820 --> 00:12:28,283 determined whether a person was guilty or not. 88 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,519 Those involved in the dispute had to pull a stone 89 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:39,009 out of a pot of boiling water 90 00:12:39,010 --> 00:12:42,160 and hold it in their hands for a few moments. 91 00:12:58,510 --> 00:13:02,599 Unfortunately, and understandably so, the hand of 92 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,713 the servant of God was not accustomed to such savagery. 93 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:08,803 So the pagans declared him guilty. 94 00:13:12,990 --> 00:13:17,399 My blood ran cold when I saw the wild joy 95 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,093 with which the pagans gathered to watch the trial. 96 00:13:50,309 --> 00:13:53,726 (dark atmospheric music) 97 00:14:03,430 --> 00:14:05,679 - [Narrator] As other Baltic tribes, 98 00:14:05,680 --> 00:14:09,269 Prussians venerated specific natural sites. 99 00:14:09,270 --> 00:14:14,270 Large stones, springs, or ancient trees and wood groves 100 00:14:14,580 --> 00:14:18,083 where they performed their religious rites and rituals. 101 00:14:19,290 --> 00:14:24,290 Written records mention Prussia's most important holy site. 102 00:14:24,663 --> 00:14:26,065 (speaks foreign language) 103 00:14:26,066 --> 00:14:30,449 A place of pagan worship, overseen by a pagan high priest, 104 00:14:30,450 --> 00:14:35,273 Krievu Grievitus, or Krievu Grieves. 105 00:14:38,830 --> 00:14:42,559 The pagans believed that the spirits of their ancestors 106 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:44,719 lived in sacred forests. 107 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:47,359 In fact, the ancient Prussian symbol 108 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:49,479 for the world was the oak. 109 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:51,979 The gods lived in its branches. 110 00:14:51,980 --> 00:14:55,559 The Prussians worshiped gods of the sky, the earth, 111 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:59,209 and the underworld, and believed that various natural 112 00:14:59,210 --> 00:15:02,713 and animal deities lived all around them. 113 00:15:03,780 --> 00:15:08,039 These deities influenced everyday life, such as weather, 114 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:13,040 health, fertility, life after death, and fortune in war. 115 00:15:14,420 --> 00:15:18,069 They sacrificed food and livestock to the gods. 116 00:15:18,070 --> 00:15:22,689 One archeological sacrificial site revealed a stone idol 117 00:15:22,690 --> 00:15:26,363 and the remains of more than 200 horses. 118 00:15:32,454 --> 00:15:35,371 (moody folk music) 119 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:54,339 Lars' journey continues through the lands 120 00:15:54,340 --> 00:15:58,059 of the Galindians and Yotvingians. 121 00:15:58,060 --> 00:16:01,599 In the early Middle Ages, these territories were sparsely 122 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:05,409 inhabited and the battles with their Christian neighbors 123 00:16:05,410 --> 00:16:09,413 led to the demise or assimilation of both these peoples. 124 00:16:28,260 --> 00:16:31,659 - [Lars] Few people lived in the Galindian lands, 125 00:16:31,660 --> 00:16:34,799 which were covered in thick forests and mostly inhabited 126 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:36,709 by wild animals. 127 00:16:36,710 --> 00:16:38,709 The hill forts were abandoned, 128 00:16:38,710 --> 00:16:41,663 and with no cities, I could not do any trading. 129 00:16:43,660 --> 00:16:47,369 Kursaitis knew that the Galindians had a custom of never 130 00:16:47,370 --> 00:16:51,899 refusing a meal or shelter to a traveler, if requested. 131 00:16:51,900 --> 00:16:54,749 So, seeking shelter for the night, 132 00:16:54,750 --> 00:16:57,963 we did not hesitate to enter a Galindian farmstead. 133 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:05,759 - [Narrator] Several closely-related families often lived 134 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,709 together in fortified farmsteads. 135 00:17:08,710 --> 00:17:11,539 Most buildings were made of horizontal logs, 136 00:17:11,540 --> 00:17:15,569 built directly on the land without brick foundations. 137 00:17:15,570 --> 00:17:17,929 The windows were small and usually covered 138 00:17:17,930 --> 00:17:21,483 with animal bladders or sealed with wood shutters. 139 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:25,059 The log roofs were covered with layers of spruce 140 00:17:25,060 --> 00:17:26,799 or birch bark. 141 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,619 Records indicate the the Galindians also built 142 00:17:29,620 --> 00:17:33,369 residential towers whose height could've indicated 143 00:17:33,370 --> 00:17:35,023 the prestige of its owner. 144 00:17:47,610 --> 00:17:50,549 - [Lars] The pagan diet was similar to ours. 145 00:17:50,550 --> 00:17:54,869 They ate peas, beans and lentils, as well as root crops, 146 00:17:54,870 --> 00:17:57,943 turnips, black radish, onions, garlic. 147 00:18:00,070 --> 00:18:04,859 Meat was salt-cured in barrels so it would last the winter. 148 00:18:04,860 --> 00:18:08,859 To my great surprise, the pagans did not build chimneys 149 00:18:08,860 --> 00:18:12,609 and even the wealthy were unaware that every respectable 150 00:18:12,610 --> 00:18:15,613 house should have a stove with a chimney flow. 151 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:22,319 The Galindians treated us with a meal they highly enjoyed 152 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,799 called (speaks foreign language), a sweet scone made out of 153 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:30,273 rye flour, fried and then boiled in pork-fat soup. 154 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,079 To be honest, these (speaks foreign language) 155 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:37,629 were not very tasty, but we ate everything our host 156 00:18:37,630 --> 00:18:41,873 offered us out of respect and hunger from our long journey. 157 00:18:47,605 --> 00:18:50,629 That evening, we were served by the owner's wives 158 00:18:50,630 --> 00:18:53,513 and (speaks foreign language), the local name for slaves. 159 00:18:54,940 --> 00:18:57,029 As in other Baltic tribes, 160 00:18:57,030 --> 00:19:00,283 having many wives was common among the Galindians. 161 00:19:01,360 --> 00:19:04,549 I noticed that our host was particularly fond 162 00:19:04,550 --> 00:19:07,949 of his youngest wife and while the oldest wife 163 00:19:07,950 --> 00:19:10,719 managed the household, the middle one seemed 164 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:13,699 to be in need of a man's attention. 165 00:19:13,700 --> 00:19:18,569 I will say this, pagan women were in no way worse 166 00:19:18,570 --> 00:19:21,473 than those raised in accordance with the Christian faith. 167 00:19:23,340 --> 00:19:26,893 And in some ways, maybe they were even better. 168 00:19:48,189 --> 00:19:50,689 (woman pants) 169 00:19:58,344 --> 00:20:00,351 (rooster crows) 170 00:20:00,352 --> 00:20:04,019 (dramatic percussive music) 171 00:20:08,542 --> 00:20:11,209 (woman screams) 172 00:20:14,819 --> 00:20:16,736 (slap) 173 00:20:22,570 --> 00:20:26,829 The next morning, visibly nervous, Kursaitis told me 174 00:20:26,830 --> 00:20:29,883 that the servants had seen what had happened last night. 175 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,819 Even Galindian hospitality has its limits, 176 00:20:33,820 --> 00:20:35,273 so we had to leave quickly. 177 00:20:36,420 --> 00:20:41,420 Kursaitis warned us of impending pursuit, but unfortunately, 178 00:20:41,460 --> 00:20:44,239 I paid little heed to what he said, 179 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,319 as I did not feel that sleeping with a pagan woman, 180 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,343 even though a married one, had been such a serious sin. 181 00:20:51,540 --> 00:20:55,359 Suddenly, a few well-aimed arrows from the woods meant 182 00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:58,469 that our Galindian host had taken offense. 183 00:20:58,470 --> 00:21:01,689 He engaged the aid of his relatives and servants 184 00:21:01,690 --> 00:21:04,242 so they could hunt us down. 185 00:21:04,243 --> 00:21:06,826 (horse neighs) 186 00:21:11,165 --> 00:21:13,748 (steel clangs) 187 00:21:40,726 --> 00:21:43,959 Fortunately, Kursaitis knew that the sacred forest 188 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:46,939 lay just beyond the river and that the Galindians 189 00:21:46,940 --> 00:21:49,303 would never dare to follow us there. 190 00:22:06,471 --> 00:22:09,888 (dark atmospheric music) 191 00:22:38,769 --> 00:22:42,269 (moody atmospheric music) 192 00:22:45,404 --> 00:22:48,904 (distant thunder rumbles) 193 00:22:52,326 --> 00:22:54,993 (fire crackles) 194 00:22:58,120 --> 00:23:02,369 I didn't notice that my fellow companions took deeper inland 195 00:23:02,370 --> 00:23:05,963 into the lands of the Yotvingians and the Sudovians. 