The Germans made war on him promptly, but were defeated. Mindog, in celebrating his victory, made a great sacrifice. It was not enough for him to burn bulls and horses; he took one of the knights whom he had captured and burned him on horseback in complete battle armor, as an offering.
After the marriage of his daughter to Daniel’s son, Mindog sustained friendly relations with Russia. He made more than one campaign with Daniel and Vassilko against the Yatvyags and disobedient Lithuanians, and against the Poles, and princes of Northern Russia. He went against the Livonian Knights to fight Riga. When Daniel became a widower, he married a niece of Mindog. Mindog had power now, but he had become too important for his family. His relatives were enraged at his haughtiness; they would not permit him to so exalt himself, and though he was the single ruler of all Lithuania, they ceased not to plan his death. At last personal hatred subdued the man.
Mindog’s wife died in 1262, and he grieved much. To her sister, the wife of Prince Dovmont, he sent this message: “Thy sister is dead; come to see us.” When she came, Mindog said: “When dying, thy sister commanded me to marry thee, that her children might not be tormented.” And he took his sister-in-law as wife.
Dovmont, in deep anger, planned to kill Mindog. Seeking an ally, he found one in Trenyat, the Jmud prince. In 1263, Mindog sent all his troops against Roman of Bryansk, who ruled east of the Dnieper. Dovmont was in that expedition. While on the road he declared to the leaders that a wizard had warned him [[329]]not to advance farther, and leaving the army, he returned straightway to Mindog’s castle, where he killed him and his two sons.
Trenyat, very likely through a bargain with Dovmont, began to reign in Lithuania in place of Mindog, and also in Jmud, and sent to Tovtivil of Polotsk, his brother, saying: “Come at once; we will seize the whole land and all Mindog’s substance.”
The division caused a quarrel. Tovtivil began to think how to kill Trenyat, and Trenyat how to be rid of his brother. Tovtivil’s boyar informed Trenyat of the prince’s designs. Trenyat, being quicker than Tovtivil, killed him and reigned unassisted, but his reign was not long. Four of Mindog’s equerries, to avenge their late prince, murdered Trenyat.
Voishelk, when he learned of his father’s death, went to Minsk, but when he heard that Trenyat had been assassinated, he set out with Pinsk forces for Novgrodek, and from there, taking more warriors, he went to Lithuania, where his father’s adherents received him most joyfully. He began to reign, and as if to make men forget that he had ever worn a monk’s habit, he fell to slaying his enemies wherever he found them. In his new rôle of avenger he surpassed himself. Along the Nieman and all the Jmud boundaries Voishelk shed blood for the death of his father. When he had restored what had been taken from Mindog’s possessions, and extended them, and had almost exterminated his father’s enemies, he yielded all to his brother-in-law. He wished to be a monk and retire to Mount Athos. No matter how Shvarn begged, he would not remain, he would have no earthly dominion. “I have sinned much before God and man,” replied Voishelk. “Do thou rule; the land is in peace now.”
This was the year that Daniel of Galitch died, and shortly before his decease Voishelk asked him for a safe-conduct to Mount Athos. But as there was war in Bulgaria, the would-be monk was forced to turn back without seeing the holy mountain. He settled then in Volynia, built a monastery, and passed the remainder of his life in seclusion.
Voishelk and Dovmont are considered as cousins. The fate of the two is remarkable; one became a monk, the other a warrior. Dovmont fled from civil war in Lithuania, taking his troops with him. He was baptized in Pskoff and married the daughter of Prince Dmitri, son of Nevski. He became a great favorite of his [[330]]father-in-law. Pskoff was thereafter safe, not only from Lithuanian raids, but from the Knights of Livonia, whom he drove from the walls of the city and followed into the depths of the forests. Though Dovmont fought many battles he never lost one, and he governed the Pskoff people with firmness and wisdom. Voishelk assumed the monk’s habit, but the habit and the building of a monastery were accounted as nothing to Voishelk, while Dovmont’s sword is held sacred in Pskoff, even to our day.
Lithuania fell back into anarchy. There were continual struggles between the descendants of Mindog and other princes, who would not accept their supremacy, and no distinguished man appeared until Gedimin. In 1315 Gedimin replaced Viten, and about this time died Yuri Lvovitch, the grandson of Daniel and the last prince of both Galitch and Volynia.