Medieval state-level conversions to Christianity often involved rulers embracing Christianity on behalf of their subjects, perhaps for political reasons, and other times out of genuine belief. Such conversions were common in the Early Middle Ages, and became rarer as the number of non-Christian rulers in Europe dwindled. However, it would be a surprise to many to learn that the last major conversion of a European kingdom took place as late as 1386! Thanks to political machinations and bit of luck (or perhaps divine intervention), one woman’s fervent faith in her marriage would result in the unexpected conversion of an entire people, something which decades of holy war had been unable to achieve.
Lithuania: Land of the Old Gods
Although Europe was thoroughly Christianized by the 13th century, the Baltic area continued to resist missionary activity. This precipitated a call for a crusade by Pope Celestine III in 1198, leading a mix of German, Swedish, and Danish crusaders to conquer Estonia and parts of Finland and Latvia. From Poland, Duke Konrad of Mazovia invited the Teutonic order to pacify the pagan Prussians, a process that was complete by 1250. To oppose the Crusaders, many rallied around Lithuania, a duchy that had grown substantially since its formation in the 12th century. Although it seemed that the fighting might end following the conversion of Duke Mindaugas to Christianity in 1250, it did not, and Mindaugas, along with the Lithuanian nobility, renounced Christianity a decade later.
Succession Crisis in Poland
by the Italian painter Marcello Bacciarelli
So far, you may ask: What does any of this have to do with Saint Jadwiga? Although the events described above were occurring in the Baltic and Poland, Poland was linked to Hungary through a personal union. This meant that the two countries had the same sovereign, but maintained their respective governing institutions. In 1386, the King of Hungary was Lajos I (Louis) D’Anjou. Lajos did not have any sons, and left his kingdom to his two daughters, Jadwiga (Hedvig) and Mária (their sister Kátalin had died in 1378 at age 7). Their mother, Elizabeth of Bosnia, groomed Jadwiga to be king (yes, you read that correctly, not queen) of Poland, while her sister inherited Hungary and Croatia.
Although the Polish nobility was willing to accept a female ruler, there were problems regarding her spouse. Since marriages among royalty were for political purposes, the Polish nobility were determined to obtain an advantageous marriage for her. Jadwiga was originally to marry Wilhelm von Habsburg of Austria. The Sejm, the Polish parliament, however, feared that Austria was not strong enough to protect Poland against the claims of the powerful von Luxembourg family, which ruled Bohemia, the Holy Roman Empire and other states. Sigismund von Luxembourg, the king of Bohemia would marry Mária, Jadwiga’s sister, and as a result, had a claim on Poland, which the Sejm rebuffed to maintain Poland’s independence. Instead, it preferred a stronger ally that could counterbalance the von Luxembourg claims and protect Poland’s independence.
A Most Unorthodox Proposal
The Sejm decided that Poland’s interest would be best served if their “king,” Jadwiga, married Grand Duke Jogaila of Lithuania. The only problem was that Lithuania, despite having a large Christian Ruthenian population following the conquest of Western Ukraine, was still pagan. Such an arrangement, formalized under the Union of Krewo, required Jogaila to accept baptism, which he agreed to if Jadwiga would marry him. Legend also has it, however, that the devout eleven-year old Jadwiga was opposed to the match, and spent three straight days in prayer before finally assenting. However, her agreement to the marriage paid off politically and religiously. Once the marriage took place, Jogaila, now King Wladyslaw Jagiello of Poland and Lithuania, ordered the Christianization of Lithuania to begin. Catholicism quickly spread among the Lithuanian nobility, but it would take until the 17th century to fully stamp out paganism as a separate system of beliefs among the peasantry.
Aftermath
Despite her youth, the faith of an eleven-year old girl had resulted in the conversion of an entire kingdom and ensured that Poland remained independent of its neighbors. Under Wladyslaw, the combined forces of Poland-Lithuania defeated Jadwiga’s sister Maria and her husband Sigismund before crushing the Teutonic Order at Grunwald in 1410. As queen, Jadwiga was a patron of arts, culture, and the Catholic Church, and there are multiple legends that speak to her generosity and charity. Unfortunately, she died at the tender age of twenty-five from childbirth complications along with her infant daughter. Her legacy, however, the Christianization of Lithuania, lives on, and in 1997, Pope John Paul II canonized her as the saint and patroness of queens.