But many Western historians have maintained the first rulers of what is now Russia, the Ukraine and Belarus were Scandinavians. Their ethnocultural cousins, the Scandinavians, often raided their lands prior to Ragnar Lothbrok 's discovery of England and the beginning of the Viking age. They were about 20 feet long and 7 to 10 feet wide. Life revolved around the seasons. In Russian, the Vikings were known as traders. Archaeologists searching for evidence to support the Viking (or “Normanist”) theory, which states that the Rus people were originally Vikings; the theory is partly based on The Russian Primary Chronicle, which was compiled by Nestor. Large caches of artifacts from Viking settlements have been found on Lake Ladoga in Russia and Gotland in Sweden in the Baltic. *, The Vikings were a seafaring people who hailed from settlements along the fjords of Norway, the sandy shores of Denmark and the coastal and river areas of Sweden. The Germanic tribes that became Vikings began settling in Scandinavia in the 5th and 6th century and developed a Germanic language called Norse. The Viking are remembered mostly as raiders and pillagers who showed little mercy for people they conquered. The Rus. Although Slavic tribes had formed their own regional jurisdictions by 860, the Varangians accelerated the crystallization of Kievan Rus'. The Volga route was the most traveled route. The artifacts reveal people making a living, weaving, gathered around fires telling stories. The Viking in Russia came as traders not conquerors. The Vikings became more settled down after accepting Christianity in 11th and 12th century. Now, as the Russian Army is poised on the borders of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Army is taking orders from the capitol in Kiev, both sides continue to play their roles in their long and entangled history, which began, more or less with the Vikings. The Rus' have since grown significantly in power. Beginning in November, the Rus settled in small settlements made from logs along rivers and lakes and went into the countryside seeking tributes, raiding those who refused to pay up. ; Glorious Mother Russia: Yes, the Rus are portrayed with just as much consideration as you would expect. This constitutes 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Soviet scholars traditionally maintained that a confederation of Slav tribes existed three centuries before the Vikings arrived. Decadent Court: Not as deadly as the Mediterranean perhaps, but almost. The Rus traveled in convoys and flotillas, often with more than more than hundred boats, and built fortified trading posts. During the next thirty-five years, Oleg subdued the various East Slavic tribes. Service abroad offered the chance for extravagant profit, but also mortal danger. The Varangian Guard became a magnet for brave Vikings seeking adventure and riches in the Mediterranean and the fabled lands of the East.  Great heroes like Harald Hardrada would make their names and fortunes there.  Later, the Varangian Guard served as a destination for Nordic warriors who could not find a suitable place for their talents anywhere else, including Saxons and Danes fleeing from the demise of Viking England and Ireland after the battles of Clontarf and Hastings marked the setting sun of the Viking Age. By the ninth century, these Scandinavian warriors and merchants, had penetrated the East Slavic regions. “On ac… Many slaves were freed or married to free men. Not only did many Swedish princesses marry Russian noblemen, but there were also massive efforts to reconquer this territory up through the 18th century. A raiding party meanwhile sacked Istrehagan after planting their flag to stake claim over Scandinavia. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz See all videos for this article What we know about the Vikings is based on description by other Europeans and even Arab traders, archeological excavations, and Viking chronicles such as the Icelandic sagas. Alternatively, many believe the Vikings, ruled by their leader Rurik, were called the Rus by local Slavs. In several generations, the Scandinavian elements assimilated, but they were still aware of their origin. ", followed by 473 people on Pinterest. In York, England, Vikings were even urbanites. All these aspects bear witness to how Swedes understood their participation in the building of the Russian state, and the link between the Russians and their Viking ancestors. The journey from Kiev to the Black Sea took about six weeks. They came as traders not conquerors. He says he was so weighted down he had to be lifted on his horse. Other had to be portaged. The plundered convents and monasteries, something that even the Mongol hordes and Tamerlane didn't do. Others think the name was given to them by the … If you are the copyright owner and would like this content removed from factsanddetails.com, please contact me. BUT! The chronicle cites Rurik as the progenitor of a dynasty that ruled in Eastern Europe until 1598. Some of the rapids could be navigated by skilled oarsmen. The scholarly consensus is that the Rus' people originated in what is currently coastal eastern Sweden around the eighth century and that their name has the same origin as Roslagen in Sweden (with the older name being Roden). Despite the recent notion that the word Rus (which can mean “red”) describes the Vikings’ red hair, the term itself is probably derived of Old Norse róðsmenn, which means "rowers". Viking chiefs became rulers of Slavic cities like Novgorod and Kiev. While the oldest variant of the word Russia is known from the 10th century, the first mention of the word Rus comes from the Frankish Empire around 839 AD. From Lake Ladoga travelers they moved southward on of three small rivers and portaged stretches to two upper arms of the Volga. In the 11th century the lights dimmed on the Viking empire. Vikings began exploring in lands which are parts of the Baltic states, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine between the 6th and 9th centuries, traveling aboard their distinctive