Pangur Bán
Deconstructed
Although languages borrow words from other languages, Slavicization of Lithuanian is supposed to post-date the golden age of Lithuania. Rus terms are used in documents coming from the pagan period, but Lithuanian was not a written language at the time and thus the Lithuanians used Rus officials and recorded state deeds in the language of Rus.
Personally, while I find the the Slavicized Lithuanian Grand Duchy interesting, the pre-Jogaila pagan empire is more interesting.
That's not what I was describing as a myth. The myth is the exaggerated importance of the crowning of Mindaugas. Lithuanian rulers saw themselves as "high kings" not as the "dukes" or "grand duke" of German feudal theory (borrowed by the Poles). Such theory wasn't even fully developed in the time of Mindaugas. German documents refer to the Lithuanian rulers after Mindaugas but before Jogaila as "high king", "supreme king", and variations therefore (translating the Rus and Lithuanian title of the rulers); some used "lord", "duke" and "prince", but this isn't very common. Greek sources provide the same title, king or "great king". German feudal theory became important only later, when the Lithuanian dynasty had taken over Poland and wished to keep the larger but poorer Lithuanian part of their realm.
Personally, while I find the the Slavicized Lithuanian Grand Duchy interesting, the pre-Jogaila pagan empire is more interesting.
In 1250 or 1251, during the course of internal power struggles, Mindaugas was baptised as a Roman Catholic; this action enabled him to establish an alliance with the Livonian Order, a long-standing antagonist of the Lithuanians. During the summer of 1253 he was crowned King of Lithuania, ruling between 300,000 and 400,000 subjects.
Whether its a myth or not, neither you or me know because we werent there, but thats what they teach in our history books. And they did revert back to paganism afterwards yes so that title wouldnt have been granted or recognised after that, that was the whole excuse of crusaders coming over and trying to bring christianity into the the region.
That's not what I was describing as a myth. The myth is the exaggerated importance of the crowning of Mindaugas. Lithuanian rulers saw themselves as "high kings" not as the "dukes" or "grand duke" of German feudal theory (borrowed by the Poles). Such theory wasn't even fully developed in the time of Mindaugas. German documents refer to the Lithuanian rulers after Mindaugas but before Jogaila as "high king", "supreme king", and variations therefore (translating the Rus and Lithuanian title of the rulers); some used "lord", "duke" and "prince", but this isn't very common. Greek sources provide the same title, king or "great king". German feudal theory became important only later, when the Lithuanian dynasty had taken over Poland and wished to keep the larger but poorer Lithuanian part of their realm.