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The last Day of the Swordbrothers, 1236

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ENGLISH (based mostly on E. Christiansen, the Northern Crusades):

For this plate, an exercise done for an ink class, the main focus was meant to be the couple of oaks in foreground. I added some little context, as I always do. 
The setting is the afternoon of September 21, 1236, somewhere between modern northern Lithuania and southern Latvia, in an area which the chronicles vaguely refers to "Terram Sauleorum". A day of terrible importance for the Baltic lands.

That afternoon, a raiding army composed of christened balts and lay crusaders and led by the meister Volkwin and his Livonian Swordbrothers (Fratres militiae Christi Livoniae) encountered, on its way home, a large group of pagan samogitians at a river crossing. Unwilling to risk their horses in the swampy terrain, the lay crusaders forced Volkwin to enstabilish camp for the night. Big mistake.

On Semptember 22 the crusader army, bogged down, was surrounded and slaughtered by the lightly armed, faster Samogitians in what would have been known as the Battle of Saule. Meister Volkwin, the ambitious meister of the Swordbrothers and one of the most important in the early years of the western conquest, was killed together with most of the knights of his order. The remains of the Livonian Brothers were absorbed by the Teutonic Knights, which consequently expanded in Livonia.

Curiously, the demise of Volkwin was one of my first drawing I published on DA... 'member?

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ITALIANO (basato su E. Christiansen, Le Crociate del Nord):

Per questa tavola, originariamente un esercizio per la classe di china sugli alberi, ho deciso di aggiungere un po' contesto alle querce che fanno da soggetto. Siamo nel pomeriggio del 21 Settembre 1236, da qualche parte tra la Lituania e la Lettonia, in un'area che le cronache chiamano vagamente "terram Sauleorum". Un giorno di tremenda importanza per il futuro delle terre Baltiche.

Quel pomeriggio, l'esercito di crociati dell'Holstein e ausiliari Balti e Russi, guidato dal meister Volquino alla testa dei suoi Cavalieri Portaspada (Fratres militiae Christi Livoniae), si imbatté in un largo gruppo di pagani samogizi all'attraversamento di un fiume. Appesantiti dal bottino e preoccupati di dover rischiare le proprie cavalcature in un terreno paludoso, i crociati laici persuasero Volquino ad accamparsi per la notte. Grosso errore.

Il 22 Settembre l'esercito crociato, circondato e impanato nel fango, incapace di utilizzare al meglio i propri cavalli e le proprie armature, venne massacrato dai più agili e numerosi Samogizi. Cadde anche Volquino, che era stato uno degli uomini più importanti dei primi anni della cristianizzazione del Baltico. Ciò che restava del suo Ordine venne assorbito dai Cavalieri Teutonici, che incamerarono così anche la Livonia tra i loro possedimenti.

La morte di Volquino è stata il soggetto di uno dei miei primi disegni pubblicati su questa pagina.
fritzvicari.deviantart.com/art…
Image size
3342x2336px 3.42 MB
Make
HUAWEI
Model
HUAWEI VNS-L31
Shutter Speed
1/999963365 second
Aperture
F/2.0
Focal Length
4 mm
ISO Speed
80
Date Taken
Nov 15, 2016 2:34:06 PM +01:00
Comments12
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Libra1010's avatar
 For some reason the posture of that knight between the two trees gives me the impression that this particular band were enjoying a nice, casual stroll in the forest before that chevalier at the front turned to the lads and said "We've got company ... ANGRY company."  

 Please pardon my attempts at wit, Master Vicari and please accept my compliments on your continuing and very splendid work!:) (Smile)