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Curonian Kings

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the table, for the souls of their parents, children and relatives. After this, standing and walking to and fro, they ate and drank, and forced us to do likewise. Later, they brought an empty beer keg and beat on it with two sticks, and the men and women, as well as the children, danced around the table, something that continued for the whole night. When they went to bed one after another, they invited us to eat and take with us what we would, since they would not eat what was left over, but would give it to the dogs. Neither did they want to take any payment from us for what we had eaten.
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was approaching, they went hunting in their holy forest, where they do no hunting and do not cut a single rod throughout the rest of the year. All that they now hunted there: roe deer, red deer and hares, they skinned, cooked and placed on a long table. They fastened a large number of wax candles to
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The aforementioned Curonians, although they have been made Christian by force, have a sect that, instead of burying their dead, burns them in a nearby grove or forest, dressed and adorned with the finest ornaments, constructing a pyre entirely from oak wood; and they consider that if the smoke rises
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they gradually lost their privileges, but they were still counted as a separate class. They were not recognized landlords but maintained a middle position between landlords and peasants. However, in the 18th century they were likened to
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where nobody was allowed to hunt or walk. It is possible that the first mention in written sources of those sacred forests occurs in the record left by the Flemish knight
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The Russians protected themselves boldly, and they knocked out a Curonian cadet (who, although only a peasant, is called by them the Curonian king) from his horse.
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Voyages et ambassades de Messire Guillebert de Lannoy: chevalier de la Toison d'or, seigneur de Santes, Willerval, Tronchiennes, Beaumont et Wahégnies. 1399-1450
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Their status was again recognized in 19th century, although they were not recognized as part of local nobility. In 1860, there were 833 Curonian kings living in
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I first reached Mummel and then passed through Courland, reaching the Curonian king, where we had to watch his pagan superstitions. Since
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awarded Curonian King Andrejs Peniķis, commander of the Curonian light cavalry for his loyal service during Livonian wars with
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It is unclear how Curonian Kings gained their status, however, a popular assumption is that their ancestors were
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of Kuldīga and they were related to him only by military service in case of war. Curonians usually served as a
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straight up to the heavens, then the soul is saved, but if it is blown to the side, then the soul is lost.
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cultural group, originally lesser vassals and free farmers that lived in seven villages between
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The Curonian Kings also were allowed to practice some aspects of paganism during the period of
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Curonian king woman from Turlava parish in Kuldīga region wearing traditional clothing (1895)
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Postcard from early 20th century showing Curonian Kings with their coat of arms column
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Their Christmas traditions were described in a 16th century travel description by
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in the Livonian Order army. Sources mention that Curonian Kings fought in the
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It is known that in the 17th century Curonian Kings had their own
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against invading Russians, as Johann Renner's chronicle reports:
