Samogitia

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This article is about the ethnographic region of Lithuania. For info about the historical Samogitian Duchy, see Duchy of Samogitia.
Samogitia
Žemaitėjė
Motto: Patria una
Location of Samogitia in central Europe.
Location of Samogitia in central Europe.
Capital Telšiai
55°59′N 22°15′E / 55.983°N 22.250°E / 55.983; 22.250
Largest city Šiauliai
Official languages Lithuanian
Recognised regional languages Samogitian dialect
Ethnic groups
  • Samogitians
  • Lithuanians
Demonym
Area
 -  Total 21,000 km2
8,108 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 4%
Population
 -  1999 census 810,000
HDI (2010) 0.810
very high
Currency Lithuanian litas (LTL)
Date format YYYY-MM-DD
Drives on the right
Calling code +370
Patron saint Saint Justin
Internet TLD .lt

Samogitia (Samogitian: Žemaitėjė; Lithuanian: Žemaitija; literally "lowlands") is one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is located in northwestern Lithuania. Its largest city is Šiauliai/Šiaulē. The region has a long and distinct cultural history, reflected in the existence of the Samogitian language, which is called by Lithuanians - Samogitian dialect. In 2010 the Samogitian language was assigned with an ISO 639-3 code: "sgs" and got the official status of a language.[2].

Contents

Etymology and alternate names [edit]

Old Russian sources mentioned the region as жемотьская земля, samotska sem(b)la; this gave rise to its Polish form, Żmudź, and probably to the Middle High German Sameiten, Samaythen. In Latin texts we can usually meet the name written as Samogitia, Samogetia etc.[1] The region is also known in English as Lower Lithuania, Žemaitija, or, in reference to its Yiddish name, Zamet.[1][2][3]

Geography [edit]

Landscape near Tverai.

The region is located in northwestern Lithuania in the territories of:

Eastern parts of:

Western part of:

The largest city is Šiauliai, or Klaipėda if the latter is considered in the region. Telšiai is the capital, although Medininkai (now Varniai) was once the capital of the Eldership of Samogitia.

Ethnographic regions of Lithuania. Samogitia is marked in green.

The largest cities are (Samogitian name, if different, is provided after slash):

Demographics and language [edit]

The people of Samogitia speak Samogitian, a dialect of Lithuanian that was previously considered one of 3 main dialects (modern linguists have determined that it is one of two dialects, the other being Aukštaitian, and that both of these dialects have 3 subdialects each). Samogitian has northern and southern subdialects (which are further subdivided). A western subdialect once existed in the Klaipėda region, but it became extinct after World War II after its inhabitants fled the region, as a result of being expelled or persecuted by the Soviet authorities (since the 16th or even 15th century the Samogitians of the Klaipėda region called themselves "Lietuvininkai", and since the end of 19th century they called themselves "Prūsai"; after World War II the territory of the western subdialect was resettled mainly by northern and southern Samogitians, and by other Lithuanians also). Samogitian has a broken intonation ("laužtinė priegaidė"), a variant of a start-firm accent) like the Latvian language. [4]

Samogitia is one of the most ethnically homogenous regions of the country, with an ethnic Lithuanian population exceeding 99.5% in some districts; in the 1st part of 19th century it was a major center of Lithuanian culture (Samogitians traditionally tended to oppose any anti-Lithuanian restrictions). The religion is predominantly Roman Catholic, although there are significant Lutheran minorities in the south.

The use of the Samogitian language is decreasing as more people tend to use standard Lithuanian, although there have been some minor attempts by local councils, especially in Telšiai, to write certain roadside information in Samogitian as well some schools teach children Samogitian language in schools.

History [edit]

Further information: Eldership of Samogitia
In the context of the other Baltic tribes, Samogitians are shown as an ethnic group of Lithuanians.

The modern concept of "dialectological" Samogitia appeared only by the end of 19th century. The territory of ancient Samogitia was much larger, than current ethnographic, or "dialectological" Samogitia, and embraced all of Central and Western Lithuania.

The very term "Samogitians" (Žemaičiai in Lithuanian) is a Latinized form of the ancient Lithuanian name for the region's lowlanders, who dwelt in Central Lithuania's lowlands. The original subethnic Samogitia, i.e. the Central Lithuania's flat burial grounds culture, was formed as early as the 5th-6th centuries, whereas the Western part of historical Samogitia became ethnically Lithuanian between the 13th-16th centuries, – before that time it was inhabited by southern Semigallians and southern Curonians. The primal eastern boundary of historical Samogitia was the Šventoji River (a tributary of the Neris River), and from the end of the 13th century (about that time the Lithuanian ruler Vytenis had expanded the territory of his domain in Aukštaitija at the expense of Samogitia) it ran along the Nevėžis River.

Due to the fact that in the 13th–16th centuries the Teutonic order and the Livonian order bordered Samogitia, it was always threatened by their expansionist aims. As such, Samogitian territory was offered to these Orders, or exchanged in peace treaties, a number of times. Lithuania would regain Samogitia back again in subsequent conflicts.

