They say, "Scratch a Russian - you will find a Tatar." With the same confidence one can say: "Scratch a Russian - you will find a Varangian."
Scratch a Viking …
Vikings are not a nationality, but a vocation. “People from the Bay” - this is how this warlike word is translated from the Old Norwegian language - caused a lot of trouble for the civilized world at the turn of the second millennium. Sea nomads kept Europe at bay, from the British Isles to Sicily. In Russia, statehood appeared largely thanks to the Vikings.
Among the Vikings, the Scandinavians-Germans predominated. Notoriety about them went from the Caspian to the Mediterranean. In addition, the Slavs-Pomors and Curonian Balts were Vikings, who kept the entire Baltic Sea in tension in the 8th-9th centuries.
According to the Roewer Genetic Laboratory, published in 2008, up to 18% of Russians are descendants of immigrants from Northern Europe. These are the owners of haplogroup I1, which is common for Norway and Sweden, but not typical for Russia. "Descendants of the Vikings" are found not only in northern, but also in southern cities.
In Russia, the Scandinavians were known as Varangians, Rus and Kolbyags. At that time in the West only the name Normans - "northern people" was in use.
Rus
According to one hypothesis, the Rus were a Swedish tribe. Finns still remember this and call them ruotsi, and Estonians - rootsi. The Ruothi call themselves the Swedish Sami. The Komi and the eastern Finno-Ugric tribes already call the Russians themselves - rot's, ruts. This word in both Finnish and European languages goes back to the designation of red or red color.
We say "Rus", we mean "Swedes". In this form, they are mentioned in the documents of Byzantium and European states. “Russian names” in documents and treaties of the 9th-10th centuries turned out to be Scandinavian. The customs and appearance of the Rus were described in detail by Arab historians and are suspiciously similar to the way of life and appearance of the Swedish Vikings.
For "people from the bay" the Russian lands did not represent a wide area for sea voyages. And yet the riches of the Eastern worlds attracted the most adventurous. The settlements of the Rus spread along the main waterways - the Volga, Dnieper, Western Dvina and Ladoga.
Ladoga is the first Scandinavian city in Russia. Legends mention it as the Aldeigjuborg fortress. It was built in about 753, opposite the successful trading fortress of the Slavs. Here the Russians mastered the Arab technology of making money. These were eyelet beads, the first Russian money for which one could buy a slave or a slave.
The main occupations of the Rus were the slave trade, plundering of local tribes and attacks on merchants. A century after the founding of Ladoga, they learned about the tricks of the Russians in the Arab Caliphate and Europe. The Khazars were the first to complain. The raids of the Rus harmed their traditional craft - with the help of extortions and duties, to "skim the cream" from trade between the West and the East. In the 9th century, the Rus were the most hated tribe. They overpowered the Byzantines on the Black Sea and threatened to set up a "desert storm" for the Arabs.
Varangians Varyags are mentioned in Russian chronicles, first of all, not as a people, but as a military estate of "overseas" origin. Under the name "varangi" (or "vering") they served Byzantium and helped to protect its borders from the raids of their fellow tribesmen - the Rus.
Varangian vocation is a vivid example of effective management. The overseas prince no longer served the interests of clans, tribes and clans, pursuing an independent policy. Chud, Slovenia, Krivichi and all were able to "pause" constant strife and occupy the Vikings with affairs of state importance.
The Varangians adopted Christianity when it had not yet become mainstream in Russia. Pectoral crosses accompanied the burials of warriors as early as the 9th century. If we understand "the baptism of Rus" literally, then it happened a century earlier - in 867. After another unsuccessful campaign against Constantinople, the Russians, having changed their tactics, decided to forgive their sins and sent an embassy to Byzantium in order to be baptized. Where these Rus ended up later is unknown, however, half a century later Helg visited the Romans, who, by a misunderstanding, turned out to be a pagan. Gardar and Biarmland
In the Scandinavian sagas, Russia was called Garðar, literally - "fence", the outskirts of the world of people, behind which the monsters were located. The place is not the most attractive, not for everybody. According to another version, this word meant "guards" - the fortified bases of the Vikings in Russia. In later texts (XIV century) the name was rethought as Garðaríki - “country of cities”, which more reflected reality.
According to the sagas, the cities of Gardariki were: Sürnes, Paltesquja, Holmgard, Kenugard, Rostofa, Surdalar, Moramar. Not possessing the gift of providence, one can recognize in them the familiar cities of Ancient Rus: Smolensk (or Chernigov), Polotsk, Novgorod, Kiev, Rostov, Murom. Smolensk and Chernigov can compete for the name "Surnes" quite legally: not far from both cities, archaeologists have found the largest Scandinavian settlements.
Arab writers knew a lot about the Russians. They mentioned their main cities - Arsu, Cuiaba and Salau. Unfortunately, poetic Arabic does not convey names well. If Cuiabá can be translated as “Kiev”, and Salau as the legendary city “Slovensk”, then nothing can be said about Arsa. In Ars, all foreigners were killed and nothing was reported about their trade. Some see Ars as Rostov, Rusu or Ryazan, but the mystery is far from being solved.
A dark story with Biarmia, which the Scandinavian legends placed in the northeast. Finnish tribes and mysterious biarms lived there. They spoke a language similar to Finnish, and mysteriously disappeared in the 13th century, by the time the Novgorodians came to these lands. These lands are described as reminiscent of Russian Pomorie. The Scandinavians left few traces here: in the vicinity of Arkhangelsk they found only weapons and decorations of the X-XII centuries.
First princes
Historians trust the annals, but do not believe and like to find fault with words. Confused by the "white spot" in the evidence of the first Varangian princes. The texts say that Oleg reigned in Novgorod and took tribute from him, which is a contradiction. This gave rise to the version of the "first capital" of Russia near Smolensk, where there was the largest Scandinavian settlement. At the same time, Ukrainian scientists are also adding fuel to the fire. They claim that they have found the grave of the "Varangian prince" near Chernigov.
According to the documents, the names of the first Russian princes sounded differently than in the Tale of Bygone Years. If there is almost no news about Rurik, then Igor "according to his passport" was Inger, Oleg and Olga were Helg and Helga, and Svyatoslav was Sfendoslav. The first princes of Kiev - Askold and Dir - were Scandinavians. The names of the princes Turov and Polotsk - Tur, Rogneda and Rogvolod - are also credited with Scandinavian roots. In the 11th century, the Russian rulers "became glorified" so much that the Scandinavian princely names were rather a rare exception.
The fate of the Varangians The
state of Rurik by the X-XII became very rich, and could afford to simply “buy” the Varangians needed for service. They were left in the city garrisons and squads. Viking attacks on Russian cities would be pointless. It was easier to get a good salary for the service.
In the cities, the common people often did not get along with the Vikings - there were clashes. Soon the situation began to get out of control and Yaroslav Vladimirovich had to introduce "concepts" - Russian truth. This is how the first legal document in the history of Russia appeared.
The Viking Age ends in the 12th century. In Russia, mentions of the Varangians disappear from the chronicles by the 13th century, and the Rus are dissolved in the Slavic Russian people.
