Livonian Chronicle of Henry

The specific ethnic groups that intermingled and traded with the Saxons, Danes, Swedes, Wends, merchants from Lübeck, Novgorod and Pskov here were the Estonians, Karelians, Curonians, Latgalians, Semigallians (sometimes known as the Letts), Livonians and the Lithuanians.The Teutonic Order continued to implement Christianity across Livonia after the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, the crusading army established by Albert of Riga, was absorbed by them in 1237.It provides insight, not only into military operations in the East during this tumultuous period but also into the conflicted attitudes of an eyewitness; it reveals the complexities of religious motives enmeshed with political aims.Pope Innocent III granted the absolution of sins for those making a pilgrimage to Livonia after tensions arose between the German Christians and the pagans.Honorius III and Gregory IX continued to promote Livonia as comparable to Jerusalem by enforcing privileges (including the protection of property) to Livonian crusaders.The modern English translator of the Livonian Chronicle of Henry, James A. Brundage, also argues that the German popes, kings, bishops, and dukes would have been aware of the existing positive economic and political potential in Livonia.This chronicle is also an example of a crusader document that implements opinionated and demeaning rhetoric towards the people they were conquering, especially when describing the nature of the pagans when Bishop Meinhard initially fails to convert them without the use of force by promising to build them forts if they would accept baptism.When it was discovered that these people were still practicing their pagan beliefs and rituals, many of those involved in implementing the crusade, including Henry himself, expressed their disapproval and judgments of these individuals.
A page from a copy of the Henry of Latvia manuscript
Henry of LatviaLivoniaEstoniaLatviaSaxo GrammaticusPrimary ChronicleKievan Rus'holy warFourth CrusadeConstantinopleNorthern CrusadesHanseatic LeagueNovgorodLübeckEstoniansKareliansCuroniansLatgaliansSemigalliansLivoniansLithuaniansArnold of Lübeckprince-bishopsAlbert of BuxhoevedenTeutonic OrderLivonian Brothers of the SwordBaltic crusadesHoly LandLivonian Rhymed ChronicleBishop MeinhardPope Innocent IIITheoderich von TreydenHonorius IIIGregory IXchroniclesIkšķileBerthold of HanoverLivonianPolotskKokneseSeloniansEstonianJersikamanuscriptparchmentPolish National LibraryWarsawPrince-BishopWilliam of ModenaChristianizationNovgorod First ChronicleLatviande Lettis, Henricus