[The Knightly Hub] The Livonian Brothers of the Sword

 The Livonian Brothers of the Sword

   Commonly referred to in modern times as the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, Livonian Knights, or the Sword Brethren, this order began in 1202 as the Order of the Knights of the Sword. The order was founded by Albert von Buxhoevden, third bishop of Livonia, with approval from Pope Innocent III. Its primary goal was to make Christianity the dominant religion by forcibly converting Livonian pagans. The order was officially blessed in 1204, and (like many others) shaped itself in the image of the Knights Templar. The Knights of the Sword all hailed from nobility, accepting vows of obedience, poverty, and celibacy. The grand master, once elected by an assembly of knights, would serve for life with the ability to dictate most aspects of the order. The order also consisted of clerics and artisans, who observed no fighting role. 

    The Swordbrothers became the dominant military force in its area of focus. Regardless, it still faced strong resistance from certain peoples, including the Semigallians who, together with Samogitians, would later deliver a crushing defeat to the order at the Battle of Saule (1236). Grand master Volquin was killed in the fight, leading to an abrupt loss of the Knights' military authority. Additionally, both the Holy Roman emperor (Frederick II) and Pope Gregory IX criticized the order for abuse of both pagans and recent Christian converts. 

    It seemed that the Swordbrothers' primary intent was to develop its own fiefdom rather than contribute to the Catholic Church. As a result, in 1237, Gregory IX disbanded the order and forced it to integrate into the Teutonic Knights. This gave the grand master of the Teutonic Knights the authority to determine who looked after the Livonian branch, which maintained its hold on the region despite earlier losses. This hierarchy persisted until 1525 when the Teutonic Knights were forced to give up Prussia, granting autonomy to the Livonian Brothers of the Sword as the former began to shrink in on itself. Sadly, the order was forced to disband (again) in 1561 after it lost control of Livonia during the Livonian War (1558-1583) due to neighboring states striking an interest in the area- or rather, in not letting other states control the area.

Further Reading: 

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Livonia.” Encyclopædia Britannica. ©2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 13 August 2010. Accessed 9 December 2020. <https://www.britannica.com/place/Livonia-historical-region-Europe>.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Order of the Brothers of the Sword.” Encyclopædia Britannica. ©2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 25 October 2011. Accessed 8 December 2020. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Order-of-the-Brothers-of-the-Sword>. 

Anonymous. “Livonian Order of Knights / Order of the Brothers of the Sword.” The History Files. Copyright © 1999-2020 Kessler Associates. All rights reserved. Publication Unknown. Accessed 8 December 2020. <https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsEurope/EasternLivonianKnights.htm#top>.

Smirl, J.D. “A Wayward Crusade: The Short Life of the Livonian Swordbrothers.” J.D. Smirl: Graphic Art, Illustration, Writing, and Bookbinding. © Jordan D. Smirl. Published 27 May 2019. Accessed 8 December 2020. <https://jdsmirl.wordpress.com/writing/livonian_swordbrothers/>. - I’m somewhat surprised I didn’t come across this source sooner. While the majority of Smirl’s work doesn’t directly coincide with what I myself am doing, I’d imagine his blog to be rather fascinating to other lovers of art, history, and art history. I don’t have any experience commissioning him, so I can’t review that aspect of his work, but I recommend clicking through some of his galleries if nothing else. There is a specific one I found intriguing in which he compiles references for medieval armor. Here's a link for those interested.