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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">===========================================<br>
L O W L A N D S - L - 26 February 2009 - Volume 04<br>
===========================================</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br>
From: <span class="ep8xu"><span style="color: rgb(121, 6, 25);">Roger Thijs, Euro-Support,
Inc.</span></span></span><span class="hccdpe"> </span><span class="ldacoc"><<a href="mailto:roger.thijs@euro-support.be">roger.thijs@euro-support.be</a>></span><br>
Subject: <span class="hccdpe">LL-L "History" 2009.02.26 (03) [E]</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br>
> From: <span style="color: rgb(0, 104, 28);">Luc Hellinckx</span> <<a href="mailto:luc.hellinckx@gmail.com" target="_blank">luc.hellinckx@gmail.com</a>><br>
> Subject: LL-L "History" </span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">> It's still a matter of dispute among Slavists as to how
important for example the Varangians (from Sweden
and further afield) were during the creation of Russia,
but I think it's accepted that trade along the Volga (as far as the Caspian Sea) was largely in hands of Scandinavians. Kiev (capital of Ukraine) was founded by some kind
of Scandinavian warrior-elite. Whether these Scandinavians were rather
adventurers, merchants or pirates...or a bit of everything: hard to tell I
guess.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I guess
Scandinavians see this rarther as part of viking history rather than as Swedish
history. I shared a table with the Norwegian ambasador in Brussels twice at an event of the club
"De Warande" in the past two years. The history of the Viking
presence in Ukrain and surroundings was brought by him spontaneously
each time as part of his country's history.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Regards</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Roger</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br>
----------<br>
<br>
From:<span class="ep8xu"><span style="color: rgb(0, 104, 28);"> Luc Hellinckx</span></span></span><span class="hccdpe"> </span><span class="ldacoc"><<a href="mailto:luc.hellinckx@gmail.com">luc.hellinckx@gmail.com</a>></span><br>
Subject: <span class="hccdpe">LL-L "History"</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br>
Beste Ron,</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In an older
Lowlands post (2004), you describe the word
"Frank":</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 40px;" class="MsoNormal"><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">But what
about "Frank"? Some believe the Franks were name after their
main<br>
weapon also: what in Old English is _franca_: a javelin. It is
interesting<br>
that "Frank" is the basis of words for "Westerner,"
"European," "Christian"<br>
through large stretches of Eurasia, all the way into Western China; e.g.,<br>
Turkish __, Arabic <span dir="rtl" lang="AR-SA"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">فرنج</span></span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr"></span> _firinji_ (pl. <span dir="rtl" lang="AR-SA"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">فرنجة</span></span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr"></span> _firinja_), Farsi <span dir="rtl" lang="AR-SA"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">فرنگى</span></span><br>
_farangî_, Kurdish _ferhengî_, Hindi </span></i><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="HI"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">फ़रेन्घी</span></span></i><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> _farenghî_, Malayalam </span></i><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="ML"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">ഫരഹഗഈ</span></span></i><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br>
_farengî_, Tamil </span></i><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="TA"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">ரெங்க</span></span></i><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> _farengî_, </span></i><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="TA"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">ரங்கி</span></span></i><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> _farangi_, </span></i><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="TA"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">பிரங்கி</span></span></i><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> _pirangi_,<br>
Indonesian _barang_, Malaysian _palang_, Thai </span></i><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="TH"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">ฝรง</span></span></i><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> _farang_, Vietnamese _lan<br>
khắp_. This goes to show the "fame" Charly (Charlemagne) and
his<br>
Frankish-dominated hordes used to have.</span></i><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Writing
about the illustrious effects that Rus' Vikings had on the medieval Khazar
state in a previous post, I started thinking that the Farsi word for
"European" may well have been inspired by the Varangians as well.
Speaking of their ferociousness, one Khazar ruler noted that it was almost
impossible to hold the Varangians back...worse even, if he didn't try, they
would surely ransack Baghdad, he said...mmm, have to bite my lips now. Q: What
is the greatest common divisor of America
and Russia (read: Newfoundland and Kiev)?
*s*</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In another
forum, where the origin of the word "Frank" was also discussed,
another guy backs up my assumption, he writes:</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 40px;" class="MsoNormal"><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I am
inclined to believe that Farang is from the persian 'farangi', 'foreigners'and
spread eastwards along Muslim trade routes. I also believe that this may have
originally come from the old greek 'hoi barrangoi'. This word refered to '
traders that provide security for their part in the bargain' and refered
specifically to Vikings. Vikings during the 9th and 10th century travelled up
the rivers of Eastern Europe both for trade, pirating and mercinary activities
to the Black and Caspian
Seas. They were so
respected as fiersome warriors (as well as traders) that they were invited to
form an elite guard (Palace Guard)for the Basilus of Bysantium in Constantinople. This was on the grounds that they were
less likely to be embroiled in the internal politics of the state and hence
trustworthy. The Swedes refered to themselves as 'Varrangjar' or 'Varrangi'
from the greek, while the Danes and Norwegians prefered 'Vikingr'. Hence the
name for the elite troops of Byzantium
as the Varangian Guard. Other persian and arab traders they met and did
business with probably also refered to them as 'varangi' or 'farangi'. Since
the Franks looked very similar (ethnically similar) and were the only other
'white northern folk' to be present in the area at the time both the Franks and
the Varangjar were probably termed Ferengi - traders (with weapons).</span></i><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">OK, this
doesn't make Charlemagne a lap dog, but it could add some perspective.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Kind
greetings,</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);">Luc
Hellinckx, <b><span dir="rtl" lang="AR-SA">فرنگستان</span></b></span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p>
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