Shvarn

{{Short description|Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1267 to 1269}} {{for|another person with the name Shvarn|Maria Shvarnovna}} {{Infobox royalty | name = Shvarn | title = | image = | caption = | succession = Grand Duke of Lithuania | reign = 1267–1269 | predecessor = Vaišvilkas | successor = Traidenis | spouse = Sister of Vaišvilkas | issue = | house = Monomakhovichi<ref>{{cite book|author1=K. McCoy|author2=Hardwick|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xFqDwAAQBAJ&dq=monomakhovichi%20%22the%20only%20ruler%20of%20the%22%20shortlived&pg=PA71|chapter=The Story of the Lithuanian Monarchy|title=This Book Will Send You to Sleep|publisher=Random House|year=2018|isbn=978-1-4521-7361-0|page=71}}</ref> | father = Daniel of Galicia | mother = Anna Mstislavna of Novgorod (daughter of Mstislav Mstislavich the Bold) | birth_date = {{circa|1230}} | birth_place = Halych (now Ukraine) | death_date = {{circa|1269}} | death_place = Chełm (now Poland) }}

'''Shvarn''' or '''Shvarno''' (Old Ruthenian: Шварно;<ref>{{Cite book|title=Акти та документи Галицько-Волинського князівства ХІІІ - першої половини XIV століть.|author=Олег Купчинський|date=2004|publisher=Shevchenko Scientific Society|isbn=9667155854|page=339}} [https://irbis-nbuv.gov.ua/cgi-bin/ua/elib.exe?Z21ID=&I21DBN=UKRLIB&P21DBN=UKRLIB&S21STN=1&S21REF=10&S21FMT=online_book&C21COM=S&S21CNR=20&S21P01=0&S21P02=0&S21P03=FF=&S21STR=ukr0000624 Link]</ref> {{langx|lt|Švarnas}}; {{langx|be|Шварн Данілавіч}}; {{langx|uk|Шварно Данилович|translit=Shvarno Danylovych}};<ref name="MPCK">{{Cite book|title=Mikhail, Prince of Chernigov and Grand Prince of Kiev 1224-1246|first=Martin|last=Dimnik|publisher=Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies|location=Toronto|year=1981|page=220| isbn=9780888440525}}</ref> {{circa|1230}} – {{circa|1269}}) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1267 to 1269.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gudavičius |first1=Edvardas |authorlink1=Edvardas Gudavičius |title=Švarnas |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/svarnas/ |website=Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia |access-date=7 July 2021 |language=lt}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Galeotti |first1=Mark |title=Teutonic Knight Vs Lithuanian Warrior: The Lithuanian Crusade 1283–1435 |date=17 January 2023 |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |page=78 |isbn=978-1-4728-5150-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_FuoEAAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref> He was also the prince of Chełm from 1264 to 1269. An influential leader, he became involved in internal struggles of power within the neighboring Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

== Name == Little is known of Shvarn and even his name is not entirely certain. The original documents relating to this ruler are scarce and mention him under a variety of names. For instance the first edition of Lithuanian Annals mentions him as Shkvarno, but the following editions use the names of ''Skirmont'' and ''Skirmunt'', possibly a Ruthenisation of Lithuanian name ''Skirmantas''.<ref name="Latyszonek">{{cite book | author =Oleg Łatyszonek | author-link =Oleg Łatyszonek | title =Od Rusinów Białych do Białorusinów : u źródeł białoruskiej idei narodowej | year =2006 | pages =270–271 | publisher =Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku | location =Białystok | isbn=978-83-7431-120-5 |language=pl}}</ref> Contemporary sources also mention his Christian name of ''Ioann'' (''Іоанн''), that is either John or George.<ref name="Grala">{{cite book |author=various authors |author2=Hieronim Grala |editor=Leszek Jaśkiewicz| title=Słowiańszczyzna i dzieje powszechne. Studia ofiarowane Profesorowi Ludwikowi Bazylowowi w siedemdziesiątą rocznicę Jego urodzin |year=1985 |publisher=Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe |location=Warsaw |isbn=83-01-05859-5 |pages=197–220 |chapter=Chrzestne imię Szwarna Daniłowicza. Ze studiów nad dyplomatyką południoworuską XIII i XIV w. |language=pl|display-editors=etal}} {{LCC|DJK40 .S56 1985}}</ref> In modern times the ruler is known by a variety of names in various historiographies, including Lithuanian ''Švarnas'',<ref name="Speciunas">{{cite book | author =various authors | title =Lietuvos valdovai (XIII-XVIII a.) |trans-title=Rulers of Lithuania (13-18th centuries) |year =2004 | editor =Vytautas Spečiunas | page =25 | publisher =Mokslo ir enciklopediju leidybos institutas | location =Vilnius | isbn=5-420-01535-8 |language=lt}}</ref> Ukrainian Шварно Данилович, Russian and Belarusian Шварн, and Polish ''Szwarno Daniłowicz''. All of them are versions of the name of Shvarn, which is likely to be a diminutive of the Slavic name of ''Svaromir''.<ref name="Curtin">{{cite book | author =Jeremiah Curtin | author-link =Jeremiah Curtin | title =The Mongols in Russia | year =2010|edition=reprint | pages =327–329 | publisher =Forgotten Books | isbn=978-0-217-35771-5 }}</ref>

