Selonia ( lv, Sēlija; lt, Sėla), also known as Augšzeme (the "Highland"), is one of the
Historical Latvian Lands
Historical Latvian Lands ( lv, Latviešu vēsturiskās zemes) or formerly Cultural regions of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas kultūrvēsturiskie novadi) are several areas within Latvia formally recognised as distinct from the rest of the country. While som ...
encompassing the eastern part of the historical region of
Semigallia
Semigallia, also spelt Semigalia, ( lv, Zemgale; german: Semgallen; lt, Žiemgala; pl, Semigalia; liv, Zemgāl) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands located in the south of the Daugava river and the north of the Saule region of Samogitia. ...
( lv, Zemgale) as well as a portion of northeastern Lithuania. Its main city and cultural center is
Jēkabpils
Jēkabpils (; german: Jakobstadt; pl, Jakubów) is a state city in Jēkabpils Municipality in southeastern Latvia roughly halfway between Riga and Daugavpils and spanning the Daugava River. Historic Jēkabpils lies on the left bank, in Selonia ...
. The
Selonian language
Selonian was an Eastern Baltic language, which was spoken by the Eastern Baltic tribe of the Selonians, who until the 15th century lived in Selonia, a territory in southeastern Latvia and northeastern Lithuania.
History
During the 13th� ...
has become extinct, though some of the inhabitants still speak a Latgalian dialect.
History
The territory of Selonia is defined by Latvian law as follows: the part of
Aizkraukle
Aizkraukle (german: Ascheraden) is a town in Vidzeme region in Latvia, the administrative centre of Aizkraukle Municipality on the right bank of the Daugava River. The population in 2020 was 7,018.
History
In the second half of the 14th century ...
city on the left bank of the
Daugava
, be, Заходняя Дзвіна (), liv, Vēna, et, Väina, german: Düna
, image = Fluss-lv-Düna.png
, image_caption = The drainage basin of the Daugava
, source1_location = Valdai Hills, Russia
, mouth_location = Gulf of Riga, Baltic ...
Jaunjelgava
Jaunjelgava ( german: link=no, Friedrichstadt) (literally:"New Jelgava") is a town on the left bank of the Daugava River in Aizkraukle Municipality, in the Selonia region of Latvia, about 80 km southeast of Riga. The population in 2020 ...
Dviete Parish
Dviete Parish ( lv, Dvietes pagasts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia (Prior to the 2009 administrative reforms it was part of Daugavpils District).
Towns, villages and settlements of Dv ...
,
Eglaine Parish
Eglaine Parish ( lv, Eglaines pagasts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia.
Villages
* Annasmuiža
* Baltmuiža
* Eglaine
* Laši
* Vitkuški
See also
* Gotthard Friedrich Stender
Ref ...
,
Ilūkste
Ilūkste (; lt, Alūksta, Ilūkšta; german: Illuxt) is a town in Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia. The population in 2020 was 2,216.
History
Territory of modern Ilūkste was inhabited by ancient baltic tribe- Selonian ...
city,
Kalkūne Parish
Kalkūne Parish ( lv, Kalkūnes pagasts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia.
Towns, villages and settlements of Kalkūne Parish
*
External links
*
Parishes of Latvia
Selonia ...
Daugava
, be, Заходняя Дзвіна (), liv, Vēna, et, Väina, german: Düna
, image = Fluss-lv-Düna.png
, image_caption = The drainage basin of the Daugava
, source1_location = Valdai Hills, Russia
, mouth_location = Gulf of Riga, Baltic ...
Jēkabpils
Jēkabpils (; german: Jakobstadt; pl, Jakubów) is a state city in Jēkabpils Municipality in southeastern Latvia roughly halfway between Riga and Daugavpils and spanning the Daugava River. Historic Jēkabpils lies on the left bank, in Selonia ...
city on the left bank of the
Daugava
, be, Заходняя Дзвіна (), liv, Vēna, et, Väina, german: Düna
, image = Fluss-lv-Düna.png
, image_caption = The drainage basin of the Daugava
, source1_location = Valdai Hills, Russia
, mouth_location = Gulf of Riga, Baltic ...
Rite Parish
Rite Parish ( lv, Rites pagasts) is an Administrative divisions of Latvia, administrative territorial entity of Jēkabpils Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia. Prior to 2009, it was an administrative unit of the former Jēkabpils Distr ...
Krāslava
Krāslava (; ltg, Kruoslova, german: Kreslau, be, Краслаўка, pl, Krasław, russian: Краслава, Креславль) is a town and the administrative centre of Krāslava Municipality, in the Latgale region of Latvia. The town lies ...
city on the left bank of the
Daugava
, be, Заходняя Дзвіна (), liv, Vēna, et, Väina, german: Düna
, image = Fluss-lv-Düna.png
, image_caption = The drainage basin of the Daugava
, source1_location = Valdai Hills, Russia
, mouth_location = Gulf of Riga, Baltic ...
