Battle of Pabaiskas¶
What the chronicles say [Historical record]¶
Fought on 1 September 1435 near Pabaiskas, about nine kilometres south of Ukmergė, by Lake Žirnajai and its outflow, the Žirnaja stream (also traditionally called the Battle of Šventoji or Wiłkomierz). Lithuanians under Mykolas Žygimantaitis, with about 4,000 Poles under Jakub Kobylański, defeated Švitrigaila’s host and the Livonian Order. The Livonian Master Franke Kerskorff was killed with his marshal and several komturs; Žygimantas Kaributaitis was wounded, captured and soon died in captivity under uncertain circumstances; Švitrigaila fled to Polotsk with about thirty riders (Wikipedia, Battle of Wiłkomierz). Mykolas Žygimantaitis, Žygimantas Kęstutaitis’s son, is the commander (Žygimantas himself was not at the battle).
The traditional name does not establish a literal ford on the Šventoji at the battlefield. VLE: Pabaiskas locates the fighting at Žirnajai/Žirnaja. The revision puts the novel’s fictional magical ford on the Žirnaja; see History and the Saga.
Battle of Pabaiskas
Battle of Pabaiskas · event¶
Type |
event |
Years |
1435-09-01 |
Status |
Historical record |
Book |
|
Note |
Battle by Lake Žirnajai and the Žirnaja stream. Mykolas Žygimantaitis commanded with Polish support; Kerskorff was killed. Žygimantas Kaributaitis was wounded and died in captivity under unclear circumstances. |
Where: Pabaiskas (on the map)
What really happened [The saga’s invention]¶
Kin-slaughter worse than the crusades, which leaves thousands of unburned dead on the field. The Riders of the Reise ride their last raid and break at the unfrozen river they cannot cross: the Iron Saint is silenced in the North. At the Vėlinės the living cannot feed so many; Pilkoji’s dozen burn the dead all winter with the keeper’s lightning-fire and most of the wolves die doing it. The Root-Mother’s shadow lies over the field.
Consequences¶
Caused by the coup at Ašmena. It leads to the Peace of Brest, at which the Order abandons Švitrigaila.
Dramatisation¶
Book V ch. 13 “Pabaisko Laukas” (Žiežirba), ch. 14 “Mirštantis Ordinas” (a Livonian Order brother; both 1 September 1435, late summer) and ch. 16 “Nedegintųjų Žiema” (Pilkoji; Vėlinės 1435 to spring 1436).
Relations
Caused by: Battle of Ašmena: Žygimantas defeats Švitrigaila — Švitrigaila regroups from Polotsk. · Žygimantas’s coup at Ašmena
Causes: Peace of Brest (Brześć Kujawski): the Order drops Švitrigaila
Location: Pabaiskas
Participants: Kirmėlė / Worm (the Old Tracker) — Killed at Pabaiskas (1435) alongside Lazdynas, Alksnis, and Ąžuolas. · Mykolas Žygimantaitis — Commander of the Lithuanians. · Švitrigaila
Connections¶
graph LR
ev_asmena_battle["Battle of Ašmena: Žygimantas defeats Švitrigaila"]
ev_brest_peace["Peace of Brest (Brześć Kujawski): the Order drops Švitrigaila"]
ev_coup_1432["Žygimantas's coup at Ašmena"]
ev_pabaiskas["Battle of Pabaiskas"]
kirmele["Kirmėlė / Worm (the Old Tracker)"]
mykolas["Mykolas Žygimantaitis"]
pabaiskas["Pabaiskas"]
svitrigaila["Švitrigaila"]
ev_pabaiskas -->|Location| pabaiskas
ev_pabaiskas -->|Causes| ev_brest_peace
ev_coup_1432 -->|Causes| ev_pabaiskas
svitrigaila -->|Took part in| ev_pabaiskas
ev_asmena_battle -->|Causes| ev_pabaiskas
mykolas -->|Took part in| ev_pabaiskas
kirmele -->|Took part in| ev_pabaiskas
style ev_pabaiskas stroke-width:3px