== Biography == thumb|Depiction of Shvarn by M. Barvicki, 1908 One of the sons of king Daniel I of Galicia of the house of Romanovich,<ref name="Horwat">{{cite book | author =Jerzy Krzysztof Horwat | title =Książęta górnośląscy z dynastii Piastów: uwagi i uzupełnienia genealogiczne | year =2005 | pages =34–35 | publisher =Drukarnia Archidiecezjalna | location =Ruda Śląska | isbn=83-922482-3-6 |language=pl}}</ref> Shvarn inherited the north-western parts of the Kingdom of Ruthenia, his fathers' domain. This land included the town of Halicz itself, as well as the land across the Bug River, that is Red Ruthenia with the towns of Bełz, Czerwień{{ref|a|a}}, Mielnik, Drohiczyn and eventually also Chełm (since 1264).<ref name="Mironowicz">{{cite book | author =Antoni Mironowicz | title =Kościół prawosławny w państwie Piastów i Jagiellonów | year =2003 | pages =103–107 | publisher =Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku | location =Białystok | isbn=83-89031-39-6 |language=pl}}</ref> His brother Lev I inherited the southern part of the land, with the cities of Lviv and Przemyśl, while Roman became the heir of duchies of Lutsk and Terebovl.<ref name="Mironowicz"/>

During the times of king Daniel's reign, the Galician lords were allied with their Polish neighbours against a common threat, the Lithuanians who often raided the neighbouring lands for loot and plunder. However, in 1255 (or the previous year) Shvarn married an unnamed daughter of Mindaugas, since 1253 the first (and only) king of Lithuania.<ref name="Dubonis">{{cite book|author=Artūras Dubonis|others=Transl. by Darius Baronas| title=Mindaugo knyga: istorijos šaltiniai apie Lietuvos karalių |chapter=Belated Praise for King Mindaugas of Lithuania|publisher=Lithuanian Institute of History|location=Vilnius|year=2005|url=http://www.istorija.lt/html/mindaugo2005_belated.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081026121924/http://www.istorija.lt/html/mindaugo2005_belated.html|archive-date=26 October 2008| isbn=9986-780-68-3 |pages=17–22}}</ref> This allied him to Lithuania and together the two rulers undertook numerous military campaigns against the Kingdom of Poland. Already in 1255 they raided Lublin, in 1262 a major campaign against Masovia was started. Shvarn and Treniota captured the city of Płock and besieged Shvarn's brother-in-law, Siemowit I of Masovia in Jazdów (modern Warsaw). In the end Siemowit was killed by Shvarn's troops and his son Konrad II was taken prisoner. The Polish relief force did not arrive in time and was later defeated in a battle at Długosiodło on August 5, 1262.<ref name="Bunar">{{cite book | author =Piotr Bunar |author2=Stanisław A. Sroka | title = Słownik wojen, bitew i potyczek w średniowiecznej Polsce | year =2004 | publisher =Universitas | location =Cracow | isbn=83-242-0397-4 |language=pl}}</ref>

In 1264 king Daniel of Galicia died and Shvarn received nominal overlordship over all of Kingdom of Ruthenia as its duke. Immediately he mounted a major campaign against Poland, this time aiming for Lesser Poland.<ref name="Gieysztor">{{cite book | author =various authors |author2=Brygida Kürbisówna | title =Kronika wielkopolska | year =1965 | editor =Aleksander Gieysztor | editor-link =Aleksander Gieysztor | pages =283 | publisher =Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe | location =Warsaw |language=pl}}</ref> However, although joint armies managed to plunder Skaryszew, Tarczek and Wiślica, this time the campaign was less successful and the allied Ruthenian and Lithuanian armies were repelled. The Yotvingian auxiliaries were defeated by Bolesław V the Chaste at the Battle of Brańsk.<ref name="Bunar"/> The following year Bolesław mounted a counter-offensive against Shvarn and his uncle Vasylko Romanovych, and defeated the earlier on June 19, 1266, at Wrota.<ref name="Bunar"/> This weakened Shvarn's position in his own domain.

