Curonians vs Vikings. The battle of two terrors.
The Beginning: A Tale of Two Disasters
Year 853 – The Danish Delivery Service: Danish Vikings decided to attack the Curonians. They lost miserably. The Curonians took their ships, killed half of them, seized all their gold and silver, and brought it back to their hillfort in Apuolė. (Imagine bringing your loot directly to the enemy. Good job, Danes!)
Year 854 – The Swedish Tax Collector: Swedish Vikings arrived for revenge. After a brutal 8-day siege, Apuolė stood, but the Curonians admitted defeat to end the bloodshed. They agreed to give the Swedes the captured Danish gold, offered 30 hostages, and acknowledged Swedish superiority. (I mean, the Danish loot was free anyway, so why not share?)
The Curonian Revenge: Baltic Pirates (11th–12th Centuries)
Over the next few centuries, the tables turned completely. The Curonians took over the Baltic Sea, launching devastating raids on Sweden and Denmark, with Gotland being their favorite target.
Using fast and agile longships (Drakars), they didn't just raid coastal villages—they went straight for the churches, looting valuables and taking church bells back home as "souvenirs." (I think this were the song Jingle bells come from. Curonians Jingling the looted bells)
They were so incredibly ruthless that Danish churches added a special, desperate prayer:
"Lord, deliver us from the fury of the Curonians."
Year 1187 – The Fall of Sigtuna: The Curonians bypassed Swedish defenses and completely destroyed Sweden's wealthiest trading capital, Sigtuna. The city was never the same again. (Note: Estonians might have helped with this one, but hey, I wasn't there to see it myself).
The Collision between the forces stopped, because certain someone lost to Crusades. ( Spoiler alert: it wasn't Curonians )
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, Curonians on the way..."
Edit: As Gavleborg corrected me I have to add this: "The Myth vs. Archaeology: While local folklore and nationalistic histories often describe the town being burned entirely to the ground, modern archaeological excavations have found no widespread ash layers dating to 1187. The town survived the raid and remained active for decades."
Day 5 in game - 5 th. article. I hope to post these everyday! <3