196 00:23:08,750 --> 00:23:10,999 The Lord was by my side and we slipped away 197 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:14,879 from the Galindians and reached a local healer 198 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,783 who agreed to nurse me back to health for a small fee. 199 00:23:43,224 --> 00:23:46,069 - [Narrator] In the Middle Ages, the smallest injury 200 00:23:46,070 --> 00:23:49,359 or illness could prove fatal. 201 00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:53,939 The average lifespan was just 25 to 30 years, 202 00:23:53,940 --> 00:23:57,729 due to malnutrition, the relatively harsh climate, 203 00:23:57,730 --> 00:24:02,329 unsanitary conditions, and lack of medicine. 204 00:24:02,330 --> 00:24:06,289 The most difficult stage in life was childhood, 205 00:24:06,290 --> 00:24:08,953 and half of the children did not survive. 206 00:24:10,953 --> 00:24:14,370 (dark atmospheric music) 207 00:24:21,210 --> 00:24:24,039 - [Lars] By taking us into the sacred woods, 208 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,179 Kursaitis saved our lives, 209 00:24:26,180 --> 00:24:29,149 but he seemed concerned and frightened. 210 00:24:29,150 --> 00:24:32,049 He had violated the order of his pagan gods 211 00:24:32,050 --> 00:24:33,783 and feared their wroth. 212 00:24:34,890 --> 00:24:38,149 To beg their forgiveness, Kursaitis offered the gods 213 00:24:38,150 --> 00:24:42,039 his hair, thereby lowering his status in society, 214 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:46,213 and for a time, voluntarily likening himself to a slave. 215 00:24:56,745 --> 00:25:00,245 (distant thunder rumbles) 216 00:25:03,146 --> 00:25:06,063 (moody folk music) 217 00:25:17,350 --> 00:25:21,889 I was still sick with a fever and barely conscious. 218 00:25:21,890 --> 00:25:25,569 Later, Kursaitis told me that curing my wound was beyond 219 00:25:25,570 --> 00:25:28,933 human means, so they had asked the pagan gods for help. 220 00:25:34,497 --> 00:25:39,497 Jatwi, the priest, offered goat as a sacrifice in my favor. 221 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:43,079 This ritual seemed more like a celebration to me 222 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:46,089 because they had bought beer with my money 223 00:25:46,090 --> 00:25:48,230 and every man in the clan took part. 224 00:25:50,140 --> 00:25:52,979 The pagan gods frightened me then. 225 00:25:52,980 --> 00:25:56,509 While we honored our god with bread and wine, 226 00:25:56,510 --> 00:26:00,183 their gods demanded the blood of dead livestock. 227 00:26:12,139 --> 00:26:14,120 (goat bleats) 228 00:26:14,121 --> 00:26:17,879 - [Narrator] A 16th Century Lutheran theologian's records 229 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:22,689 offer insight into a Yotvingian goat sacrifice ritual. 230 00:26:22,690 --> 00:26:26,569 However, as the account is from a Christian point of view, 231 00:26:26,570 --> 00:26:29,059 it must be viewed with some skepticism. 232 00:26:29,060 --> 00:26:33,589 The blood of the sacrificial animal was drained into a dish. 233 00:26:33,590 --> 00:26:37,239 Some of it was sprinkled on ritual participants, 234 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:39,049 and the remaining blood was used 235 00:26:39,050 --> 00:26:42,599 to similarly bless their homes and livestock. 236 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:44,879 An important part of the ritual 237 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:47,599 was the cooking and eating of the animal. 238 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:51,059 While the meat boiled, the men took flat breads 239 00:26:51,060 --> 00:26:53,899 made from wheat and buckwheat dough, 240 00:26:53,900 --> 00:26:56,809 and tossed them to each other through the fire 241 00:26:56,810 --> 00:26:58,949 until the breads were cooked. 242 00:26:58,950 --> 00:27:03,179 Other rituals describe a priest taking glowing amber, 243 00:27:03,180 --> 00:27:05,509 placing it on his bare head, 244 00:27:05,510 --> 00:27:08,829 and then tossing it back into the fire. 245 00:27:08,830 --> 00:27:11,823 Long horns were blown during the ritual. 246 00:27:16,910 --> 00:27:20,327 (dark atmospheric music) 247 00:27:41,510 --> 00:27:44,549 - [Lars] Miraculously, my wound healed, 248 00:27:44,550 --> 00:27:45,900 and I regained my strength. 249 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:51,479 I cannot say whether it was God's grace or the pagan 250 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:56,480 witchcraft that proved so strong, but I got my health back 251 00:27:56,600 --> 00:28:00,969 and I could continue my journey to fulfill my task 252 00:28:00,970 --> 00:28:03,353 to learn more about the pagan lands. 253 00:28:06,530 --> 00:28:08,509 - [Narrator] Having regained his strength, 254 00:28:08,510 --> 00:28:12,159 Lars makes his way to Lithuanian territories. 255 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,719 Lithuanians and their Aukstaitian kin 256 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:19,679 have been described in various chronicles as powerful, 257 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:22,599 militant and savage people. 258 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:24,959 They were known to terrorize their neighbors. 259 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:29,689 The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia notes that in 1205, 260 00:28:29,690 --> 00:28:34,509 some 2,000 Lithuanian horsemen rode to the Estonian lands 261 00:28:34,510 --> 00:28:37,749 to plunder them and threaten to destroy 262 00:28:37,750 --> 00:28:42,313 the local trade metropolis, Riga, upon their return. 263 00:28:43,958 --> 00:28:47,125 (men cough and groan) 264 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:58,239 According to written records, 265 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:01,369 Lithuanians had no fear of death. 266 00:29:01,370 --> 00:29:03,639 It was an honor to die in a battle, 267 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:06,439 and sometimes, they took their own lives 268 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:09,689 rather than surrender to their enemies. 269 00:29:09,690 --> 00:29:12,489 This is in stark contrast to the Christians 270 00:29:12,490 --> 00:29:15,369 who considered suicide horrifying 271 00:29:15,370 --> 00:29:18,683 and one of the greatest sins a Christian could commit. 272 00:29:21,110 --> 00:29:25,749 The threat of Christian crusaders encouraged Duke Mindaugas 273 00:29:25,750 --> 00:29:30,289 to conquer other Lithuanian and Aukstaitian rulers 274 00:29:30,290 --> 00:29:35,290 to unify these lands into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. 275 00:29:38,110 --> 00:29:41,939 Mindaugas converted to Christianity and was crowned king 276 00:29:41,940 --> 00:29:45,343 with the blessing of the Roman Pope, Innocent IV. 277 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:48,719 However, as the military threat 278 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:50,969 from his Christian neighbors diminished, 279 00:29:50,970 --> 00:29:55,109 he renounced his newly adopted faith and banished all monks 280 00:29:55,110 --> 00:29:57,259 and priests from his lands. 281 00:29:57,260 --> 00:30:01,189 At the height of its glory in the 15th Century, 282 00:30:01,190 --> 00:30:04,469 the Grand Duchy of Lithuania became the largest 283 00:30:04,470 --> 00:30:08,649 European state and a significant military force, 284 00:30:08,650 --> 00:30:12,793 bringing together various faiths, languages and cultures. 285 00:30:18,348 --> 00:30:21,681 (peaceful guitar music) 286 00:30:23,310 --> 00:30:26,559 - [Lars] I arrived at a large city called Kernave considered 287 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:30,209 to be the most important city of the Lithuanian Duchy. 288 00:30:30,210 --> 00:30:34,049 Neither Kursaitis nor I had ever seen such a city, 289 00:30:34,050 --> 00:30:35,983 covering five hill forts. 290 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,499 My misfortunes were behind me, 291 00:30:39,500 --> 00:30:42,669 and they receded in my memory as a wicked adventure, 292 00:30:42,670 --> 00:30:44,969 which, when I returned to Denmark, 293 00:30:44,970 --> 00:30:47,767 would surely enthrall many listeners. 294 00:30:55,087 --> 00:30:57,499 - [Narrator] Kernave has been an inhabited area 295 00:30:57,500 --> 00:30:59,429 since the Stone Age. 296 00:30:59,430 --> 00:31:01,589 Unlike other medieval settlements, 297 00:31:01,590 --> 00:31:04,019 it did not have a defensive wall. 298 00:31:04,020 --> 00:31:07,569 But the city was protected by its favorable geographical 299 00:31:07,570 --> 00:31:11,963 location near the marshy banks of the Neris river. 300 00:31:12,870 --> 00:31:16,859 In times of peace, the inhabitants lived in villages 301 00:31:16,860 --> 00:31:20,240 near the hill forts or on the surrounding farmsteads. 