In the meantime in 1263 Mindaugas of Lithuania was murdered. In the chaos that followed Mindaugas' assassination, the lands of the Grand Duchy were in disarray, with both local and foreign rulers struggling for power. Shvarn gave his support to Vaišvilkas, one of Mindaugas' sons and his brother-in-law. Together they managed to depose Treniota and expel Daumantas all the way to Pskov. After Vaišvilkas returned to monastic life in 1267,<ref name="Jasienica"/> Shvarn became the new grand duke. No details are known about Shvarn's rule over Lithuania<ref name="Jasienica">{{cite book | author =Paweł Jasienica | author-link =Paweł Jasienica | title =Myśli o dawnej Polsce | year =1990 | pages =187 | publisher =Czytelnik | location =Warsaw | isbn=83-07-01957-5 |language=pl}}</ref> and he probably did not gain a strong foothold in that country.<ref name="Kiaupa">{{cite book | author =Zigmas Kiaupa | others =Transl. by S. C. Rowell | title =The history of Lithuania | year =2002 | page =37 | publisher =Baltos lankos | location =Vilnius | isbn=9955-429-75-5 }}</ref> However, he was apparently fairly successful in expanding his borders. Following successful military campaigns, in 1267 he defeated his brother Mstislav in the battle of the Yaselda River and captured Turov and Pinsk.<ref name="Latyszonek"/> The struggle for power within Lithuania however continued. Before a clear winner could emerge, Shvarn died in Chełm some time between 1269 and 1271. He was buried in an Orthodox Cathedral that once stood on a place now occupied by the Basilica of the Birth of the Virgin Mary. After his death most of his lands reverted to Lithuania<ref name="Fennell">{{cite book | author =John Lister Illingworth Fennell | title =The crisis of medieval Russia, 1200-1304 | year =1983 | page =144 | publisher =Longman | location =London | isbn=978-0-582-48150-3 }}</ref> and came under the control of Traidenis, a noble from Aukštaitija.

==Ancestry== {{ahnentafel |collapsed=yes |align=center |boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; |boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; |boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; |boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;

|1= 1. '''Shvarn''' |2= 2. Daniel of Galicia |3= 3. Anna Mstislavna of Novgorod |4= 4. Roman the Great |5= 5. Anna-Euphrosyne |6= 6. Mstislav Mstislavich |7= 7. Maria Kotjanovna |8= 8. Mstislav II of Kiev |9= 9. Agnes of Poland |10= 10. Isaac II Angelos |11= 11. Irene Tornikes Palaiologina |12= 12. Mstislav Rostislavich |13= 13. Feodosiya Glebovna of Ryazan |14= 14. Sutoevich, Khan of the Cumans |16= 16. Iziaslav II of Kiev |17= 17. Agnes Hohenstaufen |18= 18. Bolesław III Wrymouth |19= 19. Salomea of Berg |20= 20. Andronikos Doukas Angelos |21= 21. Euphrosyne Kastamonitissa |22= 22. Demetrios Tornikes |23= 23. … Malakissa |24= 24. Rostislav I of Kiev |26= 26. Gleb Rostislavich, prince of Ryazan |27= 27. Euphrosyne Rostislavna of Pereyaslavl |28= 28. Konchek Otrakovich, Khan of the Cumans }}

==See also== *List of rulers of Halych and Volhynia *List of Lithuanian rulers

== Notes == :a.{{note|a}} The capital of the land of Red Ruthenia (Czerwień Towns, or ''Grody Czerwieńskie'' in Polish). Its location remains unknown and disputed; possibly it was located where the village of Czermno stands today.

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category-inline}}

{{s-start}} {{succession box | before=Vaišvilkas | title=Grand Prince of Lithuania | years=1267–1269| after=Traidenis}} {{s-end}} {{Monarchs of Lithuania}}

Category:13th-century deaths Category:13th-century births Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:13th-century Lithuanian nobility Category:Grand dukes of Lithuania Category:Year of death uncertain Category:Eastern Orthodox monarchs Category:People from Halych Category:Romanovichi family Category:Rostislavichi family (Smolensk)