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Johann Renner, Lievländische Historien, 1556–1561, C. 124v
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based on the 17th. century coat of arms of Curonian Kings
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Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4. Auflage von 1888–1890.
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in 1414. In 1413–1414, he travelled through Livonia to
457: 376:https://www.folklore.ee/folklore/vol42/laime.pdf 414: 337: 69:Learn how and when to remove this message 280:. Despite formal Christianisation after 96: 88: 80: 32:This article includes a list of general 387: 385: 383: 458: 229:In 1504, master of the Livonian order 391: 358:(1933) – Latvian political scientist. 380: 18: 332:Reinhold Lubenau (20 December 1585) 13: 471:Historical ethnic groups of Europe 38:it lacks sufficient corresponding 14: 492: 427: 246:Duchy of Courland and Semigallia 23: 352:(1983) – Latvian film director. 369: 1: 362: 271: 7: 306:Guillebert de Lannoy (1414) 266:Latvian Land Reform of 1920 10: 497: 155: 416:10.7592/FEJF2009.42.laime 466:Social history of Latvia 253:, although with smaller 284:Curonian Kings owned a 117: 53:more precise citations. 392:Laime, Sandis (2009). 338:Notable Curonian Kings 335: 309: 278:Livonian Confederation 231:Walter von Plettenberg 227: 133: 125: 106: 94: 86: 16:Latvian cultural group 435:Free Latvians at 1800 320: 298: 217: 167:prior to conquest by 100: 92: 84: 481:Kuldīga Municipality 476:People from Courland 290:Guillebert de Lannoy 262:Courland Governorate 201:Kuldīga municipality 146:Hasenpoth (Aizpute) 142:Goldingen (Kuldīga) 318:Reinhold Lubenau: 107: 95: 87: 114:Middle Low German 79: 78: 71: 488: 449: 443: 421: 420: 418: 398: 389: 378: 373: 333: 307: 282:Livonian Crusade 235:Muscovite Russia 225: 101:Coat of arms of 74: 67: 63: 60: 54: 49:this article by 40:inline citations 27: 26: 19: 496: 495: 491: 490: 489: 487: 486: 485: 456: 455: 447: 441: 430: 425: 424: 396: 390: 381: 374: 370: 365: 350:Ivars Tontegode 344:Mārtiņš Peniķis 340: 334: 331: 308: 305: 274: 226: 223: 158: 126:Kurische Könige 118:Cursken konyngh 75: 64: 58: 55: 45:Please help to 44: 28: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 494: 484: 483: 478: 473: 468: 454: 453: 450: 444: 436: 429: 428:External links 426: 423: 422: 379: 367: 366: 364: 361: 360: 359: 353: 347: 339: 336: 329: 303: 273: 270: 221: 169:Livonian Order 157: 154: 110:Curonian Kings 103:Turlava parish 77: 76: 31: 29: 22: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 493: 482: 479: 477: 474: 472: 469: 467: 464: 463: 461: 451: 445: 440: 437: 434: 432: 431: 417: 412: 408: 404: 403: 395: 388: 386: 384: 377: 372: 368: 357: 356:Jānis Peniķis 354: 351: 348: 345: 342: 341: 328: 325: 319: 317: 314: 302: 297: 295: 291: 287: 286:sacred forest 283: 279: 269: 267: 263: 258: 256: 252: 247: 243: 242:coats of arms 238: 236: 232: 220: 216: 214: 210: 209:light cavalry 206: 202: 198: 194: 190: 186: 182: 178: 174: 170: 166: 163: 153: 151: 147: 143: 139: 135: 131: 127: 123: 119: 115: 111: 104: 99: 91: 83: 73: 70: 62: 52: 48: 42: 41: 35: 30: 21: 20: 442:(in Russian) 406: 400: 371: 321: 310: 299: 275: 259: 239: 228: 218: 213:Livonian War 193:Sausgaļciems 189:Viesalgciems 159: 134:kuršu ķoniņi 109: 108: 65: 56: 37: 448:(in German) 197:Dragūnciems 185:Ziemeļciems 177:Pliķu ciems 51:introducing 460:Categories 363:References 316:apothecary 313:Königsberg 272:Traditions 181:Kalējciems 173:Ķoniņciems 34:references 409:: 67–80. 324:Christmas 244:. In the 402:Folklore 330:—  304:—  294:Novgorod 257:duties. 222:—  199:(now in 165:nobility 162:Curonian 150:Courland 136:) are a 59:May 2018 156:History 138:Latvian 130:Latvian 47:improve 255:socage 205:komtur 195:, and 122:German 36:, but 397:(PDF) 251:serfs 144:and 411:doi 148:in 462:: 407:42 405:. 399:. 382:^ 268:. 237:. 191:, 187:, 183:, 179:, 175:, 152:. 132:: 128:; 124:: 120:; 116:: 419:. 413:: 112:( 72:) 66:( 61:) 57:( 43:.

Index

references
inline citations
improve
introducing
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Turlava parish
Middle Low German
German
Latvian
Latvian
Goldingen (Kuldīga)
Hasenpoth (Aizpute)
Courland
Curonian
nobility
Livonian Order
Ķoniņciems
Pliķu ciems
Kalējciems
Ziemeļciems
Viesalgciems
Sausgaļciems
Dragūnciems
Kuldīga municipality
komtur
light cavalry
Livonian War

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