302 00:31:21,310 --> 00:31:24,949 In the event of an attack or siege, they could take shelter 303 00:31:24,950 --> 00:31:28,753 in the forts, each of which could house up to 300 people. 304 00:31:30,150 --> 00:31:33,067 (moody folk music) 305 00:31:39,070 --> 00:31:42,053 - [Lars] Back then, as I left Kernave behind me, 306 00:31:42,940 --> 00:31:45,879 I thought that I had some understanding of the order 307 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:47,683 established in the pagan lands. 308 00:31:48,770 --> 00:31:52,369 But once again, I could not believe my eyes. 309 00:31:52,370 --> 00:31:55,199 Even though I had heard that there were eastern 310 00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:57,749 or Byzantine preachers in these lands, 311 00:31:57,750 --> 00:32:00,729 I was surprised to see that they had succeeded in building 312 00:32:00,730 --> 00:32:04,293 a church in a land hostile towards Christ. 313 00:32:05,570 --> 00:32:09,613 As Catholic, the Byzantine faith was rather foreign to me. 314 00:32:10,500 --> 00:32:13,139 I hoped to speak with the holy father, 315 00:32:13,140 --> 00:32:16,567 as I was sure that we shared the same god. 316 00:32:31,010 --> 00:32:34,623 The holy father could not control his anger towards me. 317 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:38,829 I didn't know the reason of his frustration, 318 00:32:38,830 --> 00:32:41,329 but maybe it was because my brothers of faith 319 00:32:41,330 --> 00:32:44,259 had just attacked and pillaged Constantinople, 320 00:32:44,260 --> 00:32:46,333 the center of Byzantine church. 321 00:32:47,230 --> 00:32:50,449 Probably he was furious to all Catholics, 322 00:32:50,450 --> 00:32:53,959 but honestly, even I did not understand 323 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:56,193 and could not justify our actions. 324 00:32:57,499 --> 00:33:00,879 (thunder rumbles) 325 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:03,129 But what's done is done. 326 00:33:03,130 --> 00:33:06,203 At least I managed to acquire some horses in Karnave, 327 00:33:07,380 --> 00:33:11,183 which will surely make our journey easier and faster. 328 00:33:12,310 --> 00:33:14,349 I also stocked up on some goods 329 00:33:14,350 --> 00:33:17,133 that I intended to sell for good profit elsewhere. 330 00:33:18,220 --> 00:33:19,449 The horse trader, 331 00:33:19,450 --> 00:33:22,279 well acquainted with the neighboring territories, 332 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:26,619 suggested I go north where many rich castles could be found, 333 00:33:26,620 --> 00:33:29,660 and a great river called the Daugava flows. 334 00:33:30,629 --> 00:33:33,546 (moody folk music) 335 00:34:00,860 --> 00:34:03,579 - [Narrator] In the first century of our era, 336 00:34:03,580 --> 00:34:06,889 the Roman senator and historian Tacitus, 337 00:34:06,890 --> 00:34:09,929 in his famous work, Germania, 338 00:34:09,930 --> 00:34:13,696 described the ancestors of the Baltic tribes as, 339 00:34:13,697 --> 00:34:17,686 "In producing of grain and the other fruits of the earth, 340 00:34:17,687 --> 00:34:21,776 "they labor with more assiduity and patience 341 00:34:21,777 --> 00:34:25,507 "than is suitable to the usual laziness of Germans." 342 00:34:28,300 --> 00:34:31,609 To reach the renowned water route of the River Daugava 343 00:34:31,610 --> 00:34:35,989 and its ports, Lars and his men had to cross the forested 344 00:34:35,990 --> 00:34:38,939 and fertile territory of Selonia. 345 00:34:38,940 --> 00:34:42,589 During the 10th to the 13th Centuries, the Selonian 346 00:34:42,590 --> 00:34:47,590 territory covered several districts with about 30 hill forts 347 00:34:48,030 --> 00:34:50,830 and had its center in the city of Selpils. 348 00:35:32,411 --> 00:35:36,639 - [Lars] In Selonia, I witnessed some unbelievable events 349 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:38,990 that would have been impossible in Christendom. 350 00:35:40,630 --> 00:35:44,139 During the summer solstice, the pagans not only decorated 351 00:35:44,140 --> 00:35:47,379 their livestock guiding them around fields and meadows, 352 00:35:47,380 --> 00:35:49,569 and singing all the while in the belief 353 00:35:49,570 --> 00:35:52,469 that this would ensure a bountiful harvest, 354 00:35:52,470 --> 00:35:55,879 they also engaged in lewd debauchery 355 00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:58,673 that was not practiced in their daily life. 356 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:03,669 I felt as though a dam had suddenly burst, 357 00:36:03,670 --> 00:36:06,319 flooding the land with blasphemy, 358 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:08,893 carrying away the women, as well as the men. 359 00:36:10,630 --> 00:36:14,369 The pagans may have some wisdom in the fact that the summer 360 00:36:14,370 --> 00:36:17,273 solstice is the best time for a woman to conceive. 361 00:36:18,750 --> 00:36:21,539 Children then would be born in March, 362 00:36:21,540 --> 00:36:24,589 and therefore live the first most vulnerable months 363 00:36:24,590 --> 00:36:27,899 of their lives in the sun and warmth of spring. 364 00:36:27,900 --> 00:36:29,523 It's the same with the animals. 365 00:36:45,700 --> 00:36:48,219 - [Narrator] To prepare for the mystery and spirit of the 366 00:36:48,220 --> 00:36:53,220 solstice celebration, various aids were known to be used. 367 00:36:53,410 --> 00:36:56,569 Ethnographic materials and folklore suggest 368 00:36:56,570 --> 00:37:00,103 that the Baltic tribes knew psychotropic plants well. 369 00:37:00,980 --> 00:37:04,199 The meadows were home of one of the most hallucinogenic 370 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:08,029 mushrooms in the world, the liberty cap, 371 00:37:08,030 --> 00:37:11,829 while the forests were full of fly agaric mushrooms, 372 00:37:11,830 --> 00:37:15,823 a favorite among Sami shams and the neighboring vikings. 373 00:37:17,300 --> 00:37:20,319 It is possible that hemp, mugwort, poppies, 374 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:23,579 marsh Labrador tea, henbane and belladonna 375 00:37:23,580 --> 00:37:26,163 were also used in rituals and medicine. 376 00:37:28,510 --> 00:37:30,639 However, further research is needed 377 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:33,573 into the ethnobotany of the ancient Balts. 378 00:38:14,489 --> 00:38:18,489 (psychedelic atmospheric music) 379 00:38:53,050 --> 00:38:55,467 (wings flap) 380 00:40:30,100 --> 00:40:32,767 (fire crackles) 381 00:40:35,630 --> 00:40:37,729 During the summer solstice, 382 00:40:37,730 --> 00:40:42,219 people celebrated the victory of light over darkness. 383 00:40:42,220 --> 00:40:44,569 Fire symbolized the sun. 384 00:40:44,570 --> 00:40:49,463 The goddess of life, fertility, warmth and health. 385 00:40:50,450 --> 00:40:53,679 During the longest day and shortest night of the year, 386 00:40:53,680 --> 00:40:57,599 people participated in the ritual of purification, 387 00:40:57,600 --> 00:41:02,249 signifying a simultaneous ushering in of new life 388 00:41:02,250 --> 00:41:04,413 in a struggle against death. 389 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:07,709 All societal groups were welcomed 390 00:41:07,710 --> 00:41:10,429 in the summer solstice celebrations. 391 00:41:10,430 --> 00:41:13,009 All were considered equal in their union 392 00:41:13,010 --> 00:41:16,030 with the supernatural and among themselves. 393 00:41:56,538 --> 00:41:59,455 (moody folk music) 394 00:42:23,482 --> 00:42:26,149 (rooster crows) 395 00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:59,659 - [Lars] I felt very odd after the pagan 396 00:42:59,660 --> 00:43:01,123 solstice celebration. 397 00:43:02,020 --> 00:43:06,159 I couldn't put my finger on it, but something had changed. 398 00:43:06,160 --> 00:43:10,129 The pagans truly lived in unison with nature, 399 00:43:10,130 --> 00:43:11,273 and I felt it, too. 400 00:43:12,140 --> 00:43:15,393 It was as if everything was permeated by the divine, 401 00:43:16,450 --> 00:43:17,703 and I was a part of it. 402 00:43:18,730 --> 00:43:21,739 And I wondered whether I was truly the highest being 403 00:43:21,740 --> 00:43:25,103 on earth, or merely a part of something greater. 404 00:43:34,360 --> 00:43:38,240 The journey ahead took us to the land of Latgally 405 00:43:39,133 --> 00:43:43,069 and to the river of Daugava, which was so wide and so deep, 406 00:43:43,070 --> 00:43:46,297 that we had to pay a ferryman to get us across. 407 00:43:48,661 --> 00:43:50,939 (dark atmospheric music) 408 00:43:50,940 --> 00:43:52,829 - [Narrator] In the 13th Century, 409 00:43:52,830 --> 00:43:57,119 the Latgalians were the most populace of the Baltic tribes 410 00:43:57,120 --> 00:44:02,120 with about 50 to 70,000 people living in the territory. 411 00:44:02,430 --> 00:44:06,459 The river Daugava had long been an important trade route 412 00:44:06,460 --> 00:44:10,689 between the Catholic west and the Orthodox east. 413 00:44:10,690 --> 00:44:15,309 The Scandinavians, Slavs and North Germanic merchants 414 00:44:15,310 --> 00:44:20,310 all used cunning, force or advantageous offers of alliances 415 00:44:20,910 --> 00:44:24,339 to seize control of the Daugava waterway. 