Lietuvos vardo tūkstantmetis teorijų ir klystkelių labirintuose

ENThe first reference to the name of Lithuania in written sources appeared in 1009 in the annals of Quedlinburg, Germany (Annales Quedlinburgenses). A number of publications, books, and articles regarding the place of the tragic end of St. Bruno came out on the occasion of the Commemoration of the Millennium of Lithuania. It is widely assumed that Bruno was killed when he went to Prussia to convert into Christianity the pagans. Some Polish and Lithuanian historians claim that Bruno died in eastern part of Yotvingia on the Russian - Lithuanian border. However, some contemporary Lithuanian historians (Gudavičius, Bumblauskas) believe that Bruno went to Lithuania and was killed on the Russian - Lithuanian border. They find evidence in some of the historical sources that Western Civilization in the 10th and 11 th century perceived the Balts as the Prussians. The author of the article polemicises with the Gudavičius’ opinion that Bruno converted Netimer, a king of Lithuania, and that Lithuania was the country with its army and protected borders at that time. Gudavičius claims that the country existed up to 1040 when it was invaded by Yaroslav I the Wise. He thinks that the sources describing Bruno’s death present the first Christianization of Lithuania and Lithuanians.Some Gudavičius’ statements are ridiculous, for example: Netimer knew the Christian world very well and had long theological debates with Bruno, that he let Bruno burn his gods and that the trial by fire had to persuade the pagans to conversion. The author of the article thinks that Netimer’s regiment was neither numerous nor mighty and the name of this leader has been forgotten as well as names of other similar leaders. Wipert mentions that Netimer was converted into Christianity together with 300 men, however, this fact does not allow us to draw a conclusion that Netimer’s regiment was very numerous. The historical sources claim that there was an assembly of pagans who decided to make Bruno the trial of fire and later underwent conversion into Christianity. According to these sources Bruno was not killed in Netimer’s regiment, but later. Bruno was killed by Netimer’s brother. However, the word brother in Medieval Latin meant a relative, a friend or a person who had a similar function. The attempt to localize the place of the death of Bruno using ‘The Life and the Martyrdom of St Bruno of Querfurt’ (Zebeden and the river Aistra are mentioned there) is pointless. This source is just a legend from the 16th century and has no historical value.