This article is about the Latvian region. For the Star Wars planet, see Selonia.
Selonia (Latvian: Sēlija, Lithuanian: Sėla or Aukšzemė), also known as Augšzeme (the "Highland"), is a cultural region in Latvia encompassing the eastern part of the historical region of Semigallia (Latvian: Zemgale). Not an administrative division in modern Latvia, Sēlija currently designates those portions of the Daugavpils, Jēkabpils and Aizkraukle districts (rajoni) that lie on the left bank of the Daugava river. Some of the inhabitants still speak a sub-dialect of the High Latvian spoken in Latgale, derived from the Selonian language.
The subjugation and baptism of the Selonians started in 1208, when Albert of Buxhoeveden captured Sēlpils (Latin: castrum Selonum). The term "Selonians" is most probably the German adaptation of Livonian name "the Highlanders", which leads to the hypothesis that Selonians and Aukštaitians belonged to the same ethnos. The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia is describing Selonians as allies of the Lithuanians. In 1218 the region formed a Selonian diocese, but in 1226 part of that diocese was joined to the Riga archbishopric and the Bishopric of Semigallia was formed.
The Lutheran church at Laši, Selonia.
Nowadays the region is mainly inhabited by Latvians, Russians and autochthon Lithuanians.
Historic boundaries
Among historical documents Mindaugas’ Donation Act of 1261 is the one in which Selonian lands are described in greatest detail. Their boundary began from Daugava near Naujinis (Naujene, near Daugavpils) castle, further running along Kopkelis till Luodis lake and northwards along the Duseta river till the Sartai lake and round it till the Šventoji source. It stretched further till the Latuva, Vašuoka and Viešinta rivers, along the Lėvuo river northwards till Mūša and downstream of Mūša river till the Babyte river mouth (Būga, 1961, p. 273–274). Thus, the historical sources describing the Selonian boundaries in the second half of the 13th century are rather definite. Whereas linguist K. Būga, basing himself on linguistic data alone, specifies the territory occupied by Selonians. According to him the southern boundary of Selonians ran approximately by Salakas, Tauragnai, Utena, Svėdasai, Subačius, Palėvenė, Pasvalys, Saločiai.
References
Arveds Švābe, ed.: Latvju enciklopēdija. Stockholm: Trīs Zvaigznes, 1952-1953.
Edgars Andersons, ed.: Latvju enciklopēdija 1962-1982. Lincoln: American Latvian Association [1], 1983-1990. Entry "Sēlija" available at historia.lv. Retrieved 25. II. 2006.
