Northern Eurasia · The Viking Age and Kievan Rus'
Viking settlements
750–882
The eastern Vikings were known to the Greeks and East Slavs as Varangians (Old Norse Væringjar, Greek Varangoi), a term derived from a Norse root meaning "the pledged" or sworn companions. They were also called Rus', a name most scholars derive from Old Norse róþs- ("rowing/rowers"), transmitted via the Finnic Ruotsi (the Finnish word for Sweden).
- Existed
- 750–882
- Shown on the map
- AD 793–1325
- Peak area
- 134k km²
- Region
- Northern Eurasia
Names and etymology
The eastern Vikings were known to the Greeks and East Slavs as Varangians (Old Norse Væringjar, Greek Varangoi), a term derived from a Norse root meaning "the pledged" or sworn companions. They were also called Rus', a name most scholars derive from Old Norse róþs- ("rowing/rowers"), transmitted via the Finnic Ruotsi (the Finnish word for Sweden). Norse settlers in the eastern lands called the region Garðaríki ("land of fortresses/towns").
Dates and founding
Scandinavian colonists founded the trading emporium of Staraya Ladoga (Norse Aldeigja/Aldeigjuborg) around 750 CE, making it among the earliest Viking settlements in Eastern Europe. Archaeological excavations there — including a Viking-period workshop uncovered in 1997 producing Scandinavian-type copper-alloy items, tortoise brooches, Frankish swords, and hoards of Arab dirhams — confirm early Norse involvement in the fur, slave, and amber trade with the Islamic Caliphates via the Volga.
Political and economic organization
The Varangians were not a unified state but a network of warrior-traders who exacted tribute from Slavic and Finnic tribes (Chuds, Slovenes, Merians, Ves', and Krivichians), first mentioned in the Primary Chronicle as taking tribute in 859. They operated two great river systems: the Volga trade route (connecting the Baltic to the Caspian and Baghdad/Serkland) and the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks" (down the Dnieper to Constantinople). They traded timber, fur, honey, wax, and slaves. Some Varangians took service in Byzantium, eventually forming the elite Varangian Guard of the emperors.
Historical significance
The Varangians catalyzed state formation among the fragmented Slavic tribes, providing the Rurikid dynasty that would rule Russia until 1598. Early Rus' leaders bear names of indisputable Norse origin: Rurik from Hróðríkr ("famous ruler"), Oleg from Helgi ("holy"), Igor from Ingvarr. Runic monuments in Uppland attest to Swedish eastern expeditions.
Common questions
- What were the Viking settlements?
- The eastern Vikings were known to the Greeks and East Slavs as Varangians (Old Norse Væringjar, Greek Varangoi), a term derived from a Norse root meaning "the pledged" or sworn companions. They were also called Rus', a name most scholars derive from Old Norse róþs- ("rowing/rowers"), transmitted via the Finnic Ruotsi (the Finnish word for Sweden).
- When did the Viking settlements exist?
- The Viking settlements existed 750–882. On this map they are drawn AD 793–1325.
- How large were the Viking settlements?
- At their greatest extent drawn on this map, the Viking settlements covered about 134,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives them across the years they are drawn, not necessarily their greatest extent in history.
- How did the Viking settlements end?
- The Varangians catalyzed state formation among the fragmented Slavic tribes, providing the Rurikid dynasty that would rule Russia until 1598. Early Rus' leaders bear names of indisputable Norse origin: Rurik from Hróðríkr ("famous ruler"), Oleg from Helgi ("holy"), Igor from Ingvarr.
Sources
This compendium cites its sources once for the whole document rather than per territory. Its bibliography names the English Wikipedia articles for each polity, ruler and battle as the basis of these profiles, cross-checked against Encyclopaedia Britannica, the World History Encyclopedia and the Encyclopedia of Russian History, and against the scholarship of Janet Martin, Charles Halperin, Serhii Plokhy, Simon Franklin and Krivosheev. The article this entry is anchored on:
- Wikipedia — Varangians en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangians
This entry was last updated .
This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made
Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.
Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).
Further reading in Knowledge
See the Viking settlements in their world
Open the atlas at 1059 and every neighbour, rival and successor is on screen with it — then drag the slider and watch what happens next.
Open the map at 1059 →