Survila ir Survilaičiai – dar kartą apie nepripažintus Kęstučio palikuonis

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Butautas; Gediminaičiai; Kęstutis, Lietuvos didysis kunigaikštis, 1300-1382; Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė (LDK; Grand Duchy of Lithuania; GDL); Survila; Survila, Butautas, Kęstutis, Gediminaičiai, Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė,; Survilaičiai; Vokiečių Ordinas (Teutonic Order; Kryžiuočių ordinas); Butautas; Gediminids; Kęstutis; Lithuania, Teutonic Order; Surwille; Surwille, Surwillo, Surwillowie, Butautas, Kęstutis, Gediminids, Grand Duchy of; Surwillo; Surwillowie.

ENThis article focuses on the identification of the sixth son of Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis and analyzes his biography and the biographies of his descendents. According to Lithuanian chronicles, Kęstutis fathered six sons but, as their names were not specified, their identification was a long and complicated process. Four younger ones, namely Vaidotas, Vytautas, Žygimantas, and Tautvilas, made no problem; Butautas was identified in the 19th century; but the sixth son of Kęstutis was continued to be confused with his nephew Patrikas Narimantas’ son until Jan Tęgowski resolved the riddle several years ago. His find, however, brought the issue of Kęstutis’ sixth son back on the agenda. Surprisingly, he can be identified easily: Wigand von Marburg explicitly stated that in 1365 Butautas came to Prussia together with his brother Survila. Besides that, there are other sources proving that Survila and / or his son were Gediminids. Jan Długosz provided an account on the Lithuanian raid on Mazovia in 1336 mentioning Survila its participants in the group of Gediminas’ sons and grandsons clearly distinguished from some Russian duke Patrikiy Danilowich. The other story recorded in several sources comes from England. It says that Thomas de Beauchamp, the 11th Earl of Warwick, who went to the crusade against Lithuania in 1365, brought with him a son of a Lithuanian king (it should be interpreted as a son of a Lithuanian prince because the terms king, könig were used to translate the Lithuanian title kunigas) and baptized him in London giving him his name. No doubt, this was Survila’s elder son later known as Thomas Survila (Surwille) and thus we can conclude that the sources proving that Survila was a son of Kęstutis are abundant. There is no reason to claim that he was only a mere noble as Theodor Hirsch, the publisher of the Chronicle of Wigand von Marburg, did.This conclusion gives a better insight to Kęstutis’ family, as well. The assumption that he was married twice now becomes undisputable. We can also conclude that Survila was his second son born c. 1318 and that Butautas had to be a bit elder, which makes Vaidotas the youngest of the three. We also get a better understanding of Butautas’ and Survilas’ conspiracy. Kęstutis was giving preference to the sons of his second wife Birutė whom he married c. 1349, and Vytautas, not Butautas was to become his heir. Grand Duke Algirdas who also sought to leave the throne to his firstborn son from the second marriage supported this plan. Therefore, Butautas and Survila had to plot both against their father and uncle. In 1365 they fled to Prussia, got baptised, and led the army of the Teutonic Order to Vilnius. The English sources suggest that Survilas’ sons joined him during the raid but the attempt to seize power failed. Survila must have died shortly afterwards, because Thomas de Beauchamp took his elder son to England. Presumably, his younger son later known as John Survila remained in Prussia. Thomas Survila must have returned to Prussia after his god-father died in 1369. In 1370 Thomas and John were granted huge estates in the Brandenburg district. In 1379 Thomas Survila played the most active role in provoking a conflict between Kęstutis and Jogaila but it was Vytautas who reaped the benefits and became the Grand Duke of Lithuania at the end. Thomas and John Survila had nothing to do but to seek his favour. In 1399 they joined Vytautas’ crusade against the Tatars but perished at the Battle of Vorskla. Descendents of John Survila continued to reside in Prussia. His namesake son John received support of Vytautas and Jogaila, when he was accused of treason in 1411. During the Thirteen Years’ War Survila’s descendents took the side of the Polish king. The last traceable scion of Survila died in 1511. [From the publication]