Originally Posted by Sigurd Fafnesbane
I read what you said PseRamesses, and I mostly agree with what you say. There where a people called Chuds in Estonia, but there where also a people called Chuds in Bjarmland by Gandvik.
The word Chud can mean “strange” and hence the Chuds were the strange people. The Russian historians and especially Omeljan Pritsak, a great authority in Russian history places the Chuds of the 8th century in Biarmia (Bjarmland) or Zavolovhskaja Chud which it is also called.
It is noteworthy that the meaning of Zavolovhskaja means: the land which lies beyond the boat-tracking between Novgorod and the rivers and lakes of the North”.
The area around Dvina’s outlet was greatly inhabited by merchants according to King Alfred’s narrative of the travels of Othere/Ottar (a Norwegian small king or Earl who lived furthest north of all Norwegians and who collected taxes from the Biarmians and the Finns).
It is the archaeological evidence in the North of Norway that makes the connection between Norwegians and Dvina’s outlet. In other words there were trading going on there from before the 4th century. I mentioned the kauri shell in a previous post. According to archaeological evidence these shells came up Dvina from the Black Sea or the Caspian Sea and found its way into Viking graves as far down as Norfjord in Norway. They were also found in graves on the Varangian peninsula. The Finns (Sami) are also a major player in this. They were as they have always been a nomadic people and migrated to and fro in the far north. They also called the Biarmians Chuds, and in their language it means thieves.
I will argue that Nestor had it wrong concerning the name Rus. There is no evidence in archaeology or in Scandinavian history that there were any Scandinavian people that called themselves Rus, there are however evidence that a few tribes and small nations south in Russia where called Rus or close to it. On this point the anti-normanists has it right.
And I do think you are right in that the people of Rus did not distinguish between Northman, Swede, Dane, Anglo or Goth. To them they were all Varangian.
I do however think that the notion Varangian stems from the Varangian peninsula North in Norway.
It was an important piece of land anciently.
The Sami called it Varjag, the Chuds, Varyag.
It was where the first immigrants to the Scandinavian Peninsula travelled through. Graves as old as 40 000 years shows this.
It was where the great King Nor (a king from the Ladoga area) travelled through when he conquered Norway in the 4th century.
It was where the traders could operate outside the realm of Norway and Bjarmland(the Varangian peninsula was not taken by Harald Hårfagre until 872 AD).
It was the area connecting the Far East and the Norse.
Everybody went through this area and it had a common name; Varjag, Varanger, Varyag, Varangia.
It is strange that the peoples of Rus went abroad to get their nobility. This is one point in favour of the anti-normanists.
The chuds and the slavs payed taxes to the Varangians and got tired of it, they drove them out. Then they started warring among themselves. Then they got tired of this and wanted not only a truce but a lasting alliance which involved assimilation of all the tribes and peoples.
They lacked nobility and wanted to import some.
What was considered nobility in 860AD?
Well, was it not the sons of Gods or rather the sons of the God of kings, the sons of Odin?
If I am not entirely mistaken every royal family amongst the Northern Germanic tribes subscribed to the heritage of Odin and his sons.
And most of them are mentioned in some ancient text.
The tradition is that Odin brought the art of writing to them.
It was the Chuds, and I am assuming it was the people of Zavolovhskaja Chud, who received the task of sailing to the Varangians and get a king. He had to be of Royal descent.
There were also two other men besides the three who were not of Royal descent but were even so nobles. I am thinking of Askold and Dir.
Now I have argued that Hroerekr the eldest son of Harald Hårfagre (the one we now call Rørik) is the same as the Rus Rurik. He certainly lived in the right age, had the right name and right Royal descent. He was the son of Harald Hårfagre a descendant of the Ynglinge lineage (Frøy, the one who took the mantle of Odin when he died). He was also the son of Gyda daughter of King Eirik of Hordaland who could trace his lineage to Sæmund the son of Odin.
He had fought many battles in the White Sea area and in Bjarmland.
The problem is; he had no brothers by the name of Signjotr and Torvald.
The chronicle uses the names Sineus and Truvor and some experts think that the chroniclers misinterpreted the notion “sine hus”(with house) and “tru voring”(with loyal guard) and ascribed them as additional names.
The Nestor Chronicle also tells that you can go to Varangia by the way of Dvina (from the Baltic).