416 00:44:24,340 --> 00:44:28,309 The Latgalians who lived on the banks of the river Daugava 417 00:44:28,310 --> 00:44:32,179 were often among the first to suffer from their encounters 418 00:44:32,180 --> 00:44:36,083 with the merchants, Christian priests and crusaders. 419 00:44:42,330 --> 00:44:45,999 In Latgally, Christianity was spread by representatives 420 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:49,589 of both the Catholic and Orthodox churches 421 00:44:49,590 --> 00:44:52,939 who fought over the souls of the local pagans. 422 00:44:52,940 --> 00:44:55,469 Some of the Latgalian political elite 423 00:44:55,470 --> 00:44:59,019 voluntarily converted to the teachings of Christ. 424 00:44:59,020 --> 00:45:01,709 Perhaps they sought to gain strong allies 425 00:45:01,710 --> 00:45:04,169 in the battle against neighboring tribes, 426 00:45:04,170 --> 00:45:07,849 or saw new opportunities in a different world. 427 00:45:07,850 --> 00:45:10,573 One brought to them by foreigners. 428 00:45:25,090 --> 00:45:27,789 Enemies and allies often switched sides 429 00:45:27,790 --> 00:45:32,329 during the northern crusades, depending on the situation. 430 00:45:32,330 --> 00:45:36,059 The Livonian chronicler, Henry, describes a typical 431 00:45:36,060 --> 00:45:39,806 Latgalian and German raid on Estonia lands. 432 00:45:39,807 --> 00:45:42,526 "They destroyed the surrounding land, 433 00:45:42,527 --> 00:45:44,896 "burned houses and villages, 434 00:45:44,897 --> 00:45:47,466 "captured and killed many pagans, 435 00:45:47,467 --> 00:45:49,773 "took women and children captive, 436 00:45:50,697 --> 00:45:53,326 "seized livestock and horses 437 00:45:53,327 --> 00:45:57,817 "and returned home seven days later in good spirits." 438 00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:02,049 Captured young women and girls were forced to become 439 00:46:02,050 --> 00:46:05,979 their wives, concubines or slaves. 440 00:46:05,980 --> 00:46:10,649 The heads of noble-born enemies became valuable trophies 441 00:46:10,650 --> 00:46:14,089 that could later be sold back to their families who were 442 00:46:14,090 --> 00:46:18,203 willing to pay to be able to bury the deceased properly. 443 00:46:31,588 --> 00:46:34,505 (moody folk music) 444 00:46:35,740 --> 00:46:38,709 - [Lars] Even though I had spent quite some time in 445 00:46:38,710 --> 00:46:43,237 the pagan lands, I had not met German crusaders before. 446 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:47,569 Kursaitis explained that the pagans and crusaders 447 00:46:47,570 --> 00:46:50,659 sometimes joined forces in common raids. 448 00:46:50,660 --> 00:46:53,469 Both sides benefited, increasing the prospect 449 00:46:53,470 --> 00:46:57,309 of defeating the enemy and pillaging the goods. 450 00:46:57,310 --> 00:46:59,619 I couldn't understand how enemies 451 00:46:59,620 --> 00:47:01,283 could march together like this. 452 00:47:02,280 --> 00:47:05,699 But I suspected that this unlikely alliance 453 00:47:05,700 --> 00:47:09,229 might have helped to spread the teachings of Christ and 454 00:47:09,230 --> 00:47:13,553 plant God's vineyard in the thicket of the pagans' forests. 455 00:47:17,822 --> 00:47:20,600 (percussive music) 456 00:47:20,601 --> 00:47:22,599 - [Narrator] The crusades offered an opportunity 457 00:47:22,600 --> 00:47:25,669 for Christians to obtain land, wealth, 458 00:47:25,670 --> 00:47:28,259 and even aristocratic status. 459 00:47:28,260 --> 00:47:30,829 The plunder was perceived as just rewards 460 00:47:30,830 --> 00:47:34,369 for the difficult work of spreading Christianity. 461 00:47:34,370 --> 00:47:37,099 Not everyone, however, who joined the crusades 462 00:47:37,100 --> 00:47:40,779 to the pagan lands did so solely out of of greed. 463 00:47:40,780 --> 00:47:44,899 The ideology for the crusades was purposeful. 464 00:47:44,900 --> 00:47:47,999 The Catholic faith must be brought to the pagans 465 00:47:48,000 --> 00:47:51,139 neighboring the holy Roman Empire. 466 00:47:51,140 --> 00:47:53,469 Crusaders fought in the pagan territories 467 00:47:53,470 --> 00:47:55,559 for the short-term, yet, 468 00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:58,239 in order to control the conquered territories, 469 00:47:58,240 --> 00:48:01,109 they needed a permanent military force. 470 00:48:01,110 --> 00:48:03,629 Following the example of the Knights Templar, 471 00:48:03,630 --> 00:48:06,969 the first order of knights outside of the Mediterranean 472 00:48:06,970 --> 00:48:08,799 was founded in Riga. 473 00:48:08,800 --> 00:48:12,029 They were called the Livonian Brothers of the Sword 474 00:48:12,030 --> 00:48:14,473 and were comprised of warrior monks. 475 00:48:21,190 --> 00:48:23,759 - [Lars] A holy father invited us to spend the night 476 00:48:23,760 --> 00:48:26,039 in a crusader camp. 477 00:48:26,040 --> 00:48:30,519 My king, Valdemar the Victorious, wanted to obtain lands 478 00:48:30,520 --> 00:48:32,043 along the coast of this sea. 479 00:48:33,080 --> 00:48:36,959 However, what I have seen leads me to believe 480 00:48:36,960 --> 00:48:39,943 that it might be not as easy as he thinks. 481 00:48:41,770 --> 00:48:45,039 German merchants and crusaders were already feeling quite at 482 00:48:45,040 --> 00:48:48,573 home in these lands and shared their lives with the pagans. 483 00:48:49,640 --> 00:48:54,059 I saw how they split the loot after a successful raid. 484 00:48:54,060 --> 00:48:56,939 Part of it was offered to the gods, 485 00:48:56,940 --> 00:48:59,309 and not just by the pagans, 486 00:48:59,310 --> 00:49:02,473 but by the believers of the one true God as well. 487 00:49:04,310 --> 00:49:08,799 I was surprised by the actions of my brothers of the cross. 488 00:49:08,800 --> 00:49:12,459 Even though there are Christians in Denmark and elsewhere 489 00:49:12,460 --> 00:49:15,719 who still honor the gods of their ancestors, 490 00:49:15,720 --> 00:49:19,313 to openly worship pagan gods seemed a sin. 491 00:49:20,580 --> 00:49:25,200 Even the holy father pretended not to see these activities. 492 00:49:28,039 --> 00:49:31,539 (moody atmospheric music) 493 00:49:54,020 --> 00:49:56,749 - [Narrator] Lars' travels brings him to a town on the banks 494 00:49:56,750 --> 00:50:00,609 of the river Ah, now known as the Galia. 495 00:50:00,610 --> 00:50:04,079 The lands around the Galia and the Daugava were sparsely 496 00:50:04,080 --> 00:50:06,927 populated by the Finno-Ugric tribes of Finns and Livonians 497 00:50:09,040 --> 00:50:13,119 whose ethnic roots are the mixture of Balts, Scandinavians, 498 00:50:13,120 --> 00:50:14,393 and Baltic Finns. 499 00:50:16,220 --> 00:50:19,509 Although neither the Finns nor the Livonians were Balts, 500 00:50:19,510 --> 00:50:23,349 the medieval history of the Baltic lands is incomplete 501 00:50:23,350 --> 00:50:25,933 without the Finno-Ugric peoples of the region. 502 00:50:33,629 --> 00:50:37,708 (dark atmospheric music) 503 00:50:37,709 --> 00:50:41,609 Finno-Ugric peoples held an animistic world view. 504 00:50:41,610 --> 00:50:43,869 Everything in nature was interconnected 505 00:50:43,870 --> 00:50:45,673 and had an immortal soul. 506 00:50:46,680 --> 00:50:50,359 The Balts may have adopted their myths of many goddesses 507 00:50:50,360 --> 00:50:55,269 such as the earth, forest, wind and sea mothers, 508 00:50:55,270 --> 00:50:57,170 directly from the Finns and Livonians. 509 00:50:58,630 --> 00:51:00,789 The pagan form of god worship 510 00:51:00,790 --> 00:51:04,733 was showing reverence to nature in all its forms. 511 00:51:06,370 --> 00:51:10,729 It is believed that pagans didn't idolize trees, rocks 512 00:51:10,730 --> 00:51:14,389 and hills as literal and tangible things. 513 00:51:14,390 --> 00:51:18,209 The objects of their worship were similar to windows, 514 00:51:18,210 --> 00:51:22,199 simultaneously visible and transparent. 515 00:51:22,200 --> 00:51:25,989 Natural objects served as a material mediator 516 00:51:25,990 --> 00:51:29,543 through which perception was connected to revelation. 517 00:51:30,779 --> 00:51:33,696 (moody folk music) 518 00:51:54,570 --> 00:51:58,289 - [Lars] I found myself in a large Livonian trading center 519 00:51:58,290 --> 00:52:00,829 not far from a castle called Turaida, 520 00:52:00,830 --> 00:52:02,983 also known as the Garden of Thor. 521 00:52:05,330 --> 00:52:08,559 I exchanged a few words with the salt merchant 522 00:52:08,560 --> 00:52:10,733 who had come here from the German lands. 523 00:52:11,723 --> 00:52:15,119 He complained how difficult it was to trade with the pagans 524 00:52:15,120 --> 00:52:19,009 because every ruler wanted to collect a fee on goods 525 00:52:19,010 --> 00:52:20,260 passing through his land. 526 00:52:22,610 --> 00:52:26,319 As a merchant, I understood him well and shared his hopes 527 00:52:26,320 --> 00:52:29,083 that these lands would soon be brought to order. 528 00:52:30,450 --> 00:52:33,789 I didn't know the many local tongues, 529 00:52:33,790 --> 00:52:36,569 but this was no obstacle for trading. 530 00:52:36,570 --> 00:52:39,463 Sign language was used all over the world. 