The Varangian Rus 1/3

Generally speaking, the Norwegians expanded to the north and west to places such as Ireland, Scotland, Iceland and Greenland; the Danes to England and France, settling in the Danelaw (northern/eastern England) and Normandy; and the Swedes to the east, founding the Kievan Rus, the original Russia. However, among the Swedish runestones which mention expeditions over seas, almost half tell of raids and travels to western Europe. Also, according to the Icelandic sagas, many Norwegian Vikings went to eastern Europe. These nations, although distinct, were similar in culture and language. The names of Scandinavian kings are known only for the later part of the Viking Age. Only after the end of the Viking Age did the separate kingdoms acquire distinct identities as nations, which went
hand in hand with their Christianization. Thus the end of the Viking Age for the Scandinavians also marks the start of their relatively brief Middle Ages.

According to the Primary Chronicle, compiled in Kiev about 1100-1200 Ad, one group of Varangians was Rus' people. Their name became that of the land of Rus' this happened because one of Rus' princes, Rurik (Old Norse: Hrörekr) had been recognized by several East Slavic and Finno-Ugric peoples as their ruler, founding the Rurikid Dynasty, which later would rule over Rus' and after its fall over Russia for many centuries. Rurik first came to Staraya Ladoga in
862 and then moved his capital to Novgorod in 864, while his relative Oleg (Old Norse: Helgi) conquered Kiev in 882 and established the state of Kievan Rus', later inherited by Rurik's son Igor (Old Norse: Ingvarr).
Sviatoslav was the first ruler of Rus' who is recorded in the Primary Chronicle with a name of Slavic origin (as opposed to his predecessors, whose names are ultimately derived from Old Norse). This name is however not recorded in other medieval Slavic countries. Even in Rus', it was attested only among the members of the house of Rurik, as were the names of Sviatoslav's immediate successors: Vladimir, Yaroslav, Mstislav). Some scholars speculate that the
name of Sviatoslav, composed of the Slavic roots for "holy" and "glory", was an artificial derivation combining those of his predecessors Oleg and Rurik
(they mean "holy" and "glorious" in Old Norse, respectively).

Engaging in trade, piracy and mercenary activities, Varangians roamed the river systems and portages of Gardariki, as Rus' lands were known in Norse sagas. They controlled the Volga trade route (Route from the Varangians to the Arabs), connecting Baltic to the Caspian Sea, and the Dnieper trade route (Route from the Varangians to the Greeks) leading to the Black Sea and Constantinople. Those were the critically important trade links at that time, connecting Dark Age Europe with wealthy and developed Arab Caliphates and the Byzantine Empire;via those routes most of the
silver coinage came from the East to the West. Attracted by the riches of Constantinople, Rus' Varangians initiated a number of Rus'-Byzantine Wars, some of which resulted in advantageous trade treaties. At least from the early 10th century many Varangians served as mercenaries in the Byzantine Army,
comprising the so-called Varangian Guard (the personal bodyguards of Byzantine Emperors). Eventually most of them, both in Byzantium and in Eastern Europe, were converted from paganism into Orthodox Christianity, culminating in the 988 Christianization of Kievan Rus'. Coinciding with the general decline of the Viking Age, the influx of Norsemen to Rus' stopped, and Varangians were eventually assimilated by East Slavs by the late
11th century.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Viking documentary
• The Varangian Rus
• The Varangians
• Swedish Vikings
• Svenska Vikingar
• Holmgård
• Gårdarike
• Sweden
• Russia
• Ukraine
• Gardariki
• Holmsgardr

[VrM1104]

I came to see the Varangian Guard that was Constantinople elite guard. These people are traders

[BirkaViking]

@VrM1104 Its the same people and thats why you have those runes in Haga Sophia and also the runestones here in Scandinavia and especially in Sweden called " the Varangian runestones and also the Greece runestones, The Baltic runestones and the Ingvar runestones that tell of the travels to the east. You can google them if you want and look for your self.

[BirkaViking]

@kevinvandijk I have never said enything other then the Varangians Rus was Scandinavians either from the beginning?

The Varangians Rus got their name from Roslagen here in Sweden. And the name means the Law of the Rowers.

The Finns also still call Sweden for Routsi.

Cheers

[kevinvandijk]

@BirkaViking Skandinavians could adapt the names by marrying slavic women, adapting both cultures could end up with slavized names like (Female), Birkov (Male), Birkova (Female), Birkaschenka (Female), Birkaschenko (male), and so on .. Svenskhova (female), Svenskhov (male), the same to arabian names adapted to slavic traditional nameforms, Ahmedov (male), Ahmedova (female) (ahmed) ... Some Skandinavian and German, and foreigner names are traceble into the nowadays Slavic surnames.

[kevinvandijk]

@BirkaViking You never know! It's your opinion, but maybe not there's... Not every tribe thinks the same, my friend.. Never forget that the real Rus' remains an Normann, which was native to Svenska and Norway!! .. you can't deny it, the roots of the name Rus' was given by fins of beeing Normann, Normann's came from skandinavian northern Tribes.

[BirkaViking]

@Gjalpinulva The sources are as good as any other history sources plus the archelogic in this subject. And as I said earlier when this Chroichle was written the Norse names had since long dissapeard in the Rus rulers. Still the Rus rulers let this priest write the Chronichle to remeber the foundating of the country.

And about the Indo-European nations I agree with you.

Cheers

[Gjalpinulva]

@BirkaViking I have no 'personal feelings' on the subject. I consider all Indo-European nations my brothers and all those conflicts are just childish attempts to prove that they have right to live.

All I'm trying to say is that your theory is credible but it only tell one side of the story and doesn't show all picture. The motivation of sources is highly questionable. They might have assumptions and lies.

[BirkaViking]

@Gjalpinulva And no the Vikings wasent superior and hated the Slavic culture if so the later ruler would never taken Slavic names and adopted to the Slavic culture.

End of story.

[BirkaViking]

@Gjalpinulva The sources plus the archelogic findings in this subject speak for it self.



[BirkaViking]

@Gjalpinulva But if you look at the findings from the east found here in Sweden ( the enormous Viking treasures found here you will see that they are found both in the Swedes,Gutes and some in Geats.