What is the name of the Baltic tribe duke known as King Vester?
Viestards Viestards (also "Viesthard, Vesthardus, Viesturs") was one of the greatest Semigallian dukes in the 13th century, referred to as King Vester (Old High German: "konic Vesters" ). His capital was Tērvete hillfort. During the first decades of the 13th century he was allied with the Livonian Brothers of the Sword against Lithuanians, who looted Semigallia on several occasions. In 1205, joint forces of semigallians and crusaders defeated Lithuanians and killed duke Žvelgaitis.
Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, ) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German "sigu" "victory" + "munt" "hand, protection". Tacitus Latinises it "Segimundus". There appears to be an older form of the High German word "Sieg" (victory): "sigis", obviously Gothic and an inferred Germanic form, and there is a younger form: "sigi", which is Old Saxon or Old High German "sigu" (both from about 9th century). A 5th century Prince of Burgundy was known both as "Sigismund" and "Sigimund" (see Ernst Förstemann, "Altdeutsche Personennamen", 1906; Henning Kaufmann, "Altdeutsche Personennamen", Ergänzungsband,1968).