For more than two hundred years, Samogitia played a central role in Lithuania’s wars against the crusading order of the Teutonic Knights (Knights of the Cross and Knights of the Sword). Invasions started in Lithuania in 1229. Combined military forces undertook numerous campaigns against Samogitians and Lithuanians. Saule (1236), Skuodas (1239), Durbe (1260), Lievarde (1261) are just a few of the battles that took place. Since Samogitia was the last pagan region in Europe left to be invaded and christened, Teutonic order set their sights on this last mission. Between 1345 and 1382, the Knights of the Cross attacked from Prussia some 70 times, while the Livonian Knights of the Sword made 30 military forays. Year after year fortresses were attacked, farms and crops were put to the torch, women and children enslaved and men killed. Despite all their effort, Samogitians managed to defend their lands until 1410 decisive battle of Grunwald, where united Polish-Lithuanian forces defeated Teutonic order and ended their crusading era.[5]

In the 15th century, Samogitia was the last region in Europe to be converted to Christianity. During the 15-18th centuries, it was known as the Duchy or Eldership of Samogitia, which included some territories of what is now considered Aukštaitija and Suvalkija as well. The Duchy of Samogitia was an autonomous administrative unit in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with some similarities to a voivodeship.

After the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Samogitia was incorporated into the Russian Empire along with the rest of Lithuania.

Samogitia was the main source of the Lithuanian cultural revival in the 19th century, and was a focal point for the smuggling of books printed in the banned Lithuanian language.

After World War I, the region became a part of the newly re-established Lithuanian State. The Samogitians resisted the Bolsheviks, the Bermontians, and the Poles in 1919–1920, only to be occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, as a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

In 1945, the Soviets denied the existence of the Lithuania Minor ethnographic region due to political concerns, declaring the Klaipėda region a part of Samogitia.

Tourism [edit]

Samogitia has a huge potential for tourism development, due to its natural beauty, cultural and historical heritage. Samogitia is attractive for many local and international tourists. Most popular tourist destinations are Palanga, Kretinga and Žemaičių Kalvarija. The majority of tourists come from Latvia, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Germany, Spain, Finland and Sweden.

Palanga is popular tourist destination among tourists from the United Kingdom, Germany and Russia.

Žemaičių Kalvarija (or New Jerusalem as it used to be called) is very popular among pilgrims from all around the World, due to its annual The Great Žemaičių Kalvarija Church Festival (usually in June or July).

Politics [edit]

Samogitia historically was an autonomous region in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, although it lost this status once Lithuania was annexed by the Russian Empire following the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795 as a part of the Vilna Governorate. In 1843, the region was incorporated into the Kovno Governorate, with a minor part of it being attached to the Courland Governorate. Since then the region has not had a separate political status, but there were tries to create the separate Samogitian state during the uprising on February 1831.

Currently Samogitia is represented by the Samogitian cultural society, a group interested in preserving Samogitian culture and language, and the Žemaitijos parlamentas (literally Parliament of Samogitia), which concerns itself with regional autonomy based on historical claims. These claims often include the Klaipėda region in the interwar and would claim Klaipėda rather than Telšiai as the capital.

Symbols [edit]

Historic coat of arms of Samogitia.
Flag of Samogitia (not historic).
Current Grand Coat of Arms of Samogitia.

The coat of arms depicts a black bear with silver claws and collar on a red shield topped with a crown.

The flag of Samogitia depicts the coat of arms on a white background. It is a non-rectangular flag ending in two triangles, rather than the rectangular flag typically used. The only official non-rectangular flags are those of Nepal and of Ohio, USA.

Both symbols are assumed to have been in use for centuries, especially the coat of arms (differing claims assert it was first used in the 14th or 16th centuries). The symbols were used by the Eldership of Samogitia. These are the oldest symbols of the Lithuanian ethnographic regions.

Because Samogitia does not correspond to any current administrative division of Lithuania, these symbols are not officially used. However, they might come back into use if Lithuania undergoes administrative reform in the future.

On 21 July 1994, these symbols were recognized by the government of the Lithuanian Republic.

Notes and references [edit]

  1. ^ a b Östen Dahl, Maria Koptjevskaja-Tamm (2001). The Circum-Baltic Languages: Typology and Contact. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 42. ISBN 978-90-272-3057-7. 
  2. ^ Kevin O'Connor (2006). Culture and customs of the Baltic states. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 231. ISBN 978-0-313-33125-1. Retrieved 5 March 2011. 
  3. ^ Dagmar C. G. Lorenz; Gabriele Weinberger (1994). Insiders and outsiders: Jewish and Gentile culture in Germany and Austria. Wayne State University Press. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-8143-2497-4. Retrieved 5 March 2011. 
  4. ^ http://www.lituanus.org/1982_1/82_1_02.htm
  5. ^ [1] "Samogitia (history)", Simas Suziedielis

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Category:Samogitia

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