. Latviešu vēsturisko zemju likums
The subjugation and baptism of the
Selonians
The Selonians ( lv, sēļi; lt, sėliai, from liv, sälli – "highlanders") were a tribe of Baltic peoples. They lived until the 15th century in Selonia, located in southeastern Latvia and northeastern Lithuania. They eventually merged w ...
started in 1208, when
Albert of Buxhoeveden
Albert of Riga or Albert of Livonia or Albrecht (german: Albert von Buxthoeven, lv, Alberts fon Buksthēvdens; c.1165 – 17 January 1229) was the third Bishop of Riga in Livonia. In 1201 he allegedly founded Riga, the modern capital of Latvi ...
captured Sēlpils hillfort ( la, castrum Selonum). The term "Selonians" is most probably the German adaptation of the Livonian name "Highlanders", which leads to the hypothesis that the Selonians and Aukštaitians belonged to the same ethnos. The
Livonian Chronicle of Henry
The ''Livonian Chronicle of Henry'' ( la, Heinrici Cronicon Lyvoniae) offers a Latin narrative of events in Livonia (roughly corresponding to today's inland Estonia and the northern part of Latvia) and surrounding areas from 1180 to 1227. It was ...
describes the Selonians as allies of the Lithuanians. In 1218 the region formed a Selonian
diocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...
, but in 1226 part of that diocese was joined to the Riga archbishopric and the Bishopric of Semigalia was formed. After 1561, Selonia became a part of Duchy of Courland and Semigallia.
Nowadays the region is mainly inhabited by Latvians with larger proportion of ethnic minorities of
Russians
, native_name_lang = ru
, image =
, caption =
, population =
, popplace =
118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 '' Winkler Prins'' estimate)
, region1 =
, pop1 ...
,
Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in C ...
Mindaugas
Mindaugas (german: Myndowen, la, Mindowe, orv, Мендог, be, Міндоўг, pl, Mendog, c. 1203–1263) is the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania and the only crowned King of Lithuania. Little is known of his origins, early life, or ...
's Donation Act of 1261 is the one that best describes the transfer of the Selonian lands to the Knights of the Sword. Their boundary went from the
Daugava
, be, Заходняя Дзвіна (), liv, Vēna, et, Väina, german: Düna
, image = Fluss-lv-Düna.png
, image_caption = The drainage basin of the Daugava
, source1_location = Valdai Hills, Russia
, mouth_location = Gulf of Riga, Baltic ...
Viešinta
Viešinta is a river of Anykščiai district municipality, Utena County, northeastern Lithuania. It flows for and has a basin area of . It is a left tributary of the river Lėvuo.Lėvuo river northwards to the
Mūša
Mūša ( lv, Mūsa; German: Muhsse) is a river in Northern Lithuania and Southern Latvia (Zemgale region). At its confluence with the river Nemunėlis ( lv, Mēmele) in Latvia, near city Bauska, the river Lielupė is formed. The river is 164 ...
(Mūsa) and downstream, to the mouth of the Babīte (Būga, 1961, p. 273–274).
Thus, the historical sources describing the Selonian boundaries in the second half of the 13th century are rather precise. The linguist
Kazimieras Būga
Kazimieras Būga (; November 6, 1879 – December 2, 1924) was a Lithuanian linguist and philologist. He was a professor of linguistics, who mainly worked on the Lithuanian language.
He was born at Pažiegė, near Dusetos, then part of the Russia ...
, basing himself on linguistic data alone, specifies the southern boundary of the Selonian territory as running approximately by the towns of Salakas,
Tauragnai
Tauragnai ( pl, Tauroginy) is a town in Utena County, Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic ...
,
Utena
Utena () is a city in north-east Lithuania. It is the administrative center of Utena district and Utena County. Utena is one of the oldest settlements of Lithuania. The name of the city is most probably derived from a hydronym. The name of the s ...
Pasvalys
Pasvalys () is a town in Panevėžys County, Lithuania, located near the bank of the Svalia River.
History
In 1557, the Treaty of Pasvalys was signed in the town, which provoked Ivan IV of Russia to start the Livonian War. Pasvalys has mineral s ...
, and Saločiai. Regional history museum of the Selonia region of Lithuania, founded in 1928 in Biržai Castle.
References
Sources
* Arveds Švābe, ed.: ''Latvju enciklopēdija''. Stockholm: Trīs Zvaigznes, 1952-1953.
* Edgars Andersons, ed.: ''Latvju enciklopēdija 1962-1982''. Lincoln: American Latvian Associatio 1983-1990. Entry "Sēlija" available a historia.lv Retrieved 25. II. 2006.
* Vytautas Kazakevičius Retrieved 25. II. 2006.
{{authority control
Historical regions in LatviaHistorical regions in LithuaniaMedieval LatviaSelonia