[GoneSalt]

The Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Latin: Fratres militiæ Christi Livoniae, German: Schwertbrüderorden) were a military order established by their second bishop, Bishop Albert of Riga, in 1202. Pope Innocent III sanctioned the establishment in 1204 for the second time. The membership of the order comprised German "warrior monks". Alternative names of the Order include Christ Knights, Sword Brethren, and The Militia of Christ of Livonia.

Following their defeat by the Samogitians and Semigallians in the Battle of Schaulen (Saule) in 1236, the surviving Brothers merged into the Teutonic Order as an autonomous branch and became known as the Livonian Order.

I ran across this when I was browsing about the Crusades, and remembered the reference, because people sometimes talk of the need of a militarized Crusade, and here is an ancient Christian order that ceased to be and is like an order with no members. Like, lying around, unused. Just needs a new battery and a tank of gas ;)

You have to admit, the Order of the "Sword Brothers" is pretty good as names go ;)

[grey_whiskers]

Someone ought to recommend or suggest this to either the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, or to Vox Day...