View source for Estonia

'''Estonia''' is located on the Baltic sea. The [[language]] spoken is [[Estonian]], however historically [[German]] was also spoken. (The oldest known [[Estonian]] text is a [[Lutheran]] catechism with German and Estonian parallell texts.)

The Estonians claim to be the longest settled people in [[Europe]], tracing their origins back almost 5,000 years. The oldest known settlement site in Estonia dates from the middle [[Neolithic|stone age]]. Estonia was one of the last places in Europe to be [[Christian]]ised, being largely [[pagan]] at the end of the [[12th century]].

In 1193 [[Pope Celestine III]] called for a [[Crusade]] against the pagans of Northern Europe, resulting in an invasion by [[Teutonic Knight]]s from [[Germany]]. By the early [[13th century]] Estonia had been completely conquered. From this point on the ruling class were [[German]] speaking.

Tallinn, the modern day capital of Estonia, joined the [[Hanseatic League]] in 1285.

Being under [[Germany|German]] rule, Estonia accepted the [[Protestant]] [[reformation]].

==Your [[persona]] is Estonian==
* During the [[Viking]] era, you may have been a raiding [[pirate]] and possibly a [[pagan]]. 
* You may wish to use [[Estonian alternate titles]] for your persona.
* Until the 13th century, it is likely you would have spoken [[Estonian]], however as minor nobility you would have also known [[Latin]] and [[German]].

==Sources==
* [http://www.ibs.ee/ibs/history/dates.html Dates from the History of Estonia]
* [http://www.ibs.ee/ibs/estonian/history.html The History of Written Estonian]
* [http://arhipel.hiiumaa.ee/norfa/abstracts/petersburg/38.html Stone Age Archaeology in Inner-Estonia.] The Basin of P�rnu River and Lake V�rtsj�rv.
[[category:places]][[category:countries]]