Baptism of Lithuania; Šventaragis flame put out¶

What the chronicles say [Historical record]¶

Jogaila returned to Vilnius at the end of 1386 (the formal steps fall in February–March 1387), established the first parishes and began mass baptisms of nobles and their peasants; in Aukštaitija the nobility followed in spring. Długosz reports that Jogaila put out the sacred fire, felled the sacred groves and had the sacred snakes killed; modern historians treat Długosz’s information on this episode as of disputed accuracy (Wikipedia, Christianization of Lithuania; the extinguished fire is not corroborated there). Vilnius Cathedral was begun in 1387 on the site of the pagan shrine; a decree of 17 February 1387 provided for it and the diocese; Magdeburg law was granted to the city on 22 March 1387. Urban VI’s bull of 12 March 1388 addressed the destruction of pagan objects; on 19 April 1389 he recognised Lithuania as a Catholic state. Vytautas, baptised twice already, was a witness.

Baptism of Lithuania; Šventaragis flame put out


Type	event
Years	1387
Status	Historical record
Book	I · The Wolf’s Exile
Chapters	29
Note	Spring 1387: formal Christian baptism of Lithuania; Šventaragis flame officially extinguished.

Where: Šventaragis valley (on the map)

What really happened [The saga’s invention]¶

Before dawn the king’s men carry buckets to the Šventaragis fire. The Krivis does not resist; as the water hits the embers he says “Sutartis baigta” (the Pact is ended) so that the spirits of place hear it from a man and not from a priest, then walks into the grove and is never seen again. The vaidilutės are led to carts where Catholic nobles wait. Galminas watches from the hill. In the icy Neris the baptised are frightened and doing it to save their children. Vytautas’s double accuses him; the pebble glows. Clause 1 of the Silent Pact is broken and the Pact ends. The Unbinding begins: the spirits are no longer owed courtesy and no longer give it.

Consequences¶

Caused by the Kraków baptism and marriage. It ends the Silent Pact and leads to Vytautas lighting the Last Flame the same night. Its long consequence is the Unburned of Book II.

Dramatisation¶

Book I ch. 29 “Krikštas” (Vytautas; February 1387, Vilnius, Šventaragis and the Neris), plus Book II ch. 3 “Kas Ugnį Gesina” (a Franciscan of Vilnius; winter 1387–88; the first Unburned and Quenched).

Relations

Caused by: Jogaila baptised, married, crowned in Kraków

Causes: Vytautas secretly lights the Last Flame

Ends: Tylioji Sutartis (Silent Pact) — Clause 1: flames extinguished.

Location: Šventaragis valley

Participants: Galminas — Watches from the hill (ch.29). · Jogaila · Krivis of Šventaragis

Connections¶

graph LR
  ev_flame_lit["Vytautas secretly lights the Last Flame"]
  ev_krakow_1386["Jogaila baptised, married, crowned in Kraków"]
  ev_lithuania_baptism["Baptism of Lithuania; Šventaragis flame put out"]
  galminas["Galminas"]
  jogaila["Jogaila"]
  krivis["Krivis of Šventaragis"]
  silent_pact["Tylioji Sutartis (Silent Pact)"]
  sventaragis["Šventaragis valley"]
  ev_lithuania_baptism -->|Location| sventaragis
  ev_lithuania_baptism -->|Ends| silent_pact
  ev_lithuania_baptism -->|Causes| ev_flame_lit
  ev_krakow_1386 -->|Causes| ev_lithuania_baptism
  jogaila -->|Took part in| ev_lithuania_baptism
  krivis -->|Took part in| ev_lithuania_baptism
  galminas -->|Took part in| ev_lithuania_baptism
  style ev_lithuania_baptism stroke-width:3px