[gothic-l] Re: Varangians

[Tore Gannholm]

>Greetings, Tore!
>
>>>  I was in Staraja Ladoga on Wednesday and there the latest theory
>was that it is the Finnish word for Swedes. It was the Swedes in
>Staraja Ladoga, Gorodisje and Novgorod.>>
>
>There is a runic inscription in East Norse on a marble lion in
>Venice, taken from Piraeus (port of Athens). It is thought to date
>from about 1170. The runes are indistinct and there are many
>differing opinions about readings.
>
>Gordon (Introduction to Old Norse, 2nd ed. 1957) translates in part:
>
>"The warriors cut the runes, hewed them in an ornamental scroll.
>Aeskel (and others) and Thorlef had them well cut, they who lived in
>Roslagen."
>
>Gordon's note to the form Rothrslandi:
>
>"the old name of Roslagen, by etymology 'the land of rowing'. It was
>from knowledge of the men of Roth(r)sland that the Finnish name for
>Sweden, Ruotsi, was derived, and thence the forms Rus in Slavonic,
>Rhos in Greek, applied to the Swedish vikings who founded the kingdom
>of Russia."
>
>I envy you your visit to Staraja Ladoga. I was at Kizhi once--ever
>been there?
>
>Gazariah


Greetings!
We made a tour with "Svenska Fornminnesföreningen" to Novgorod, Pskov 
and Staraja Ladoga during 8 days.

I realized that there is plenty of material only available in 
Russian. On the other hand there is plenty of material available only 
in Swedish.

If we could combine these reports we would have a much better 
understanding of what has been found in archaeological excavations. 
Unfortunately Swedish archaelogists don't read Russian with one or 
two exceptions.

In Novgorod I visited the place of Gutagård the Gotlandic place in 
Novgorod. It seems to be the oldest establishment in Novgorod, 
perhaps even before Jaroslavgården.

When Rurik came to this place he built Gorodisje, two kilometers 
closer to the Ilmen lake. It was probably only after the Gotlanders 
had established their Gutagård that Yaroslav made his Yaroslavsgård 
next to Gutagård.

http://www.stavgard.com/Gotland/picturestones_/novgor_/gutagard/default.htm


page 3 you can see Gutagård close to the water and Jaroslavgård next to it.

By the way there were no Vikings in Russia.The word used for the 
Scandinavians going east was Varjager (Varangians).

On the other hand the Norwegian Vikings came a few times plundering 
the Varangian settlements.


The first Varangian settlement in Staraja Ladoga is dated to about 750

Tore





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