The setting for this series of narratives is the Northern Crusades, a fascinating and particularly brutal period within the generally bloody history of the Crusades. Unlike the well documented and frequently fictionalized crusades in the Mediterranean region, little attention has been paid to the crusades in the Baltic region. They were initiated and strongly supported by the Popes of that period and drew fighting men from all of Europe. The original intent of the crusades was to Christianize the Baltic peoples who at the beginning of the XII-th century were still adamantly pagan. Over time, however, they degenerated into straightforward genocidal campaigns to acquire lands and serfs. Several orders of knightly monks participated in the prolonged war, of these the most prominent was the Teutonic Order of Holy Mary of Jerusalem. The members of this order were drawn from the noble or knightly class and had to be of German birth. They succeeded in completely exterminating the Prussian people, and expropriated not only their land, but also their name. After over 200 years of bitter struggle only the Lithuanians and Samogitians remained unconquered and pagan. They accepted Christianity on their own terms at the beginning of the XV-the century.
Skomantas Books
This series of narratives delves into the epic adventures of a 13th-century Lithuanian noble family, aiming to forge a heroic saga that Lithuania had never possessed. The authenticity of the tales is enhanced by their close connection to actual historical events of the era. The stories span across Lithuanian lands and beyond, encompassing regions of modern-day Latvia and Russia, detailing the interactions between Lithuanian and Samogitian tribes and their neighboring peoples. A central figure in many installments is Uvis, one of the five children of the Rikių Žybartas and his wife Medeina.
