Early Dukes Of Lithuania

Article Index for
Early

Website Links For
List

Information About

Early Dukes Of Lithuania

CATEGORIES ABOUT LIST OF EARLY LITHUANIAN DUKES

lithuanian rulers

lithuania-related lists

lists of office-holders

lithuanian dukes

SHOPPER'S DELIGHT

Only few of the dukes were mentioned by contemporary historical sources. All of these are from 13th century.

RULERS RECORDED IN HISTORICAL SOURCES

Žvelgaitis - earliest known duke. Attacked Riga in 1205

Daugirutis - Livonians imprisonded this Lithuanian duke in 1213 , who killed himself in prison (recorded by Henricus Lettus ).

Steksys (Stakys, Stekšys, Steksė) - another powerful duke, killed in 1214 .

father of Mindaugas - several sources mention that he was an influential duke, but do not give his name

The following Lithuanian dukes signed peace treaty with rulers of Halych-Volhynia in 1219

---duke elders

-- Živinbudas

-- Daujotas

-- Vilikaila (brother of Daujotas)

-- Dausprungas

-- Mindaugas (brother of Dausprungas)

---rulers of Samogitia

-- Gerdivilas

-- Vykintas

---Ruškaičiai family

-- Kintibutas

-- Vembutas

-- Butautas

-- Vyžeikis

-- Velžys (son of Vyžeikis)

-- Kitenis

-- Plikienė (wife of Plikys, probably widow)

---Bulionys family (three brothers, all of them killed by Mindaugas)

-- Vismantas

-- Gedvilas

-- Sprudeikis

---rulers of Deltuva

-- Juodikis

-- Buteikis

-- Bikšys

-- Ligeiky(?)s

Of the dukes who signed peace treaty, only four are mentioned in other sources: Mindaugas (who went on to become the grand dule and later king), Vykintas (leader of anti-Mindaugas coalition in the 1248-1251 war) and Bikšys and Ligeiky(?)s, both mentioned in 1260 as Mindaugas relatives and nobles.

POSSIBLY MYTHOLOGICAL RULERS

Palemon (1st century AD)

Kiernus (11th century) - ruler of Lithuania and Samogitia

Skirmantas

Giligin

Roman

Žvimbutas

Montwil ? – 1070

Wikinth

Trabus

Narymont 13th Century

The following pre-unification rulers are first mentioned by 16th-17th century historians. Credibility of these works is doubted.

--- Erdvilas 1070 – ?

--- Skirmantas

--- Utenis

--- Kukovaitis

--- Algimantas

--- Šventaragis

--- Ger(i)mantas

--- Rimgaudas (father of Mindaugas)

SEE ALSO

List Of Lithuanian Rulers