Selonians

<h2 id="history">History</h2>
<p>Little is known about the Selonians. There is little archaeological evidence and in historic sources the region is often described as a "scarcely populated land". In written sources they are mentioned only few times.
</p><p>Archeological data can trace the Selonians back to the beginning of 1st millennium AD when they lived on both sides of the <a href="/facts/Daugava_River/dXRILBH3">Daugava River</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> But since the 6th and 7th centuries their settlements can be traced only on the left bank of the river.
</p><p>Selonian culture had a very strong <a href="/facts/Latgalians/qf6WoHyX">Latgalian</a> influence. Selonian and Latgalian burial traditions show little difference. Some scholars speculate that during the late Iron Age the Selonians had already partly merged with the Latgalians.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a>
</p><p>The <a href="/facts/Chronicle_of_Henry_of_Livonia/u9pjwgAo">Chronicle of Henry of Livonia</a> mentions the Selonians at the beginning of the 13th century, when they were conquered and christened. The author of the chronicle describes the Selonians as <i>Lithuanian allies</i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a>
Their lands were subjects of the principalities of <a href="/facts/Principality_of_Jersika/XksTPquU">Jersika</a> and <a href="/facts/Principality_of_Koknese/PMg7TYy5">Koknese</a>, which were vassals of the <a href="/facts/Principality_of_Polotsk/ll7bGSKh">principality of Polotsk</a>. The Southern lands however were ruled by <a href="/facts/Lithuanians/XRBBRqXI">Lithuanian</a> lords.
</p><p>In 1207, the German <a href="/facts/Swordbrothers/nDxwEeRw">Brothers of Sword</a> together with their <a href="/facts/Livonians/5z8R60zG">Livonian</a> and Latgalian allies besieged the main Selonian centre at <a href="/facts/S%25C4%2593lpils_hillfort/CD9vxmtG">Sēlpils hillfort</a>. Reason for the attack were German claims that Sēlpils hillfort was used as main Lithuanian support base for their attacks in <a href="/facts/Livonia/GV0Kd6qw">Livonia</a>. After a long siege the Selonians agreed to baptism and German rule and the stone <a href="/facts/S%25C4%2593lpils_Castle/CD9vxmtG">Sēlpils Castle</a> (German: Selburg) was built in place of the hillfort.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> The Selonians were last mentioned in written sources in the 15th century.
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<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Selonian_(language)/fEQMaUoY">Selonian language</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-10-20. Retrieved 2012-02-27.{{cite web}}:  CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131020202542/http://www.istorija.lt/la/simniskyte2005en.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20131020202542/http://www.istorija.lt/la/simniskyte2005en.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Šnore E., Zariņa A. Senā Sēlpils. Rīga: Zinātne, 1980. 236 lpp. <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>"SELI". Archived from the original on 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2012-02-27. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071103223529/http://www.historia.lv/raxti/Seelji_LME.htm" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20071103223529/http://www.historia.lv/raxti/Seelji_LME.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>Indriķa hronika. Ā. Feldhūna tulk., Ē. Mugurēviča priekšvārds un komentāri. Rīga: Zinātne, 1993. 453 lpp. <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Selonians open-in-new

Selonians