531 00:52:53,900 --> 00:52:56,089 - [Narrator] Goods could be paid for by barter 532 00:52:56,090 --> 00:53:01,090 with valuable wax or salt which was easily measurable. 533 00:53:01,210 --> 00:53:04,599 The unit of currency in the Baltic Sea region 534 00:53:04,600 --> 00:53:09,600 was a roughly 200-gram piece of silver called the osse ring. 535 00:53:10,130 --> 00:53:13,943 Smaller units of currency were simply chopped off of it. 536 00:53:14,990 --> 00:53:19,489 The term osse ring is believed to have meant horse's ring, 537 00:53:19,490 --> 00:53:22,439 as one osse ring was worth one horse. 538 00:53:22,440 --> 00:53:25,299 In the 13th century Baltic Sea region, 539 00:53:25,300 --> 00:53:30,179 one horse was equal to three cows, 20 sheep, 540 00:53:30,180 --> 00:53:32,733 10 pigs or one slave. 541 00:53:36,800 --> 00:53:39,529 - [Lars] I had decided to bring beeswax, 542 00:53:39,530 --> 00:53:43,039 a famed good of pagan lands, back to Denmark. 543 00:53:43,040 --> 00:53:46,139 With many forest bee trees on this side of the sea, 544 00:53:46,140 --> 00:53:48,939 wax was much cheaper. 545 00:53:48,940 --> 00:53:51,799 I had heard that most churches, monasteries, 546 00:53:51,800 --> 00:53:55,309 and manner houses in Western Europe were lit with wax 547 00:53:55,310 --> 00:53:58,849 gathered by the Balts on their routes. 548 00:53:58,850 --> 00:54:02,489 I successfully traded my remaining blades and spear tips 549 00:54:02,490 --> 00:54:04,889 for a few wheels of beeswax. 550 00:54:04,890 --> 00:54:07,119 I was planning on making quite a fortune 551 00:54:07,120 --> 00:54:08,613 by selling them in Denmark. 552 00:54:10,430 --> 00:54:13,459 I wished to spend a small share of this fortune 553 00:54:13,460 --> 00:54:15,459 for my own enjoyment. 554 00:54:15,460 --> 00:54:19,629 In addition to high-demand goods such as furs, grains, 555 00:54:19,630 --> 00:54:24,630 linen and hemp, the Turaida market also offered slave women. 556 00:54:28,350 --> 00:54:31,289 Kursaitis saw a familiar face among them 557 00:54:31,290 --> 00:54:33,779 and had pointed her out to me. 558 00:54:33,780 --> 00:54:36,919 I was surprised to recognize the second wife 559 00:54:36,920 --> 00:54:38,503 of the Galindian landlord. 560 00:54:39,450 --> 00:54:41,913 She had apparently been sold into slavery. 561 00:54:43,290 --> 00:54:44,879 But I couldn't imagine this woman 562 00:54:44,880 --> 00:54:47,329 in either my bed or in my house. 563 00:54:47,330 --> 00:54:51,569 So I chose another slave girl, pleasing to the eye and, 564 00:54:51,570 --> 00:54:56,207 as the merchant claimed, subservient and obedient by nature. 565 00:55:00,612 --> 00:55:03,029 (horn blows) 566 00:55:11,495 --> 00:55:14,974 (horn blows) (peaceful atmospheric music) 567 00:55:14,975 --> 00:55:17,329 I had seen enough of the pagan lands, 568 00:55:17,330 --> 00:55:19,829 so it was time to return home. 569 00:55:19,830 --> 00:55:22,239 I decided to head down the river 570 00:55:22,240 --> 00:55:24,109 towards the port city of Riga 571 00:55:24,110 --> 00:55:28,049 where I was bound to find passage to Danish lands 572 00:55:28,050 --> 00:55:29,680 before the sea froze over. 573 00:55:35,666 --> 00:55:37,979 - [Narrator] Riga should be viewed in a separate category 574 00:55:37,980 --> 00:55:42,069 from the other cities Lars had visited on his journey. 575 00:55:42,070 --> 00:55:46,289 The influx of Germanic, Gotlandic and Danish merchants 576 00:55:46,290 --> 00:55:50,889 had merged two small Livonian settlements, forming Riga, 577 00:55:50,890 --> 00:55:54,453 the metropolis of the future state of Livonia. 578 00:55:55,710 --> 00:55:59,539 In just a few decades, Riga's dolomite wall was built 579 00:55:59,540 --> 00:56:03,719 to protect merchant homesteads and warehouses, churches, 580 00:56:03,720 --> 00:56:06,869 monasteries, multiple castles. 581 00:56:06,870 --> 00:56:09,969 Written sources poetically describe Riga 582 00:56:09,970 --> 00:56:13,359 as a colonial outpost in hostile lands, 583 00:56:13,360 --> 00:56:18,303 and a Christian citadel erected boldly in Satan's territory. 584 00:56:19,244 --> 00:56:20,439 (gulls squawk) 585 00:56:20,440 --> 00:56:23,889 The origins of the city of Riga as a Christian center 586 00:56:23,890 --> 00:56:26,599 date back to the early 13th Century, 587 00:56:26,600 --> 00:56:30,273 when Christianity arrived on German merchant ships. 588 00:56:31,580 --> 00:56:34,709 The merchants did not come to baptize the native pagans, 589 00:56:34,710 --> 00:56:37,009 but rather, to manage trading routes 590 00:56:37,010 --> 00:56:38,310 into the land of the Rus'. 591 00:56:39,520 --> 00:56:43,329 The timing of the crusades was advantageous to the merchants 592 00:56:43,330 --> 00:56:46,509 enabling them to help subdue these lands 593 00:56:46,510 --> 00:56:48,643 under the guise of spreading Christianity. 594 00:56:50,564 --> 00:56:54,647 (solemn chanting music in Latin) 595 00:57:10,350 --> 00:57:13,419 Since the Livonians and the Finns were the first tribes 596 00:57:13,420 --> 00:57:17,419 to encounter the merchants, they were also the first tribes 597 00:57:17,420 --> 00:57:20,239 on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea 598 00:57:20,240 --> 00:57:22,943 to be forced to adopt the Christian faith. 599 00:57:25,400 --> 00:57:29,259 Historical evidence regarding the baptizing of local pagans 600 00:57:29,260 --> 00:57:32,889 is contradictory and describes both willing 601 00:57:32,890 --> 00:57:35,703 and enforced conversions to Christianity. 602 00:57:37,780 --> 00:57:41,139 The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia describes a day 603 00:57:41,140 --> 00:57:44,713 when Christian priests baptized the pagans in mass. 604 00:57:46,280 --> 00:57:51,019 More often, however, the Christian faith was unwelcome. 605 00:57:51,020 --> 00:57:53,819 The same chronicle describes the disobedience 606 00:57:53,820 --> 00:57:57,949 of newly baptized Livonians who, afterwards, 607 00:57:57,950 --> 00:58:01,609 cleansed themselves of the baptism in the Daugava, 608 00:58:01,610 --> 00:58:05,513 believing they were sending Christianity back to Germany. 609 00:58:16,573 --> 00:58:21,573 (moody folk music) (background chatter) 610 00:58:23,687 --> 00:58:26,437 (water splashes) 611 00:58:42,240 --> 00:58:44,229 - [Lars] It was a surprising coincidence 612 00:58:44,230 --> 00:58:46,393 that I met my father's friend in Riga. 613 00:58:47,260 --> 00:58:49,349 The same merchant I had already met 614 00:58:49,350 --> 00:58:51,253 in the struggling town of Truso. 615 00:58:53,120 --> 00:58:55,259 He told me that Riga would soon resemble 616 00:58:55,260 --> 00:58:58,023 the largest cities of Denmark and Gotland. 617 00:58:59,380 --> 00:59:02,379 He urged me to establish ties quickly and to make 618 00:59:02,380 --> 00:59:05,909 arrangements with local German and Gotlandian merchants, 619 00:59:05,910 --> 00:59:08,889 explaining that the Germans would soon take control 620 00:59:08,890 --> 00:59:10,829 of the Daugava waterway, 621 00:59:10,830 --> 00:59:14,653 securing the trade route to the Rus' and Constantinople. 622 00:59:15,640 --> 00:59:19,319 In the marketplace, I ran over a theater performance. 623 00:59:19,320 --> 00:59:22,149 It was a traveling acting company which used a translator 624 00:59:22,150 --> 00:59:24,649 to present the play in the local language. 625 00:59:24,650 --> 00:59:27,969 By my reckoning, the play was about the prophets 626 00:59:27,970 --> 00:59:30,409 and the origins of Christianity. 627 00:59:30,410 --> 00:59:34,949 But when my eyes met with pagan eyes, I could clearly see 628 00:59:34,950 --> 00:59:37,600 that they did not understand the purpose of the play. 629 00:59:38,440 --> 00:59:42,359 They were being shown the way to true peace and eternal life 630 00:59:42,360 --> 00:59:45,769 but all they could see with their devilish eyes 631 00:59:45,770 --> 00:59:49,683 was filthy entertainment that caused mad laughter. 632 01:00:10,540 --> 01:00:13,649 After the long and difficult journey through the pagan lands 633 01:00:13,650 --> 01:00:15,279 I was exhausted. 634 01:00:15,280 --> 01:00:19,339 Obviously, my body's fluids had become corrupted, so I 635 01:00:19,340 --> 01:00:23,169 decided to go to the nearby Daugavgriva Cistercian Abbey 636 01:00:23,170 --> 01:00:27,273 to see the monks who knew how to heal both spirit and flesh. 637 01:00:30,351 --> 01:00:34,434 (solemn chanting music in Latin) 638 01:01:00,800 --> 01:01:04,439 - [Narrator] In Medieval Europe, phlebotomy or bloodletting, 639 01:01:04,440 --> 01:01:07,479 was the cornerstone of early medicine. 640 01:01:07,480 --> 01:01:10,819 It was a widely-recognized method of treatment 641 01:01:10,820 --> 01:01:14,109 grounded in the assumption that a person was healed 642 01:01:14,110 --> 01:01:17,193 after harmful fluids were drained from the body. 643 01:01:18,360 --> 01:01:19,899 Bloodletting was used to treat 644 01:01:19,900 --> 01:01:23,009 almost all internal and external ailments 645 01:01:23,010 --> 01:01:26,113 and was also used as a preventive treatment. 