View source for Metsepole

{{Short description|County of medieval Livonia}}
{{redirect|Metsapoole|the village in Häädemeeste Parish, Pärnu County|Metsapoole (village)}}
{{Infobox country
|native_name = Mõtsa Pūol
|conventional_long_name = Livonian county of Metsepole
|common_name = Metsepole
|year_start =
|year_end = 1206
|date_start =
|date_end =
|event_start =
|event_end =
|p1 =
|flag_p1=
|s1 = Bishopric of Riga
|flag_s1= Archbishopric of Riga.svg
|s2 =
|flag_s2=
|image_flag =
|image_coat =
|image_map =Metsepole.jpg
|image_map_caption =Approximate boundaries of Metsepole in 12–13th centuries
|religion= [[Livonian people|Livonian paganism]]
|capital =
|stat_area1 =
|stat_pop1  =
|stat_year1 =
|stat_area2 =
|stat_pop2  =
|stat_year2 =
|title_leader= [[Elder (administrative title)|Elder]]
|leader1 =
|year_leader1 =
|leader2 =
|year_leader2 =
|common_languages= [[Livonian language|Livonian]]
|currency =
}}

'''Mõtsa Pūol''' or '''Metsepole'''<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=UtRs1QecqIsC&pg The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia] {{ISBN|0-231-12888-6}}</ref> was a [[medieval]] [[Livonia]]n county inhabited by the [[Finnic languages|Finnic]]-speaking [[Livonians]], situated on the east coast of the [[Gulf of Riga]], in most part at the northwest of the [[Vidzeme]] region of what is now [[Latvia]], and including some adjacent areas in the present-day [[Pärnu County]] of [[Estonia]]. Metsepole was bordered by the ancient Estonian [[Sakala County]] to the north, [[Latgalians|Latgalian]] [[Tālava]] to the east and Livonian county of [[Turaida]] to the south.

During the [[Livonian Crusade]] in the beginning of the 13th century, the [[Northern Crusades|crusading]] [[Livonian Brothers of the Sword]] led by [[Albert of Riga]] began to occupy the shores of the Gulf of Riga. By 1206, Metsepole had been taken over by the crusaders and incorporated into the [[Bishopric of Riga]] in 1255.

In 1201, the Bishop [[Albert von Buxhövden]] founded the City of [[Riga]] as a Christian settlement at the mouth of the river [[Daugava River|Daugava]]. When this did not immediately induce the Livonians, [[Estonians]], and Baltic peoples in its hinterland to convert, a knightly order was formed, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, primarily consisting of [[Low German]]s, to bring salvation to the pagans by force. In a campaign which was a part of the wars known as the [[Northern Crusades]], these knights defeated, subdued and converted the Livonians in 1206 and 1207.

The main centres of Metsepole were located at the [[hillfort]]s in [[Skulte]], Liepupe and [[Limbaži]].
In 1206, the first Christian priest from Riga, Alexander, arrived in Metsepole. Already in 1207 there was a Christian parish in Metsepole.
In the winter 1210, a crusader army from Riga went through Metsepole to attack [[Estonia]]n county of [[Soontagana]]. It was followed by an Estonian revenge raid in Metsepole and whole region was heavily devastated.
In 1211, Estonians again invaded Metsepole.

== See also ==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Archbishopric of Riga]]
* [[Eldership of Samogitia]]
* [[Lembitu]]
* [[Livonian Crusade]]
* [[Principality of Kukenois]]
* [[Sackalia]]
{{div col end}}

{{More citations needed|date=July 2008}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071217092057/http://www.historia.lv/alfabets/I/In/Indrika%20hronika/teksts/009_latv.htm Indriķa hronika. IX. (Latvian)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071028130959/http://www.osh.ru/pedia/history/west/middle_ages/GenrihLatv/GenrihLatv-15.shtml Генрих Латвийский Хроника Ливонии (Russian)]
* [http://www.castle.lv/hroniki/genrih-latvijsky.html Генрих Латвийский Хроника Ливонии (Russian)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927001757/http://www.limbazi.lv/lv/?doc_id=27601 Teritorijas vēsturiskā attīstība (Latvian)]
* [http://www.vietas.lv/index.php?p=11&id=20 Limbažu Rajons (Latvian)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080206033501/http://profundis.christian.net/gram_plaukts/katalogs.php?f=30&p=1 Mūsu arheoloģiskie novadi (Latvian)]

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[[Category:1206 disestablishments]]
[[Category:Former countries in Europe]]
[[Category:Livonian Crusade]]
[[Category:Historical regions in Latvia]]