Battle of Muhu
Encyclopedia
In January 1227, when the sea had frozen hard, the Sword-Brothers
gathered a large force. According to the Chronicle of Livonia, 20 000 troops had set out to Muhu
from the estuary of Pärnu River
and moved along the ice. Since the ice was said to have been very slippery, they reached the stronghold of Muhu on the ninth day. After seeing such a large force, the people of Muhu offered truce and allowed themselves to be baptised. Most of the Germans didn't accept it and so they started besieging the stronghold. The first rush was fend off with rocks and spears. The besiegers threw rocks into the stronghold with bricoles, built a turret
and undermined the wall.
The people of Muhu fought bravely and only on the sixth day the overwhelming German army managed to break into the stronghold, where ferocious slaughterings took place. The assets, horses and bovines were taken, the stronghold itself was burned down.
Livonian Brothers of the Sword
The Livonian Brothers of the Sword were a military order founded by Bishop Albert of Riga in 1202. Pope Innocent III sanctioned the establishment in 1204. The membership of the order comprised German "warrior monks"...
gathered a large force. According to the Chronicle of Livonia, 20 000 troops had set out to Muhu
Muhu
Muhu , is an island in the Baltic Sea. With an area of 198 km² it is the third largest island belonging to Estonia, after Saaremaa and Hiiumaa....
from the estuary of Pärnu River
Pärnu River
The Pärnu is a river in Estonia that drains into the Gulf of Riga at Pärnu. It is a one of the longest rivers in Estonia - 144 km long. It has the basin area of 6,920 km² and average discharge is 64.4 m³/s.- References :...
and moved along the ice. Since the ice was said to have been very slippery, they reached the stronghold of Muhu on the ninth day. After seeing such a large force, the people of Muhu offered truce and allowed themselves to be baptised. Most of the Germans didn't accept it and so they started besieging the stronghold. The first rush was fend off with rocks and spears. The besiegers threw rocks into the stronghold with bricoles, built a turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
and undermined the wall.
The people of Muhu fought bravely and only on the sixth day the overwhelming German army managed to break into the stronghold, where ferocious slaughterings took place. The assets, horses and bovines were taken, the stronghold itself was burned down.