The ancient Prussians occupied a rather compact territory on the Baltic Sea coast between the Memele and Vistula rivers. Several tribes related by origin belonged to the Prussians - Semby, Natangi, Poghezan, Pomezane, Skalva, Galinda, Yatvyagi and Warmians. The lands of the latter, if you look at a modern map, in the northwest went to the Vistula (Kaliningrad) Bay, and in the west they bordered on the territory of Germany. It was a kind of heart of ancient Prussia.
Although Germany immediately comes to mind when the Prussians are mentioned, they do not belong to the Germanic tribes. The Prussians were among the Baltic peoples who settled on the southeastern coast of the Baltic Sea in prehistoric times. They had a common history, a common culture and practically the same language. But the most unifying element of their community was faith.
Under the sacred oak
Faith among the Prussians was introduced by the legendary leader Videwut. According to local myths, this leader came from the Cimbri tribe, but was forced to move with his co-ruler brother and all the people to the western lands. Once, on numerous ships, Videvut with his companions arrived at the mouth of the Vistula to start a new life here.
The land where these troops landed was completely wild. The leader assumed the functions of a priest and founded a pagan temple, later known as the Prussian Romuva. Over time, Romuv (this word is translated as "quiet, secluded place") a great many arose, and it is difficult to say where the very first was. But soon the Balts, who fell under the rule of Videvut, prayed and made sacrifices to three pagan gods - Perkunas, Patols and Potrimps. If the last two gods say nothing to our ears, then the first is well known. This is the same princely god Perun with a golden mustache, whose idol was erected on the hill by Vladimir Svyatoslavovich before turning his eyes to a more useful religion - Christianity.
The Prussians, with the light hand of Videut, became excellent pagans. They held fast to their gods and did not want to convert to any other faith. The main sanctuary of the Prussians was in the forest under a sacred oak tree. In the hollows of a huge tree were the idols of the gods. And in front of the oak there is an altar. In this forest glade, adult Prussians gathered to perform pagan sacraments. So that the noise did not disturb the inhabitants of heaven, they were separated from the people by a skillfully woven canopy, which was raised only during the holidays or in order to find out what the coming year would be for the tribe.
In old age, Videvut, as befits a decrepit priest, voluntarily died in a sacrificial fire. And the power over the tribes of the Prussians was received by the sons of Videut and his twin brother Brutin. Littpo became the ruler of the Eastern Baltic tribes, from which the Lithuanians later emerged, Zamo gained power over Zemland, where Kaliningrad now stands. German legends say that Videwut celebrated his wife, whose name was Erme or Varma, with special love. In her name, the central land of the Prussians was named Warmia, and its inhabitants - Warmians. Lands with outlandish names are spread around Warmia: Pogesania, Pomezania, Lubavia, Külmerland, Natangia, Nadruvia, Skalvia, Sambia, Sasna, Galindia, Sudovia. These were all Prussian territories. But they were close to the Polish and German lands, in those days - already Christian.
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Crusade
It was impossible to defend and defend the pagan faith in a rapidly Christianizing world. The Prussians did not understand this. If Prince Vladimir the Holy quickly realized that no golden-bellied Perun would save Kiev from enemy raids, and one could only choose between Jesus of Rome and Jesus of Byzantine, then the Prussians did not heed the exhortations of the missionaries. In 997, they brutally killed Bishop Adalbert, who went to preach the word of God.
The bishop managed to get out alive from the clutches of the Polish pagans. He even successfully opposed his own church if he believed that rich Christians were worse off than pagans. He sincerely believed that he could turn any souls to Christ by preaching. Therefore, Adalbert did the greatest of stupidity: he went to the land of the Prussians alone, without military protection. Moreover, he came to preach during a pagan meeting in one of the Romus in Sambia. Of course, the local Krive priest chopped off his head right on the pagan altar. And the grateful people immediately raised his body on spears, laughing that this way the bishop would be closer to his God.
A dozen years later, the Prussians killed another missionary, who also appeared without weapons and guards. And to this Christian rulers responded with war. The Polish king Boleslav the Brave defeated and burned the Prussian sanctuary in Natangia. The Danish king Knud the Great walked with fire and sword across Sambia. Throughout the 11th and 12th centuries, Polish kings continually sent troops into the troubled lands of the Prussians. And at the beginning of the XIII century, Pope Innocent III called for a crusade against the Prussians. All Polish knights-crusaders and influential princes responded to the call. The famous knight Konrad Mazowiecki made a great contribution to the destruction of the Prussians - his lands just bordered on the Prussians. Several times Konrad led both the Polish and Russian troops against the pagans.
But the Prussians did not surrender and responded with even tougher resistance. So the prince decided to get rid of the headache and shift the fight against the pagans to the knights of the Teutonic Order, giving them the Helminsky land (as the Prussians were called in Poland) for free use for 20 years. The knights got down to business with German thoroughness. They decided to beat in the heart of the Prussian territory in Warmia. They hit the Warmia castle Khoneda and wiped it off the face of the earth. In its place, the knights erected their stone and impregnable castle-fortress - Balga. It seemed that in 1238-1241 Warmia was completely conquered. Its inhabitants either died or were forcibly converted to Christianity. But the Prussians did not surrender!
Last foci
In 1242 all of Prussia revolted against the Teutons. The uprising lasted seven years and ended with the signing of a peace treaty. In exchange for eternal peace, the Prussians allowed the knights to build a castle in the Warmia town of Lidzbark and in Braniewo. But the world did not last even a year. The crusaders did not think to retreat. They wanted to root out paganism.
In 1249, the second Prussian uprising broke out, and in 1260, the third. This time, the confrontation lasted 14 years. The Warmian leader Glappo even managed to recapture Braniewo's castle. But he did not manage to capture Balga - the order knew how to build fortresses. Even during the uprising, construction did not stop. So the Brandenburg Castle was erected, cutting through the forces of the Warmians and Natangs. He stood exactly in the middle between Balga and Königsberg. Skillfully distributing military power, the knights disunited the rebels and turned their strongholds into excellent traps.
Trying to take Brandenburg, Glappo was captured and in 1273 he was hanged. Left without a leader, the rebels gradually gave up their positions and after a year ceased resistance. The uprisings in Warmia were over. Other Prussian lands continued resistance until 1283. In the final round of the struggle against the Teutons, even local princes dissatisfied with the invasion of the knights into Poland joined the rebels.
The 20 years for which the Helminskaya land was given to the Teutonic administration is long over. But the knights were not going to return their lands to the Poles. On the contrary, they seized Polish territories lying south of the Prussian lands. Both in Warmia and in other lands of the Prussians, universal Christianization and assimilation began: in the west - with the Germans, in the east - with the Poles. Immigrants of other ethnic origins flocked to Warmia. After several centuries, the inhabitants of Warmia were no longer pagans and lost their national identity. In the Chelminsky land, they spoke German. Only the old names of cities and villages reminded of the old language.
By the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century, the Prussian language disappeared. And Prussia became firmly associated with Germany. As for Warmia, Natangia, Sambia, Poghezania, Pomezania, Scalvia, Galindia, not even their names remained. Alas, human memory is short. And when people disappear, only historians remember their past.
Nikolay KOTOMKIN