Some believe that the Varangians are just a Russian designation for the Vikings. In fact, there are many significant differences between the Vikings and the Vikings.
Origin of names
The concepts "Viking" and "Varyag" have completely different origins. Most historians believe that "viking" originates from the word "vík", which is translated from Old Norse as "bay" or "fjord". However, there are other versions as well. So the doctor of historical sciences T. Jackson claims that the name "Viking" comes from the Latin "vicus" - a small settlement of artisans and merchants. This word was used in the Roman Empire. Such settlements were often located on the territory of military camps. The Swedish scientist F. Askerberg stated that the verb “vikja” - to leave, to turn, served as the basis for the noun “viking”. According to his hypothesis, the Vikings are people who left their native places in order to find a livelihood. Askerberg's compatriot researcher B. Daggfeldt assumedthat the word "viking" has much in common with the Old Norse phrase "vika sjóvar", which meant "the interval between the change of rowers." Therefore, in the original version, the term "víking" was most likely referred to as a long voyage across the sea, involving a frequent change of rowers.
The version of the origin of the term "Varangian" was one of the first to be expressed by Sigismund von Herberstein, the Austrian ambassador, historian and writer. He suggested that the name "Varangians" is associated with the city of Vagriya, where Vandals lived. From the name of the inhabitants of this city "Vagrov" the expression "Varangians" originated. Much later, the Russian historian S. Gedeonov considered that the word "warang", meaning a sword and found by him in the Baltic-Slavic dictionary of Potocki, is the best fit for the role of the primary source of the term. Many historians associate "Varangian" with the ancient Germanic "wara" - an oath, vow, oath. And the linguist M. Fasmer considered the Scandinavian concept of “váringr” - loyalty, responsibility - to be the progenitor of the “Varangian”.
Various activities
The concepts of "Viking" and "Norman", according to historians, should not be identified, since the Normans are a nationality, while the Vikings are rather just a way of life. Irish researchers F. Byrne and T. Powell, in particular, speak about this. Byrne, in his book "A New Look at the History of Viking Age Ireland," argues that only the term "pirate" can be equated with the term "Viking". Because it was robberies that were the main source of income for the Vikings. The Vikings were not very settled and did not follow the laws.
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The Varangians were a kind of social stratum of society. A sort of soldier for hire who guarded the borders of Byzantium from the raids of the same Vikings. The eldest daughter of the Byzantine emperor Alexei Komnenos, Anna wrote about the Varangians in her work entitled "Aleksiada". The princess argued that the Vikings understand their service to protect the state and its head as an inherited honorable duty.
Peaceful merchants were also called Varangians, who transported goods along the route called at that time "from the Varangians to the Greeks." This route ran by water from the Baltic Sea to the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Moreover, the Baltic Sea then bore a different name - Varangian. And, according to the Soviet historian A. Kuzmin, absolutely all inhabitants of the sea coast were called Varangians before.
Different religions
The Vikings, who no doubt considered themselves warriors, but not pirates, worshiped the god Odin, like all Scandinavians. Odin's eternal companions were crows - birds, which were not favored in Russia because of their tendency to devouring, they fell. In addition, since ancient times, Russians have considered ravens to be symbols of all kinds of dark forces. But it was the raven who was depicted on the flag that adorned the ship of the famous Viking leader Ragnar Lothbrok.
A sacred bird for the Vikings was a falcon, which honestly hunted for live prey. The falcon was a bird of Perun himself - a pagan Slavic god, in whom the Varangians believed. Since ancient times, the falcon has been revered as an image of courage, dignity and honor.
Yulia Popova