The distinct advantage of these skills was applied for trade and other means of enrichment. 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.Įven before the well-known Viking Age, Scandinavians were adept ship builders, navigators, and sailors. These early medieval Scandinavians were known as the Rus, and through military and economic might formed an elite ruling class over Eastern Slavic tribes centered in Kiev in modern-day Ukrain. The presence of Nordic Scandinavians in what is now Russia, Ukraine and Belarus is proven by more than a hundred years of extensive archaeological excavations, as well as contemporary DNA research. The above photograph is of the author of this article and his fellow Slavic reenactors taking pride in their Viking heritage. According to the most prominent theory, the name Rus is based on the Finnish name for Sweden (Ruotsi), and is also Old Norse for 'the men who row'. 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.Įditor's note: Just as Norwegian and Danish Vikings once ruled Dublin of Ireland, Kiev and other Slavic areas were once ruled by Swedish Vikings. A common belief is that the word Russia is based on the word Rus.

Great nordic warriors