Christians in Late Pagan, and Pagans in Early Christian Lithuania: The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries

A shift from large-scale political strategies to the personal religious preferences of dukes and their entourages was pivotal in Lithuania's Christianization, beginning with Grand Duke Jogaila. This study reveals that individual lifestyle choices, rather than grand political decisions, drove the incremental adoption of Christianity among the ruling elite during the 14th and early 15th centuries. While Christians were primarily concentrated in Vilnius and Kernavė, their presence, often encouraged by pagan rulers for skilled labor needs, solidified Christian influence. Pagans, lacking cohesive religious identity, posed no significant opposition to the grand-ducal conversion decrees of 1387. The study also highlights a syncretic religious landscape post-conversion, where folk practices persisted among lower strata and rural populations, complicating the distinction between paganism and early Christianity.

Baronas, D. (2015). Christians in Late Pagan, and Pagans in Early Christian Lithuania: The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries. Lithuanian Historical Studies, 19(1), 51–81. https://doi.org/10.30965/25386565-01901003