646 01:01:45,150 --> 01:01:46,589 - [Lars] I must say that my strength 647 01:01:46,590 --> 01:01:49,279 had not yet returned to my body, 648 01:01:49,280 --> 01:01:52,303 but my spirit was strong and I was ready to head home. 649 01:01:53,860 --> 01:01:56,049 We were on our way back to Riga 650 01:01:56,050 --> 01:01:58,503 when an unexpected misfortune befell us. 651 01:01:59,376 --> 01:02:04,061 (dramatic music) (crows squawk) 652 01:02:04,062 --> 01:02:06,475 (men yell) 653 01:02:06,476 --> 01:02:09,059 (steel clangs) 654 01:02:42,750 --> 01:02:46,349 - [Narrator] Historical records mention several raids 655 01:02:46,350 --> 01:02:50,669 near the Riga city walls in early 13th Century 656 01:02:50,670 --> 01:02:54,029 by Estonians from the island of Osil, 657 01:02:54,030 --> 01:02:58,449 or as they are called in the Chronicles, Osilians. 658 01:02:58,450 --> 01:03:01,879 They were particularly cruel towards Christians. 659 01:03:01,880 --> 01:03:04,199 They tortured German preachers, 660 01:03:04,200 --> 01:03:08,053 kidnapped newly-baptized Livonians, and stole their cattle. 661 01:03:20,380 --> 01:03:25,156 Lars is captured and taken by ship to Estonian lands. 662 01:03:25,157 --> 01:03:28,459 The Estonians are a Baltic Finno-Ugric people 663 01:03:28,460 --> 01:03:30,909 related to the Livonians and the Finns 664 01:03:30,910 --> 01:03:35,139 and are known as either mainlanders or islanders. 665 01:03:35,140 --> 01:03:37,579 The Osilians were the most difficult 666 01:03:37,580 --> 01:03:39,669 for the Christians to conquer. 667 01:03:39,670 --> 01:03:44,029 In the 13th Century, Valdemar II of Denmark, 668 01:03:44,030 --> 01:03:46,899 the Swedish Army and the Bishop of Riga, 669 01:03:46,900 --> 01:03:49,589 with the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, 670 01:03:49,590 --> 01:03:52,349 made several attempts to conquer them. 671 01:03:52,350 --> 01:03:55,909 The Osilians' ability to resist the crusaders 672 01:03:55,910 --> 01:03:59,619 may have been due to their military organization, 673 01:03:59,620 --> 01:04:03,599 the geographic placement of Osil, or possibly, 674 01:04:03,600 --> 01:04:07,049 bravery based on their belief in the protection 675 01:04:07,050 --> 01:04:09,363 and might of pagan gods. 676 01:04:11,850 --> 01:04:14,509 The names of various gods and deities 677 01:04:14,510 --> 01:04:18,289 live on in Estonian folklore to this day. 678 01:04:18,290 --> 01:04:21,209 An ancient myth says that the world spun around 679 01:04:21,210 --> 01:04:26,210 an eternal tree to which the sky was nailed with stars. 680 01:04:26,290 --> 01:04:30,439 The Milky Way, or as the Estonians say, the Bird's Way, 681 01:04:30,440 --> 01:04:33,759 was a branch of this tree along which birds carried 682 01:04:33,760 --> 01:04:36,989 the souls of the dead into other worlds. 683 01:04:36,990 --> 01:04:40,339 Similar animistic myths about the structure of the world 684 01:04:40,340 --> 01:04:43,119 are found in other Finno-Ugric cultures, 685 01:04:43,120 --> 01:04:45,219 all the way to Lapland. 686 01:04:45,220 --> 01:04:47,689 The ancient chronicles contain references 687 01:04:47,690 --> 01:04:50,629 to the Estonian supreme god, Tharapita, 688 01:04:50,630 --> 01:04:54,361 who flew over the sea and landed on Osil. 689 01:04:54,362 --> 01:04:59,362 (flies buzz) (dark atmospheric music) 690 01:05:19,750 --> 01:05:23,515 - [Lars] Unlike my less fortunate companions, 691 01:05:23,516 --> 01:05:25,653 the Osilian raiders did not kill me. 692 01:05:26,610 --> 01:05:29,699 I think the death of my father's friend was also 693 01:05:29,700 --> 01:05:33,669 an unfortunate accident, as the scoundrels would have 694 01:05:33,670 --> 01:05:36,903 received a much higher ransom for two Danish men. 695 01:05:38,540 --> 01:05:41,769 Once a well-respected, honorable merchant, 696 01:05:41,770 --> 01:05:43,533 I had now become a slave. 697 01:05:45,890 --> 01:05:48,339 We were treated almost like cattle. 698 01:05:48,340 --> 01:05:50,199 We were not treated poorly. 699 01:05:50,200 --> 01:05:52,633 Though the food could have been better. 700 01:06:06,280 --> 01:06:08,879 I spent several years in slavery, 701 01:06:08,880 --> 01:06:12,299 and abandoned any hope that my family would ever buy me out 702 01:06:12,300 --> 01:06:14,173 of this humiliating servitude. 703 01:06:15,570 --> 01:06:16,959 Other prisoners, 704 01:06:16,960 --> 01:06:19,639 who had already spent some times in captivity, 705 01:06:19,640 --> 01:06:22,739 told me that slaves who did their work well 706 01:06:22,740 --> 01:06:26,083 could even be promoted to overseer of the household. 707 01:06:27,410 --> 01:06:29,683 So, I did the best I could. 708 01:06:31,030 --> 01:06:33,429 I learned the local language, 709 01:06:33,430 --> 01:06:36,939 by working for an Osilian blacksmith near Tuyu 710 01:06:36,940 --> 01:06:40,743 where locals mined ore and smelted it into iron. 711 01:06:41,710 --> 01:06:46,079 I never thought about where and how iron was obtained 712 01:06:46,080 --> 01:06:47,533 when I traded blades. 713 01:06:48,560 --> 01:06:52,709 The digging and smelting of swamp ore on Osil 714 01:06:52,710 --> 01:06:55,759 was some of the hardest work I had ever done. 715 01:06:55,760 --> 01:06:59,959 Sometimes, the furnace we had built just outside the forest 716 01:06:59,960 --> 01:07:03,209 had to be pumped with bellows for several days 717 01:07:03,210 --> 01:07:06,297 before the iron bits separated from the ore. 718 01:07:15,997 --> 01:07:18,159 It was easier in the smithy, 719 01:07:18,160 --> 01:07:21,149 where all I did was bring firewood and water, 720 01:07:21,150 --> 01:07:23,679 keep the fire going in the forge, 721 01:07:23,680 --> 01:07:26,149 pump bellows for several hours, 722 01:07:26,150 --> 01:07:29,489 and help the blacksmith in various other ways. 723 01:07:29,490 --> 01:07:32,539 In time, I came to love the blacksmith, 724 01:07:32,540 --> 01:07:35,979 and he became almost like a father to me, 725 01:07:35,980 --> 01:07:38,173 or perhaps even a mother. 726 01:07:41,240 --> 01:07:43,869 The blacksmith was also well respected, 727 01:07:43,870 --> 01:07:46,459 and held high esteem in the village. 728 01:07:46,460 --> 01:07:49,259 No wonder, the horses were always shoed, 729 01:07:49,260 --> 01:07:52,909 and women adorned themselves with bronze jewelry 730 01:07:52,910 --> 01:07:55,249 and sewed clothes with needles. 731 01:07:55,250 --> 01:07:58,179 Yet, my master's most highly esteemed skill 732 01:07:58,180 --> 01:07:59,749 was that of forging weapons. 733 01:07:59,750 --> 01:08:02,869 For an Osilian's life was unimaginable 734 01:08:02,870 --> 01:08:06,559 without a blood-stained sword in his hand. 735 01:08:06,560 --> 01:08:08,810 (men yell) 736 01:08:11,368 --> 01:08:14,519 - [Narrator] Written sources describe Estonians from Osil 737 01:08:14,520 --> 01:08:17,849 as the most wicked enemies of the Christianity. 738 01:08:17,850 --> 01:08:20,009 The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia 739 01:08:20,010 --> 01:08:22,159 describes a cruel incident. 740 01:08:22,160 --> 01:08:24,189 Estonians ripped out the heart 741 01:08:24,190 --> 01:08:26,709 of a Christian castle overseer. 742 01:08:26,710 --> 01:08:30,559 They cooked it over a fire, divided it amongst themselves, 743 01:08:30,560 --> 01:08:33,469 and ate it so that they would become courageous 744 01:08:33,470 --> 01:08:35,039 against Christians. 745 01:08:35,040 --> 01:08:38,713 His flesh, they fed to the dogs and to the birds of the sky. 746 01:08:39,640 --> 01:08:42,159 We will never know whether this really happened or was it 747 01:08:42,160 --> 01:08:44,973 written to scare with the wickedness of the pagans. 748 01:08:47,168 --> 01:08:49,501 (men grunt) 749 01:08:53,980 --> 01:08:56,859 - [Lars] In the animal world, the weaker exist 750 01:08:56,860 --> 01:08:58,743 only as food for the stronger. 751 01:08:59,850 --> 01:09:02,443 The pagans thought in much the same way. 752 01:09:03,480 --> 01:09:06,549 The raiders considered the settlements of other tribes 753 01:09:06,550 --> 01:09:11,229 as places to be plundered for captives, cattle, weapons, 754 01:09:11,230 --> 01:09:12,230 and other goods. 755 01:09:13,030 --> 01:09:16,383 If they did not do so, someone else would. 756 01:09:19,580 --> 01:09:22,899 I was brought along on raids as an interpreter 757 01:09:22,900 --> 01:09:25,833 to negotiate ransoms with the captives' relatives. 758 01:09:26,920 --> 01:09:27,963 This was not easy, 759 01:09:28,850 --> 01:09:31,363 as I saw the grief and suffering we caused. 760 01:09:32,240 --> 01:09:36,449 But I had learned a simple truth in my time with the pagans. 761 01:09:36,450 --> 01:09:39,620 If you run with the wolves, you must howl with them. 762 01:09:40,880 --> 01:09:44,119 As soon as their eyes retreated from the sea, 763 01:09:44,120 --> 01:09:45,593 the Osilians went raiding. 764 01:09:46,510 --> 01:09:48,879 They often joined forces with their neighbors, 765 01:09:48,880 --> 01:09:49,880 the Curonians. 766 01:09:51,720 --> 01:09:53,909 Returning from one of our raids, 767 01:09:53,910 --> 01:09:57,263 we docked on the Curonian shore to divide the booty. 768 01:09:58,200 --> 01:10:01,809 I had begun to feel like I belonged with the Osilians, 769 01:10:01,810 --> 01:10:04,563 but I was sold, like a simple animal. 