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Virumaa ( la, Vironia;
Low German : : : : : (70,000) (30,000) (8,000) , familycolor = Indo-European , fam2 = Germanic , fam3 = West Germanic , fam4 = North Sea Germanic , ancestor = Old Saxon , ancestor2 = Middle L ...
: ''Wierland'';
Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
: ''Virland'') is a former
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in
Ancient Estonia Ancient Estonia refers to a period covering History of Estonia from the middle of the 8th millennium BC until the conquest and subjugation of the local Finnic tribes in the first quarter of the 13th century during the Teutonic and Danish North ...
. Now it is divided into
Ida-Viru County Ida-Viru County ( et, Ida-Viru maakond or ''Ida-Virumaa'') is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is the most north-eastern part of the country. The county contains large deposits of oil shale - the main mineral mined in Estonia. Oil shale is used ...
or Eastern Vironia and
Lääne-Viru County Lääne-Viru County ( et, Lääne-Viru maakond or ''Lääne-Virumaa'') is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is in northern Estonia, on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland. In Estonian, ''lääne'' means western and ''ida'' means east or eastern ...
or Western Vironia.
Vironians The Vironians ({{Lang-et, Virulased) were one of the Finnic tribes that later formed the Estonian nation. History They lived in Vironia (''Virumaa'' in Estonian, ''Wierland'' in German and ''Virland'' in Scandinavian, now Ida-Viru County and L ...
built many
stronghold A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
s, like
Tarwanpe Rakvere is a town in northern Estonia and the administrative centre of the Lääne-Viru ''maakond'' (county), 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea. Rakvere is the 8th most populous urban area in Estonia. Rakvere has a total ...
(modern
Rakvere Rakvere is a town in northern Estonia and the administrative centre of the Lääne-Viru ''maakond'' (county), 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea. Rakvere is the 8th most populous urban area in Estonia. Rakvere has a tota ...
) and Agelinde (now Punamägi Hill in
Äntu Äntu is a village in Väike-Maarja Parish, Lääne-Viru County, in northeastern Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021) It has a population of 50 (as of 1 January 2011). Äntu Hill Fort Äntu Hill Fort (or Punamägi Hill Fort, according to old source ...
village). Vironian was divided into five
clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...
s (''kilikunda''), ''Maum'' (in Estonian "Mahu"), ''Laemund'' (Lemmu) also known as ''Pudiviru'', ''Askele'', ''Revele'' (Rebala), ''Alentagh'' (Alutaguse). Like other Estonian tribes, Vironians remained predominantly
pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
before
Northern Crusades The Northern Crusades or Baltic Crusades were Christianity and colonialism, Christian colonization and Christianization campaigns undertaken by Catholic Church, Catholic Christian Military order (society), military orders and kingdoms, primarily ...
in the 13th century.