vessels along the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas and conquering many local settlements amid efforts to open up trade routes with the Greeks and the Middle Eastern empires. The word Rus is found in Arabic, Byzantine, Frankish, Persian and Russian sources. They were one of history's most wantonly destructive and nihilistic races ever, according to the war historian John Keegan. As Swedes moved more and more eastward, the Finnish term was probably copied and changed by other people who had the chance to meet them, spreading the word Rus and bringing it to the masses. Large amounts of coins have been found. The DNA analysis of the Rurikid dynasty, the most prominent house of Russian princes, proved to be directly connected to Sweden. It may have been used to describe the dominant Kievan Viking clan and later became affixed to the Eastern Slavs in the north, while those in the south became known as Ukrainians and Belarussians. The distinct advantage of these skills was applied for trade and other means of enrichment. In preparation for this, he sent out scouting parties and planned to attack in the spring. The most feared of these was the Turkic Petchenegs. These Swedes made there way overland to great Russian rivers—the Volga, the Dnieper, and the Dvina—where they set up trading post and traded walrus tusks (the major source of ivory in Europe), furs and slaves captured in Russian forests with Muslim traders for silks, spices and gems from the Orient and Africa. With Ukraine, Russia and Belarus all laying claim to the legacy of the Kyiv Rus civilization, long-standing claims that European outsiders were the principle state-builders during this formative period have gained renewed … Oleg is based on Oleg of Novgorod, a real ruler of the state of Kievan Rus, which he created after seizing control of Kiev in 882. Shop rus viking hoodies created by independent artists from around the globe. Interestingly, modern Finnish and Estonian words for Sweden are Ruotsi and Rootsi. At first, the region was divided between three noble brothers. The rest take their belongings out of the dugouts and lead the slaves, fettered in chains, across the land for six miles, until they are past the rapids. Most of the goods that made their way between Europe, Russia and the Middle East followed Viking trade routes. Be Unique. Generally speaking, Kievan Rus could be considered to be the by-product of Scandinavian trade. We must define the word Varangian as well.  The current trend amongst historians is to (erroneously) call every Eastern Viking a Varangian. Our ancestors deserve respect for being brave enough, as well as for their many other admirable qualities. Even before the well-known Viking Age, Scandinavians were adept ship builders, navigators, and sailors. Some Vikings in Russia lived up their stereotype of big time partiers. Other scholars think that the Varangian Guard was first formed after Prince Vladimir, who escaped from Kievan Rus to Sweden around 977 A.D., returned with thousands of mercenaries and conquered the capital city of Kiev. The Rus were also called Varangians and Varyagi. They harry the Slavs, using ships to reach them; they carry them off as slaves and sell them. They have no fields but simply live on what they get from the Slav's lands. Those that made it through the section if rapids often stopped at St. Gregory's island to offer sacrifices of birds, bread and meat. By the time they had begun pillaging Europe in the 9th century, there were distinctive Swedish, Danish and Norwegian tribes. Despite the recent notion that the word Rus (which can mean “red”) describes the Vikings’ red hair, the term itself is probably derived of Old Norse róðsmenn, which means "rowers". The word Rus is found in Arabic, Byzantine, Frankish, Persian and Russian sources. Traders ventured on the Neva River to Lake Ladoga and then headed south on the Lovat Volkhov River to Velikiye Luki to Smolensk. Instead they were farmers, herders, fishermen, traders, craftsmen, shoemakers, poets and storytellers as well as devoted family men. The city of Bulgar and the Khazar port of Itil were the main trade centers. A legendary figure in Russian history, Oleg of Novgorod, or Oleg the Prophet, belonged to the branch of vikings who instead of raiding western … Their origin and identity are much in dispute. The main cities had earth ramparts, ship repair and food storage facilities, and graves with both cremated and nonburned remains. In 988 A.D., Vladimir sent 6000 warriors to Byzantium (to strengthen his alliance with the super power). The Vikings who settled in Kiev formed the first Russian state. Scandinavians developed the notion of a popular assembly. The Rus are a Varangian-Slavic people living in eastern Europe, specifically the " Kievan Rus ", " Ruthenia ", or " Russia ". It may have been used to describe the dominant Kievan Viking clan and later became affixed to the Eastern Slavs in the north, while those in the south became known as Ukrainians and Belarussians. Reports for Christian sources tended to exaggerate Viking violence. We print the highest quality rus viking hoodies on the internet The Rus lived in wattle-and daub houses and hand-worked iron and bronze and made glass and amber beads. Viking princes became rulers in Novgorod and Kiev in 862 and 882. Some authors think the earliest mention comes from 911 AD, when the Kievan Rus and the Byzantine Empire made a treaty. Rus, also spelled Ros, ancient people who gave their name to the lands of Russia and Belarus. The Rus Vikings are known as “Viking Rus” or “Rus’ people” who traded and raided along the river-routes between the Baltic and Black Seas between the … Language historians however trace the name "Rus" back to the Swedish landscape Roslagen, located in Uppland, just north of Stockholm. Large ocean-going vessels traveled down the Neva River to Lake Ladoga, where cargo was unloaded and switched to smaller vessels better equipped for traveling the narrower inland waterways. When the ice began breaking up in April, they Rus took to the rivers in fleets of river boats filled with cargo. [Source: Pritt Vesilind, National Geographic, May 2000]. The Vikings (Rus') who served the Byzantine Emperors were called Varangians.They became the personal bodyguards to the Emperor and were called the Varangian Guard.. Exploration. In later Russian sources, Varangians are inaccurately described as members of a Scandinavian tribe. If the fort was well fortified and defended they traded. The Norwegians and Danish Vikings were centered primarily in western Europe, but the Swedes looked eastward to the Baltic and what is now Russia. What Happened: Despite a massive effort by Bjorn and his allies, the Rus army defeated Norway’s. After that they transport their vessels, sometimes by hauling them, sometimes by carrying them on their shoulders, past the rapids.”