770 01:10:05,539 --> 01:10:09,159 (moody folk music) 771 01:10:09,160 --> 01:10:12,779 - [Narrator] Lars has arrived in Curonian lands. 772 01:10:12,780 --> 01:10:16,529 The territory of ancient Courland consisted of several 773 01:10:16,530 --> 01:10:19,887 kingdoms formed around castles or (speaks foreign language). 774 01:10:21,670 --> 01:10:24,059 Scandinavian merchants and artisans 775 01:10:24,060 --> 01:10:26,669 had been building settlements in Courland 776 01:10:26,670 --> 01:10:30,529 since the middle of the first millennium and established 777 01:10:30,530 --> 01:10:34,889 close trade relations with the nearby Gotland. 778 01:10:34,890 --> 01:10:38,359 Yet, written sources mention wars and raids between 779 01:10:38,360 --> 01:10:43,360 the Curonians, Swedes and Danes more frequently than trade. 780 01:10:44,428 --> 01:10:49,428 (dark atmospheric music) (people whine) 781 01:10:50,470 --> 01:10:52,439 For several centuries, 782 01:10:52,440 --> 01:10:56,259 the Curonians partially ruled the Baltic Sea, 783 01:10:56,260 --> 01:10:59,279 but from the 13th Century onwards, 784 01:10:59,280 --> 01:11:03,279 North German merchants took advantage of the crusades 785 01:11:03,280 --> 01:11:07,309 to gain control of the old trade routes 786 01:11:07,310 --> 01:11:10,853 that later turned into the Hanseatic League. 787 01:11:11,860 --> 01:11:14,709 Sensing that their former might was fading, 788 01:11:14,710 --> 01:11:19,710 the Curonians attacked the Christian center, Riga, in 1210. 789 01:11:20,310 --> 01:11:24,879 After a three-day siege, crusader reinforcements arrived, 790 01:11:24,880 --> 01:11:27,749 forcing the Curonians to retreat. 791 01:11:27,750 --> 01:11:32,149 They gathered their fallen and spent three more days nearby, 792 01:11:32,150 --> 01:11:34,423 mourning and burning their dead. 793 01:12:09,560 --> 01:12:12,059 - [Lars] The Curonians were like wild beasts. 794 01:12:12,060 --> 01:12:15,119 They would not give up their forest and be domesticated 795 01:12:15,120 --> 01:12:17,393 to live like cattle with foreign masters. 796 01:12:18,640 --> 01:12:21,489 But they had learned the same simple truth I had. 797 01:12:21,490 --> 01:12:24,533 If you can't beat them, join them. 798 01:12:26,110 --> 01:12:28,439 Hoping to avoid terrible bloodshed, 799 01:12:28,440 --> 01:12:32,369 and endless battles against the Germans, Danes and Swedes, 800 01:12:32,370 --> 01:12:35,339 the Curonians adopted the Christian faith 801 01:12:35,340 --> 01:12:36,673 with the Pope's blessing. 802 01:12:41,480 --> 01:12:44,397 (moody folk music) 803 01:12:57,240 --> 01:13:00,349 Yet it was clear to me that the Curonians only called 804 01:13:00,350 --> 01:13:03,969 themselves Christians to fool their foreign masters, 805 01:13:03,970 --> 01:13:06,289 because the pagans were not about to forget 806 01:13:06,290 --> 01:13:08,549 their ancestral gods. 807 01:13:08,550 --> 01:13:12,049 Moreover, at the time of the winter solstice, 808 01:13:12,050 --> 01:13:15,170 I witnessed the Curonians hunting in their sacred forest 809 01:13:16,100 --> 01:13:19,239 where, during the previous year, they never killed a beast, 810 01:13:19,240 --> 01:13:21,849 nor did they fell a single tree. 811 01:13:21,850 --> 01:13:25,219 During the solstice, the shortest day of the year, 812 01:13:25,220 --> 01:13:27,339 the pagans wore masks, 813 01:13:27,340 --> 01:13:31,309 believing they held the spirits of their ancestors, 814 01:13:31,310 --> 01:13:34,329 which let them communicate with their dead relatives 815 01:13:34,330 --> 01:13:35,493 and the gods of nature. 816 01:13:36,590 --> 01:13:40,249 Lamikins had heard that the neighboring tribe, Samogitians, 817 01:13:40,250 --> 01:13:43,909 were preparing a battle against the German crusaders. 818 01:13:43,910 --> 01:13:46,589 So he offered to sell a large number of weapons 819 01:13:46,590 --> 01:13:48,977 to the Samogitian Duke, Vykintas. 820 01:13:50,220 --> 01:13:52,689 Although they often quarreled and warred, 821 01:13:52,690 --> 01:13:56,709 this was no obstacle to a mutually beneficial deal. 822 01:13:56,710 --> 01:13:59,589 I would laugh, if I weren't crying, 823 01:13:59,590 --> 01:14:02,319 at how remarkably and insistently 824 01:14:02,320 --> 01:14:05,449 fate kept throwing obstacles in my way. 825 01:14:05,450 --> 01:14:10,003 Lamikins sold me for a wine skin full of expensive wine. 826 01:14:30,419 --> 01:14:34,002 (somber atmospheric music) 827 01:14:59,107 --> 01:15:03,849 And so, in the winter of the year of our lord, 1235, 828 01:15:03,850 --> 01:15:05,639 I was sent to Samogitia, 829 01:15:05,640 --> 01:15:08,203 along with a Curonian shipment of weapons. 830 01:15:09,080 --> 01:15:12,819 Duke Vykintas rode ahead with his riders and village elders, 831 01:15:12,820 --> 01:15:15,309 and we followed behind more slowly, 832 01:15:15,310 --> 01:15:17,983 as we were encumbered by the amount of goods. 833 01:15:33,290 --> 01:15:35,519 On the way, I once again realized 834 01:15:35,520 --> 01:15:37,969 that the given word was not to be trusted. 835 01:15:37,970 --> 01:15:40,959 The Samogitians could expect kindness, hospitality 836 01:15:40,960 --> 01:15:45,889 and care from Lamikins, but despite the agreed upon truce, 837 01:15:45,890 --> 01:15:49,069 my companions attacked simple Curonian folk 838 01:15:49,070 --> 01:15:51,903 fishing on the ice and robbed them of their catch. 839 01:15:53,480 --> 01:15:56,469 But such was the custom and the Curonians 840 01:15:56,470 --> 01:15:59,803 would not have acted any differently, given the opportunity. 841 01:16:41,930 --> 01:16:45,029 Our path was difficult and dangerous, 842 01:16:45,030 --> 01:16:48,093 as the ice had become fragile after the thaw. 843 01:16:50,820 --> 01:16:54,959 It was no surprise that it could not hold so many people, 844 01:16:54,960 --> 01:16:56,793 and some of us fell through. 845 01:17:01,100 --> 01:17:04,873 One unfortunate man met his end in the icy water. 846 01:17:06,750 --> 01:17:09,339 If he was baptized, he would have been brought 847 01:17:09,340 --> 01:17:12,073 back to his family for a proper burial. 848 01:17:13,000 --> 01:17:17,029 But nobody cared about the body of a pathetic servant. 849 01:17:17,030 --> 01:17:20,123 So, we left him to the wolves. 850 01:17:36,110 --> 01:17:39,839 - [Narrator] Lars, now a carrier of goods, 851 01:17:39,840 --> 01:17:43,039 was on the road to Samogitian lands. 852 01:17:43,040 --> 01:17:46,569 As the story suggests, many of the Baltic peoples 853 01:17:46,570 --> 01:17:50,129 fought fiercely against the preachers of Christianity. 854 01:17:50,130 --> 01:17:53,229 Samogitia too was turned into a battlefield during the 855 01:17:53,230 --> 01:17:58,169 crusades and they fought fiercely for 200 years to hold back 856 01:17:58,170 --> 01:18:01,579 the expansion of the State of Teutonic Order. 857 01:18:01,580 --> 01:18:05,259 The Samogitians are considered to be the last pagan tribe 858 01:18:05,260 --> 01:18:09,873 of Europe, adopting Christianity only in the 15th Century. 859 01:18:11,660 --> 01:18:14,799 Their settlements were surrounded by thick forests 860 01:18:14,800 --> 01:18:19,649 and deep, expansive marshes with hidden underwater paths, 861 01:18:19,650 --> 01:18:22,119 known only to the locals, 862 01:18:22,120 --> 01:18:26,189 and providing good defense against invaders. 863 01:18:26,190 --> 01:18:30,119 This terrain was easier to traverse during the winter. 864 01:18:30,120 --> 01:18:33,793 So most trading and fighting usually occurred then. 865 01:18:47,820 --> 01:18:50,699 - [Lars] I reached the Samogitian village 866 01:18:50,700 --> 01:18:52,383 during time of mourning. 867 01:18:53,860 --> 01:18:56,889 After all I had seen in the pagan lands, 868 01:18:56,890 --> 01:18:59,103 the sight did not surprise me. 869 01:19:01,310 --> 01:19:05,069 The body of the deceased was dressed in ceremonial clothes 870 01:19:05,070 --> 01:19:08,949 and footwear and was seated at the table with the living, 871 01:19:08,950 --> 01:19:10,999 taking part in the funeral feast 872 01:19:11,000 --> 01:19:13,663 while his kin ate, drank and feasted. 873 01:19:15,510 --> 01:19:18,939 People lamented throughout the evening, 874 01:19:18,940 --> 01:19:21,079 and the relatives wailed and listed 875 01:19:21,080 --> 01:19:23,453 the worldly possessions of the deceased. 876 01:19:24,380 --> 01:19:28,589 Namely his wife, children, sheep, cows, horses, geese 877 01:19:28,590 --> 01:19:30,189 and other goods. 878 01:19:30,190 --> 01:19:32,659 They drank all night and asked the deceased 879 01:19:32,660 --> 01:19:35,783 to pass their regards onto their friends in the beyond. 880 01:19:36,860 --> 01:19:40,913 I suppose the deceased was the only one silent. 881 01:19:52,820 --> 01:19:56,993 I was still a stranger, so I was not allowed to come near. 882 01:19:58,650 --> 01:20:02,179 I watched from afar as they finished their drinks 883 01:20:02,180 --> 01:20:04,569 and tossed the vessels into the grave 884 01:20:04,570 --> 01:20:07,963 along with a loaf of bread, some salt and weapons. 885 01:20:09,260 --> 01:20:12,339 I heard talk of a fee the deceased would have to pay 886 01:20:12,340 --> 01:20:16,789 the ferryman for passage across the underworld river. 