Metsepole
Metsepole Metsapoole | |||||||||
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| Migration Period–1206 | |||||||||
 Baltic Tribes, ca 1200. | |||||||||
| Capital | Turaida ('Thor's garden' in Livonian) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Livonian | ||||||||
| Religion | Livonian paganism, Thor cult | ||||||||
| Government | Eldership | ||||||||
| Elder | |||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | Migration Period | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1206 | ||||||||
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Metsapoole (Metsepole) was a small independent Livonian country (eldership) on the east coast of the Gulf of Riga, bordered by Sackalia, Latgale, and Zemgale, at the time in the beginning of the 13th century, when Low Germans led by Albert of Riga and the crusading Teutonic Knights began to occupy the shores of the Gulf of Riga. By 1206 Metsapoole had been taken over by the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights. The Teutonic Knights then controlled the eldership until its transferrance to The Archbishopric of Riga in 1255. Since Metsapoole controlled an important trade route, the river Daugava (Livonian: Väina), their culture was highly developed through trade with the Gotlanders, Ruthenians, and Finns, and, from the end of the first millennium A.D. onwards, with the Germans, Swedes, and Danes. However, along with the traders came missionaries from Western Europe who wanted to convert the pagan Livonians to Christianity. In 1201, the Bishop Albert von Buxhövden founded the City of Riga as a Christian settlement at the mouth of the river Daugava. When this did not immediately induce the Livonians, Estonians, and Baltic peoples in its hinterland to convert, a knightly order was formed, the Teutonic Knights, primarily consisting of Low Germans, to bring salvation to the pagans by force. In a campaign which was a part of the wars known as the Northern Crusades, these knights defeated, subdued and converted the Livonians in 1206 and 1207. During the Livonian Crusade, once prosperous Metsapoole was devastated, and whole country were almost completely depopulated. This vacuum was filled by Latgallians, and Semigallians - which started to move into the area around 1220.
See also
- Archbishopric of Riga
- Eldership of Samogitia
- Lembitu
- Livonian Crusade
- Principality of Kukenois
- Sackalia