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:''The Kursenieki are also known as Curonians.'' The Curonians or Kurs (Curonian: ''Kursi''; (ドイツ語:Kuren); (ラトビア語:kurši); (リトアニア語:kuršiai); (エストニア語:kuralased); (ポーランド語:Kurowie)) were a Baltic〔Matthews, W. K. "Nationality and Language in the East Baltic Area", American Slavic and East European Review, Vol. 6, No. 1/2 (May, 1947), pp. 62-78〕 tribe living on the shores of the Baltic Sea in what are now the western parts of Latvia and Lithuania from the 5th to the 16th centuries, when they merged with other Baltic tribes. They gave their name to the region of Courland (''Kurzeme''), and they spoke the Old Curonian language. Curonian lands were conquered by the Livonian Order in 1266 and they eventually merged with other Baltic tribes participating in the ethnogenesis of Lithuanians and Latvians. Direct descendants of the Curonians include the Kuršininkai of the Curonian Spit and the so-called Curonian Kings of Courland. ==History== The Curonians〔http://www.euratlas.net/history/europe/800/index.html〕 were known as fierce warriors, excellent sailors and pirates. They were involved in several wars and alliances with Swedish, Danish, Icelandic and Kven Vikings.〔Matthews, W. K. "Medieval Baltic Tribes". American Slavic and East European Review, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr., 1949), pp. 126-136.〕 During that period they were the most restless and the richest of all the Balts. In c. 750, according to Norna-Gests þáttr saga from c. 1157, Sigurd Ring, a legendary king of Denmark and Sweden, fought against the invading Curonians and Kvens in the southern part of what today is Sweden: :''"Sigurd Ring (Sigurðr) was not there, since he had to defend his land, Sweden (Svíþjóð), since Curonians (Kúrir) and Kvens (Kvænir) were raiding there." 〔Norna-Gests þáttr, c. 1157, Níkulás Bergsson, Iceland.〕 Grobin (Grobiņa)〔http://www.euratlas.net/history/europe/700/entity_15194.html〕 was the main centre of the Curonians during the Vendel Age. Chapter 46 of Egils Saga describes one Viking expedition by the Vikings Thorolf and Egill Skallagrímsson in Courland. They took part with the Oeselians in attacking Sweden's main city Sigtuna in 1187. Curonians established temporary settlements near Riga and in overseas regions including eastern Sweden and the islands of Gotland and Bornholm. The Curonians had a strong warrior culture and are considered to have been eastern Baltic by some researchers,〔Östen Dahl (ed.) 2001, ''The Circum-Baltic Languages: Typology and Contact,'' vol. 1〕 while others believe they were related to Old Prussians who belonged into western Baltic group.〔http://www.vaidilute.com/books/gimbutas/gimbutas-07.html〕 The Curonians were an especially religious people, worshipping pagan gods and their sacred animal, the horse. Some of the most important written sources about the Curonians are Rimbert's Vita Ansgarii, the Livonian Chronicle of Henry, the Livländische Reimchronik, Egils Saga, and Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum. In c. 1075 Adam of Bremen described the Curonians in his ''Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum'' (''Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church'') as world famous pagan diviners: :''"... gold is very plentiful there, the horses are of the best. All the houses are full of pagan soothsayers, diviners, and necromancers, who are even arrayed in a monastic habit. Oracular responses are sought there from all parts of the world, especially by Spaniards and Greeks." 〔(''...aurum ibi plurimum, equi optimi. Divinis, auguribus atque nigromanticis omnes domus plenae sunt, qui etiam vestitu monachico induti sunt. A toto orbe ibi responsa petuntur, maxime ab Hispanis et Graecis.'' )〕 It was common for the Curonians to carry out joint raids and campaigns together with Estonians (Oeselians). However during the Livonian crusade, Curonians formed an alliance with the Semigallians, resulting in a joint attack against Riga in 1228. In the same time, according to the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle, Curonians and Samogitians were known as "bad neighbours".〔Livonian Rhymed Chronicle. 6794–6800, 9095–9100.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「curonians」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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