Lithuanian Out Loud

Beginning at the age of 40, Grand Duke, or High King, Gediminas was ruler of Lithuania from 1316 to 1341. He became the monarch of the Lithuanians 80 years after the Battle of the Sun.  Gediminas ruled for 25 years and he inherited lands that included what is now Lithuania as well as parts of Belarus. Gediminas was very loyal to his subjects, giving them the freedom to worship the traditional Lithuanian gods, Christianity or Judaism.  He’s the true founder of the modern idea of a Lithuanian nation. He created a large, powerful Lithuanian army; defended Lithuania with a series of strong forts and built castles in towns including Vilnius.  He originally placed the capital at Trakai, near Vilnius, but later decided on Vilnius itself. His reputation is that of a man who worshipped the old Lithuanian gods and who resisted every attempt to christianize his country, but the reality is a little different from the legend. Wanting to create a strong nation and needing help to defend Lithuania from the German Teutonic K