Gediminas in the context of Iron Wolf (character)


Gediminas in the context of Iron Wolf (character)

⭐ Core Definition: Gediminas

Gediminas (c. 1275 – December 1341) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1315 or 1316 until his death in 1341. Gediminas is traditionally considered to have been the founder of Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania (see: Iron Wolf legend). During his reign, he brought under his rule lands streching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. The Gediminids dynasty he founded and which is named after him came to rule over Poland, Hungary and Bohemia.

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👉 Gediminas in the context of Iron Wolf (character)

The Iron Wolf (Lithuanian: Geležinis Vilkas) is a mythical character from a medieval legend of the founding of Vilnius, the capital city of the old Grand Duchy of Lithuania and modern Republic of Lithuania. First found in the Lithuanian Chronicles, the legend shares certain similarities with the Capitoline Wolf and possibly reflected Lithuanian desire to showcase their legendary origins from the Roman Empire (see the Palemonids). The legend became popular during the era of Romantic nationalism. Today Iron Wolf is one of the symbols of Vilnius and is used by sports teams, Lithuanian military, scouting organizations, and others.

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Gediminas in the context of Kingdom of Lithuania

The Kingdom of Lithuania was a sovereign state that existed from 17 July 1251 until the death of the first crowned king of Lithuania, Mindaugas, on 12 September 1263. Mindaugas was the only Lithuanian monarch crowned king with the assent of the Pope and the head of the first Catholic Lithuanian state. The formation of the kingdom is widely regarded as a partially successful attempt at unifying all surrounding Baltic tribes, including the Old Prussians, into a single unified state under a common king.

Other monarchs of Lithuania were referred to as grand dukes, kings or emperors in extant foreign written sources as the size of the realm and their power expanded or contracted. This practice can be compared to that of British, Japanese and many other monarchs who are known as kings or emperors in spite of not being crowned with the assent of the Pope. Because Lithuania was pagan in the 13th century, Lithuanian monarchs were not granted the title of a Catholic monarch, even though extant Christian sources referred to Lithuanian rulers as kings or emperors regardless of their religious affiliation. For instance, Gediminas titled himself King of Lithuania and Rus, and Duke of Semigalia. The Pope also addressed him as King.

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Gediminas in the context of Kreva Castle

Kreva Castle (Belarusian: Крэўскі замак, Lithuanian: Krėvos pilis, Polish: zamek w Krewie) is the ruins of a major fortified residence of the rulers of Grand Duchy of Lithuania Gediminas and Algirdas in the village of Kreva, Belarus. The village lies 220 metres (720 ft) above sea level.

During the Lithuanian Civil War (1381–1384), Jogaila, Algirdas's son, arrested and imprisoned his uncle Kęstutis and cousin Vytautas in the Kreva Castle in 1382. One week later, Kęstutis was found dead. Whether he died of natural causes or was murdered is still a matter of debate. His son, Vytautas, however, escaped from Kreva and fled to the Teutonic Order.

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Gediminas in the context of Gediminas' Cap

Gediminas's Cap (Lithuanian: Gedimino kepurė) was the most important regalia of the Lithuanian monarchs who ruled the Grand Duchy of Lithuania until the Union of Lublin in 1569. During the inaugurations of Lithuanian monarchs, Gediminas's Cap was placed on the monarch's heads by the Bishop of Vilnius in Vilnius Cathedral.

Its name comes from Grand Duke Gediminas (c. 1275–1341), the founder of the Gediminids dynasty and patrilineal ancestor of Lithuanian rulers from the Kęstutaičiai and Jagiellonian dynasties, and symbolized the dynasty's continuity. The cap is mentioned in 16th-century sources and was kept in the Vilnius Castle treasury. It is depicted as a round unsegmented headdress in an armorial compiled for Paweł Holszański. Since 1547 Gediminas's Cap was minted on Lithuanian coins above the coat of arms of Lithuania. Gediminas's Cap lost its significance following the Union of Lublin in 1569 which abolished a separate inauguration of the Lithuanian monarchs in Vilnius Cathedral.

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Gediminas in the context of Gediminas Avenue

Gediminas Avenue (Lithuanian: Gedimino prospektas) is the main street of Vilnius, where most of the governmental institutions of Lithuania are concentrated, including the government, parliament, Constitutional Court and ministries. It is also the location of cultural institutions such as the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre, Bank of Lithuania, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and Martynas Mažvydas National Library. It is also a popular shopping and dining street, with the highest average rent prices in the country. It is partially a pedestrian street in the evenings when traffic is prohibited.

Named after the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas, the street terminates at the Žvėrynas Bridge over the Neris River near Seimas Palace on one end and at the Cathedral Square and Vilnius Castle Complex on the other, passing Lukiškės Square where the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights is located in the former KGB building. It connects the Old Town with Žvėrynas.

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Gediminas in the context of House of Gediminas

The family of Gediminas is a group of family members of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania (ca. 1275–1341), who interacted in the 14th century. The family included the siblings, children, and grandchildren of the Grand Duke and played the pivotal role in the history of Lithuania for the period as the Lithuanian nobility had not yet acquired its influence. Gediminas was also the forefather of the Gediminid dynasty, which ruled the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1310s or 1280s to 1572.

Gediminas' origins are unclear, but recent research suggests that Skalmantas (Skolomend), an otherwise unknown historical figure, was Gediminas' grandfather or father and could be considered the dynasty's founder. Because none of his brothers or sisters had known heirs, Gediminas, who sired at least twelve children, had the advantage in establishing sovereignty over his siblings. Known for his diplomatic skills, Gediminas arranged his children's marriages to suit the goals of his foreign policy: his sons consolidated Lithuanian power within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, while his daughters established or strengthened alliances with the rulers of areas in modern-day Russia, Ukraine and Poland.

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