887 01:20:16,790 --> 01:20:20,533 So they placed jewelry and silver coins next to the ashes. 888 01:20:22,430 --> 01:20:25,023 After so many years in the pagan lands, 889 01:20:26,000 --> 01:20:29,079 I no longer knew to whom I belonged. 890 01:20:29,080 --> 01:20:31,463 The Christians or the pagans? 891 01:20:33,160 --> 01:20:36,509 I sometimes wondered whether the pagan gods 892 01:20:36,510 --> 01:20:40,299 weren't just part of our one great God, 893 01:20:40,300 --> 01:20:43,439 and whether their sacred hills and forests 894 01:20:43,440 --> 01:20:47,349 weren't like churches and their solstice festivals 895 01:20:47,350 --> 01:20:50,933 celebrations of the birth of our savior. 896 01:20:51,770 --> 01:20:55,459 These thoughts frightened me, so I fended them off, 897 01:20:55,460 --> 01:20:59,307 for they will surely condemn me to hell, as a Christian. 898 01:21:03,650 --> 01:21:06,067 (horn blows) 899 01:21:17,625 --> 01:21:21,239 A large force of crusaders had landed on the seashore. 900 01:21:21,240 --> 01:21:24,679 Seeking allies, Samogitian Duke, Vykintas, 901 01:21:24,680 --> 01:21:28,329 sent envoys to the neighboring Semigallian region of Tarta 902 01:21:28,330 --> 01:21:30,949 hoping to make an alliance and to devise a plan 903 01:21:30,950 --> 01:21:33,823 with his former rivals to drive the crusaders off. 904 01:21:36,700 --> 01:21:39,209 Strange feeling came over me when I heard 905 01:21:39,210 --> 01:21:42,089 the crusaders' war efforts were succeeding. 906 01:21:42,090 --> 01:21:45,003 Was this my chance to regain my freedom? 907 01:21:48,290 --> 01:21:51,389 - [Narrator] In the 13th Century, Semigallian tribes 908 01:21:51,390 --> 01:21:54,734 were governed by two main castle districts. 909 01:21:54,735 --> 01:21:57,385 Thervetene and Mesyote. 910 01:21:57,386 --> 01:22:00,599 The Semigallians and their neighbors, the Samogitians, 911 01:22:00,600 --> 01:22:04,729 were fierce enemies and often waged war against each other. 912 01:22:04,730 --> 01:22:08,039 The crusades put these old conflicts to rest and many 913 01:22:08,040 --> 01:22:12,603 Semigallians fleeing the crusaders migrated to Samogitia. 914 01:22:16,432 --> 01:22:19,849 (tense percussive music) 915 01:22:38,525 --> 01:22:40,599 - [Lars] This was not the first time I saw the pagans 916 01:22:40,600 --> 01:22:43,519 use divination to reveal their future. 917 01:22:43,520 --> 01:22:46,509 They threw animal bones in the fire and watched 918 01:22:46,510 --> 01:22:50,149 the direction of the smoke and looked for images 919 01:22:50,150 --> 01:22:53,210 which would foretell whether to fight or stay at home. 920 01:22:55,863 --> 01:22:59,613 (men speak foreign language) 921 01:23:18,218 --> 01:23:20,532 The Samogitians had come to the Semigallians 922 01:23:20,533 --> 01:23:24,193 with an offer to join forces and attack the crusaders, 923 01:23:25,530 --> 01:23:28,959 who, after raiding Lithuanian lands, were about to return 924 01:23:28,960 --> 01:23:32,503 to Riga to sail home to North Germany before the winter. 925 01:23:34,020 --> 01:23:38,289 This attack was meant to defeat the brothers of the cross, 926 01:23:38,290 --> 01:23:39,977 once and for all. 927 01:23:42,800 --> 01:23:46,209 And here was my chance to escape servitude. 928 01:23:46,210 --> 01:23:49,796 The Samogitian lord said to me, "We want to decide 929 01:23:49,797 --> 01:23:53,176 "for ourselves how to live and which gods to worship. 930 01:23:53,177 --> 01:23:56,486 "Not to live under the rule of foreign conquerors. 931 01:23:56,487 --> 01:24:00,056 "Lars, come fight with us and I will set you free 932 01:24:00,057 --> 01:24:01,617 "for the rest of your days." 933 01:24:02,740 --> 01:24:04,123 What was I to do? 934 01:24:25,990 --> 01:24:29,489 What sins had I committed 935 01:24:29,490 --> 01:24:33,723 that God, in his almighty judgment, should punish me so? 936 01:24:34,710 --> 01:24:36,313 That remained a mystery to me. 937 01:24:37,310 --> 01:24:41,059 I spent many nights praying to God to have mercy on me. 938 01:24:41,060 --> 01:24:43,079 My prayers went unanswered, 939 01:24:43,080 --> 01:24:46,653 and I sometimes thought my lord had abandoned me. 940 01:24:48,310 --> 01:24:52,649 But now, armed with a spear and marching into battle, 941 01:24:52,650 --> 01:24:54,719 against my brothers in faith, 942 01:24:54,720 --> 01:24:58,769 I smelled the scent of the forest and the taste of blood, 943 01:24:58,770 --> 01:25:02,593 and freedom began to pulsate in my old veins. 944 01:25:26,810 --> 01:25:30,309 We knew we would face the entire army of crusaders 945 01:25:30,310 --> 01:25:34,269 and Sword Brothers, but there were many of us, too. 946 01:25:34,270 --> 01:25:36,879 Maybe four or 5,000 Lithuanians, 947 01:25:36,880 --> 01:25:40,513 Samogitians and Semigallians, outnumbering our enemy. 948 01:25:42,185 --> 01:25:44,809 Our plan was to strike at dawn, 949 01:25:44,810 --> 01:25:47,687 using the marshy terrain to our advantage. 950 01:26:05,390 --> 01:26:07,969 - [Narrator] The archives contain several descriptions 951 01:26:07,970 --> 01:26:10,439 of the events of the Battle of Schaulen, 952 01:26:10,440 --> 01:26:13,533 directly translated, Battle of the Sun. 953 01:26:14,400 --> 01:26:17,389 The most prevalent belief is that the pagan army 954 01:26:17,390 --> 01:26:19,003 cut the crusaders off. 955 01:26:20,102 --> 01:26:23,909 Volkwin, the Master of the Brothers of the Sword, had warned 956 01:26:23,910 --> 01:26:27,029 the crusaders of the impending danger and the battle. 957 01:26:27,030 --> 01:26:29,599 But the exhausted knights and mercenaries 958 01:26:29,600 --> 01:26:33,423 disregarded the advice and set up camp for the night. 959 01:26:34,530 --> 01:26:38,049 The pagan army launched a sudden attack the next morning, 960 01:26:38,050 --> 01:26:41,269 catching the crusaders off guard. 961 01:26:41,270 --> 01:26:44,459 Having lost the advantage of a significant cavalry, the 962 01:26:44,460 --> 01:26:47,963 surrounded Brothers of the Sword and crusaders were killed. 963 01:26:48,920 --> 01:26:51,159 The slaughter was so quick and brutal 964 01:26:51,160 --> 01:26:53,569 that the Brothers of the Sword became the source 965 01:26:53,570 --> 01:26:56,899 of mockery in the Livonian Grand Chronicle, 966 01:26:56,900 --> 01:27:01,069 the most famous surviving written record of the time. 967 01:27:01,070 --> 01:27:04,579 It is believed that most of the mercenaries, Germans, 968 01:27:04,580 --> 01:27:09,379 Latgalians, Livonians, Estonians and Rus' of Pskov 969 01:27:09,380 --> 01:27:11,749 were overwhelmed by the pagan forces 970 01:27:11,750 --> 01:27:14,139 and fled the battlefield. 971 01:27:14,140 --> 01:27:17,369 Their retreat was cut off and they were slain 972 01:27:17,370 --> 01:27:20,327 by the strategically-placed Semigallians. 973 01:28:38,378 --> 01:28:41,961 (somber atmospheric music) 974 01:28:53,070 --> 01:28:55,169 The Order of the Brothers of the Sword 975 01:28:55,170 --> 01:28:57,789 was crushed in the Battle of the Schaulen, 976 01:28:57,790 --> 01:29:00,283 but new armies soon replaced them. 977 01:29:02,380 --> 01:29:05,369 Faith has not been kind to the Baltic peoples. 978 01:29:05,370 --> 01:29:08,389 In the centuries to come, the eastern shores 979 01:29:08,390 --> 01:29:12,259 of the Baltic Sea would see foreign powers come and go, 980 01:29:12,260 --> 01:29:15,739 but the Baltic peoples maintained their unique identity 981 01:29:15,740 --> 01:29:18,029 based in nature and the land, 982 01:29:18,030 --> 01:29:20,593 never losing their desire for freedom. 983 01:29:25,180 --> 01:29:27,509 What kept them from perishing? 984 01:29:27,510 --> 01:29:30,999 Was it their ability to adapt when necessary? 985 01:29:31,000 --> 01:29:33,829 Was it their ability to hide in dark forests 986 01:29:33,830 --> 01:29:37,543 and wait out the war games of kings and powerful neighbors? 987 01:29:39,540 --> 01:29:43,579 But perhaps it was the strength, persistence, 988 01:29:43,580 --> 01:29:47,933 spite and will of their ancestors to survive. 989 01:30:03,210 --> 01:30:05,369 - [Lars] I am no longer here. 990 01:30:05,370 --> 01:30:06,370 But nothing is over. 991 01:30:10,230 --> 01:30:12,083 I was only part of a larger story, 992 01:30:13,192 --> 01:30:15,609 and that story will continue. 993 01:30:17,227 --> 01:30:21,359 The blood in our veins flows from the past 994 01:30:21,360 --> 01:30:22,703 throughout human history. 995 01:30:25,200 --> 01:30:26,200 Times change. 996 01:30:27,090 --> 01:30:29,103 People's lives and customs change. 997 01:30:30,100 --> 01:30:32,339 Our knowledge of the order of the world 998 01:30:32,340 --> 01:30:34,679 and our values change. 999 01:30:34,680 --> 01:30:37,533 But human nature remains the same. 1000 01:30:41,720 --> 01:30:45,677 These natural laws have ruled us for thousands of years. 1001 01:30:48,890 --> 01:30:53,397 Looking back, we are faced with shadows of the past asking, 1002 01:30:54,907 --> 01:30:58,429 "Will we water the roots of the tree of life 1003 01:30:58,430 --> 01:31:00,763 "with blood or clear water?" 1004 01:31:30,893 --> 01:31:35,893 (solemn chanting music in foreign language) 1005 01:34:47,163 --> 01:34:50,080 (moody folk music)