History

According to 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 ...
, Vironians believed that Tharapita, a god worshipped by
Osilians Oeselians ( la, Oesel, , sv, Ösel, da, Øsel, fi, Saarenmaa) is a term historically applied before the Northern Crusades up to the 13th century to people who were living on the island of Saaremaa or Oesel as it was known back then, an island ...
(the tribe inhabiting
Saaremaa Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring . The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island and west of Muhu island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago. The capital of the island i ...
) was born in Vironia. However, Vironian elder Thabelin of Pudiviru had endorsed Christianity before the German and Danish crusaders reached Estonia. Thabelin (Tabellinus) was baptized by Germans in
Gotland Gotland (, ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a province, county, municipality, and diocese. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the ...
island. Later, when competing Danish crusaders arrived to Vironia, Thabelin was suspected of being too pro-German and hanged. In 1219, the German crusaders of the
Livonian Brothers of the Sword german: Schwertbrüderordenfrench: Ordre des Chevaliers Porte-Glaive , image= , caption= , dates=1204–1237 , country= Terra Mariana , allegiance= Catholic Church , garrison= Wenden (Cēsis), Fellin (Viljandi), Segewold (Sigulda). Aschera ...
made a raid against Vironians together with recently christened Letts,
Livonians The Livonians, or Livs ( Livonian: ''līvlizt''; Estonian: ''liivlased''; Latvian: ''līvi'', ''lībieši''), are a Balto-Finnic people indigenous to northern and northwestern Latvia. Livonians historically spoke Livonian, a Uralic language c ...
, and several proto-Estonian tribes ( Sakalians,
Ugaunians Ugaunians or Ugannians ( et, ugalased) ( lv, ugauņi), referred to as Chudes by the earliest Russian chronicles were historical Finnic people inhabiting the ancient southern Estonian Ugandi County (Latin: Ungannia) (also Ugania, Ugaunia) that is ...
and Jervians). After five days of killing and pillaging, Kyriavan, Thabelin and other Vironian elders asked for a truce. According to the chronicle, Kyriavan told he had a "very bad god" before and therefore was ready to accept the Christian god. After truce was made, Vironian elders accepted Christianity. Some sons of elders from all five Vironian clans were taken hostages by the crusaders as part of the truce. In 1221, Vironians took part in failed attempt to oust Danes who had built a fortress in the place of modern
Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
in the neighboring province of
Revelia Revala (also ''Rävälä'', la, Revalia, by Henry of Livonia ''Revele'', by Danish Census Book ''Revælæ'') was an Ancient Estonian county. It was located in northern Estonia, by the Gulf of Finland and corresponded roughly to the present terri ...
. Danes retaliated, killed several Vironian elders and put Vironians under heavy taxes. In 1225, Danes and German crusaders clashed with each other over the ownership of Vironia. In 1226, The
papal legate 300px, A woodcut showing Henry II of England greeting the pope's legate. A papal legate or apostolic legate (from the ancient Roman title ''legatus'') is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic ...
William of Modena William of Modena ( – 31 March 1251), also known as ''William of Sabina'', ''Guglielmo de Chartreaux'', ''Guglielmo de Savoy'', ''Guillelmus'', was an Italian clergyman and papal diplomat.
arrived to Vironian stronghold of
Tarwanpe Rakvere is a town in northern Estonia and the administrative centre of the Lääne-Viru ''maakond'' (county), 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea. Rakvere is the 8th most populous urban area in Estonia. Rakvere has a total ...
and mediated peace between Germans, Danes and Estonians. A year later the Vironian territories were taken by
Brothers of the Sword The Livonian Brothers of the Sword ( la, Fratres militiæ Christi Livoniae, german: Schwertbrüderorden) was a Catholic Church, Catholic Military order (monastic society), military order established in 1202 during the Livonian Crusade by Albert of ...
. Vironians sided with the new Papal Legate
Baldwin of Alna Baldwin of Alna (german: Baldwin von Alna or Alva; french: Baudoin d’Aulne died in 1243) was Pope Gregory IX envoy and later Papal legate in Baltic region. He participated in both Northern Crusades and Barons' Crusade, crusades to the East. ...
who in 1230 tried to create a Papal Vassal State in Northern Estonia, including Vironia. In 1233, the supporters of Baldwin were defeated by the Order in the city of Reval (Tallinn). Vironian territories were snatched by the Order again as Baldwin of Alna complained in his report to the Pope in 1234. The Order was also accused of oppressing Vironian converts and expelling local supporters of Church. In 1238, Vironia was given to Denmark again according to the
Treaty of Stensby The Treaty of Stensby was an agreement between King Valdemar II of Denmark and the Teutonic Order, signed on 7 June 1238 in Stensby, Denmark, and confirmed by Innocent IV in September 1243. The arrangement transferred northern maritime Estonia ...
. The area went into hands of powerful vassals of Danish king, many of which were of local origin, like Dietrich of Kievel (probably 'Kivela' - 'land of stone' in Estonian) who controlled Eastern part of Vironia, where he started to build the stronghold of
Narva Narva, russian: Нарва is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in Ida-Viru County, Ida-Viru county, at the Extreme points of Estonia, eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva (river), Narva river which ...
. Vironians and Vironian vassals took part in Order's and Denmark's failed crusade against
Novgorod Republic The Novgorod Republic was a medieval state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the northern Ural Mountains in the east, including the city of Novgorod and the Lake Ladoga regions of m ...
1240-1242. The names ''Virumaa'', ''Vironia'' and ''Virland'' have been continuously used for the North-Eastern Estonia. For example, in 1266,
Margaret Sambiria Margaret Sambiria (in Danish: ''Margrethe Sambiria'', ''Sambirsdatter'' or ''Margrethe Sprænghest''; c. 1230 – December 1282) was Queen of Denmark by marriage to King Christopher I, and regent during the minority of her son, King Eric V fro ...
,
Dowager Queen A queen dowager or dowager queen (compare: princess dowager or dowager princess) is a title or status generally held by the widow of a king. In the case of the widow of an emperor, the title of empress dowager is used. Its full meaning is clear ...
of Denmark was named the Lady of Estonia and Virland.


Parishes

*
Maum An Mám (anglicized as Maum, or sometimes Maam) is a small village and its surrounding lands in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. Name An Mám is Irish for "the pass" and as this is a Gaeltacht (principally Irish-speaking) area, the area's na ...
(Mahu) * Laemund (Lemmu, also known as Pudiviru) * Askælæ (Äskälä) *
Repel Repel is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories ...
(Rebala) * Alentagh (Alutaguse)


See also

*
Danish Estonia Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
*
Kunda culture The Kunda culture, originating from the Swiderian culture, comprised mesolithic hunter-gatherer communities of the Baltic forest zone extending eastwards through Latvia into northern Russia, dating to the period 8500–5000 BC according to cal ...
*
Livonian Crusade The Livonian crusade refers to the various military Christianisation campaigns in medieval Livonia – in what is now Latvia and Estonia – during the Papal -sanctioned Northern Crusades in the 12–13th century. The Livonian crusade was cond ...
*
Vironians The Vironians ({{Lang-et, Virulased) were one of the Finnic tribes that later formed the Estonian nation. History They lived in Vironia (''Virumaa'' in Estonian, ''Wierland'' in German and ''Virland'' in Scandinavian, now Ida-Viru County and L ...
*
List of Estonian rulers This list of rulers of Estonia starts with the ancient counties (''maakond'') and parishes (''kihelkond'') each headed by ''Seniores'' and ''Meliores'' (Elders) as noted by Henry of Livonia. The administrative jurisdiction of the parish and coun ...


References


External links


The flag of Vironia (see: Vironia)
{{Historic counties of Estonia Ancient counties of Estonia Ida-Viru County Lääne-Viru County