. According to the prevalent theory, the name Rus', like the Proto-Finnic name for Sweden(*Ruotsi), is derived from an old Finnish term "ruskea", meaning light brown (which is related to the old Russian rusi, "brown", hence the name Rus'), and that it could b… These sentinels are necessary because of the Petchenegs who lie constantly in ambush. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been authorized by the copyright owner. Another Varangian, Oleg, moved south from Novgorod to expel the Khazars from Kiev and founded Kievan Rus' about A.D. 880. The Rus from Sweden gave the Russians their name. The Muslim traveler and explorer Ibn Battuta traveled in Russia in 14th century. Kievan Rus' was a loose federation of East Slavic tribes in Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century, under the reign of the Rurik dynasty. The Finns did not descend from Vikings. At that time, several hundred Rus warriors went to serve in Byzantium, though they did not yet form the famous Varangian Guard of the emperors. No remains ofOld Norse place names, or vocabulary traceable to t… The Vikings that entered Russia were primarily Swedes who lived on rivers and bays that were situated across the Baltic from Russia. The Rus mingled with the local people and helped set up a series of small principalities centered around single families and clans. Byzantium based in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) was the richest empire in the Viking era and the easiest way for the Vikings to reach it was via the rivers of Russia. The word viking comes from the Norse word víking ("pirate," which in turn is comes from a verb (roughly equivalent to "go viking") which meant to embark on an expedition of piracy and plunder. They first appeared in the region in the 6th century and has some run ins with the Khazar. Early Scandinavians in Russia were known as Rus to the Slavs (Rhos to the Byzantines). The Vikings traded furs, amber, honey, beeswax, weapons and slaves from the north for silks and silver. This article is brought to you by Sons of Vikings, an online store with hundreds of Viking related items including jewelry, drinking horns, shirts, home decor and more.Â. In Scandinavian before the Viking Age, Scandinavian tribes in Norway and Denmark fought among themselves for dominance and Swedish raiders vied for control of the Baltic Sea against groups like the Kurs, the Saarlased or Oeselians (from the Estonian island of Saaremmaa), who have been called the original Vikings of the Baltic. Their origin and identity are much in dispute. Prior to the advent of written Scandinavian history, the Danes and Swedes were launching raids and settlements Eastwards across the Baltic. The chronicle’s account is substantiated by finds of Scandinavian-style … Of the 120,000 coins found in Gotland Sweden, 50,000 were of Arabic origin (the rest were mostly English or German). Louis discerned that these bodyguards of the messengers were Scandinavians and as Vikings were currently terrorizing Frankish coasts and waterways, he considered them to be spies of the enemy. It occurs in the variants Rus, Rus', Rhos, Ruzi, RÅ«siyyah and others. This was brought about the fact that the place they used to raid had built up strong defenses and their conversion to Christianity mellowed them. Questions or comments, e-mail ajhays98@yahoo.com, History - Themes, Timelines and Early History of Russia. It is kind of surprising that the calm, peace-loving Norwegians, Danes and Swedes descended from the Viking, a people renowned for their brutality. The Vikings traveled through Russia, the Mediterranean Sea, southern … See more ideas about Norse, Vikings, Viking garb. And very soon they became part of the people who lived there.” Ultimately the Vikings were extremely practical and adaptable. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, U.S. government, Compton’s Encyclopedia, The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, AFP, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic Monthly, The Economist, Foreign Policy, Wikipedia, BBC, CNN, and various books, websites and other publications. We must stress, though, that the native tribes inhabiting the lands of the Kievan Rus were Slavic and Finno-Ugric peoples. Such material is made available in an effort to advance understanding of country or topic discussed in the article. In 950, the Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, wrote: "At the forth great rapid, which in Rus is called Airfor [Ever fierce]...everyone brings their ship to land and those who are in it stand watch after they disembark. They became concentrated in places like Novgorod, Smolensk and Kiev. For Swedes, the region of Ladoga and Novgorod remained an area of interest for a very long time. There were few written records. In this short article, we would like to focus on the meaning of the word Rus and the nature of Scandinavian activities in Eastern Europe. From this perspective, the Rus developed a reputation that was well-known throughout Europe. An archeologist there told National Geographic, "Despite the Vikings' savage reputation there's not a single sword. If they arrived a poorly defended port they pillaged. Then came the real shocker. 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