On this day in 1207 – Terra Mariana (Old Livonia) eventually comprising present-day Latvia and Estonia, is established.

7 comments

  1. Terra Mariana was the official name for Medieval/Old Livonia and it was formed in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade; its territories were composed of present-day Estonia and Latvia.

    It was established on 2 February 1207, as a principality of the Holy Roman Empire,

  2. Terra Mariana (“Land of Mary”, a name still used in Estonian to refer to Estonia as *Maarjamaa*) was a collection of sovereign states. Terra Mariana itself was part of the HRE only in 1207-1215, but all its constituent entities were in some form and in different time periods part of the Holy Roman Empire as well.

    The map shown here depicts the internal borders from 1237 (when the Livonian Brothers of the Sword merged into the Teutonic Order as the Livonian Order) to 1346 (when Denmark sold Danish Estonia to the Livonian Order).

    Edit: there is also a tiny mistake on the map as Ruhnu island was actually part of the Bishopric of Courland and Kihnu island was actually part of the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek.

    Edi2: it also doesn’t really show the Free Town of Riga as separate from the Archbishopric of Riga. It was actually a condominium between the order and the Archbishopric of Riga.

  6. When I first saw the thumbnail I thought it was one of those “I drew Europe from memory posts” … Not the worst I’ve seen either.

  7. A knyght ther was, and that a worthy man,

    That fro the tyme that he first bigan

    To riden out, he loved chivalrie,

    Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.

    Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,

    And therto hadde he ridden, no man ferre,

    As wel in cristendom as in hethenesse,

    And evere honoured for his worthynesse.

    At Alisaundre he was, whan it was wonne.

    Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne

    Aboven alle nacions in Pruce;

    In Lettow hadde he reysed, and in Ruce.

Leave a Reply