Kulgrinda
Encyclopedia
Kūlgrinda is a hidden underwater stony road or ford
across swamps and swampy areas used for defense in the history of Lithuania
. Similar secret roads made primarily of wood and ground were known as medgrinda (from :lt:medis, "tree") and žemgrinda (from :lt:žemė, "Earth", "ground") respectively.
Undetectable from the surface, these roads were usually known only to the locals, and as such were an important element of the defense against various invaders, including the Teutonic Knights
in the 13–14th centuries. Kūlgrindas provided a safe shortcut between villages, hillforts, and other defensive structures. They were built by bringing stones, wood, or gravel over frozen swamps in the winter and letting them sink once the ice melted. Such procedure would be repeated several times. Sometimes wooden posts were inserted to protect the elevated area from washing away.
The remnants of kūlgrindas are most often found in the territory of Lithuania, but also in Kaliningrad Oblast
(former East Prussia
), Belarus
, and Latvia
. It is estimated that Lithuania has 27 kūlgrindas and 7 medgrindas, about half of them in Samogitia
. The longest and best-known surviving kūlgrinda is across the Sietuva swamp between lakes Lūkštas and Paršežeris in Samogitia. It survives in three segments and was used up to the 19th century as a road between Kaltinėnai
and Tverai
. One of the first to investigate the Sietuva kūlgrinda was Ludwik Krzywicki
. Other kūlgrindas are found in the Amalva swamp in southern Lithuania and at Šiuraičiai near Priekulė
. The Alkupis kūlgrinda near Kvėdarna
was severely damaged during land amelioration by Soviet authorities
. The oldest medgrinda was found in Kernavė
and is dated to the 4–7th centuries.
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
across swamps and swampy areas used for defense in the history of Lithuania
History of Lithuania
The history of Lithuania dates back to at least 1009, the first recorded written use of the term. Lithuanians, a branch of the Baltic peoples, later conquered neighboring lands, establishing the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and in the 13th century the short-lived Kingdom of Lithuania. The Grand Duchy...
. Similar secret roads made primarily of wood and ground were known as medgrinda (from :lt:medis, "tree") and žemgrinda (from :lt:žemė, "Earth", "ground") respectively.
Undetectable from the surface, these roads were usually known only to the locals, and as such were an important element of the defense against various invaders, including the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
in the 13–14th centuries. Kūlgrindas provided a safe shortcut between villages, hillforts, and other defensive structures. They were built by bringing stones, wood, or gravel over frozen swamps in the winter and letting them sink once the ice melted. Such procedure would be repeated several times. Sometimes wooden posts were inserted to protect the elevated area from washing away.
The remnants of kūlgrindas are most often found in the territory of Lithuania, but also in Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...
(former East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
), Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, and Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. It is estimated that Lithuania has 27 kūlgrindas and 7 medgrindas, about half of them in Samogitia
Samogitia
Samogitia is one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is located in northwestern Lithuania. Its largest city is Šiauliai/Šiaulē. The region has a long and distinct cultural history, reflected in the existence of the Samogitian dialect...
. The longest and best-known surviving kūlgrinda is across the Sietuva swamp between lakes Lūkštas and Paršežeris in Samogitia. It survives in three segments and was used up to the 19th century as a road between Kaltinėnai
Kaltinenai
Kaltinėnai is a little town on the west side of Lithuania, near Žemaičių highroad, Šilalė district municipality.In Kaltinėnai live about 1000 inhabitants. The town is in a hollow. People say that in the end of Ice age here was a big lake. There are many breathtaking views around Kaltinėnai...
and Tverai
Tverai
Tverai is a small town in Rietavas municipality, Lithuania. It is situated on Aitra River, tributary to Jūra, about 17 km east from Rietavas and 14 km from Varniai. Tverai, with population of about 700, is a capital of an elderate....
. One of the first to investigate the Sietuva kūlgrinda was Ludwik Krzywicki
Ludwik Krzywicki
Ludwik Krzywicki was a Polish anthropologist, economist and sociologist. One of the early champions of sociology in Poland, he approached historical materialism from a sociological viewpoint...
. Other kūlgrindas are found in the Amalva swamp in southern Lithuania and at Šiuraičiai near Priekulė
Priekule
Priekule is a town in southwestern Latvia.-History:Priekule is first mentioned as a fortified manor in 1483 but only began to grow as a town after 1871 when the Liepaja - Vilnius railway was built through Priekule. It was granted town rights in 1928 by the Latvian government.-References:...
. The Alkupis kūlgrinda near Kvėdarna
Kvėdarna
Kvėdarna is a town in Taurage County, Lithuania. According to the 2001 census, the town has a population of 1934 people....
was severely damaged during land amelioration by Soviet authorities
Lithuanian SSR
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Lithuanian SSR, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union...
. The oldest medgrinda was found in Kernavė
Kernave
Kernavė was a medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and today is a tourist attraction and an archeological site . It is located in the Širvintos district municipality located in southeast Lithuania...
and is dated to the 4–7th centuries.