Lembitu


Lembitu

 

Year of birth unknown; died Sept. 21, 1217. Estonian feudal prince (“commander and senior authority”) in the northern part of the Sakala area (southwestern Estonia). Lembitu had a castle, Leole (now the archeological site of the fortified town of Lõhavere in Viljandi Raion), which was founded in the early 13th century. In 1211, Lembitu became the leader of the Sakalasians in their struggle against the aggression of the Teutonic Knights. In 1217 he concluded an alliance with Novgorod against the knights. He summoned a 6,000-man united Estonian force to the Pala River (the present-day Navesti) in early September. Lembitu perished at the approaches to Viljandi.