Warriors of the original Rus'
"The Calling of the Varangians" is a painting by the Russian artist Viktor Vasnetsov, painted in 1909. It depicts the Varangians as he imagined them. V. M. Vasnetsov House Museum in Moscow
The Varangians have damask swords and sharp arrows,
They inflict death without failing the enemy,
Brave people of midnight countries
Their God Odin is great, the sea is gloomy.
Words from the "Song of the Varangian Guest" from the opera "Sadko" by N. Rimsky-Korsakov.
They inflict death without failing the enemy,
Brave people of midnight countries
Their God Odin is great, the sea is gloomy.
Words from the "Song of the Varangian Guest" from the opera "Sadko" by N. Rimsky-Korsakov.
Of stories Our Fatherland... What did the warriors of the original Rus look like, the very one described in our chronicles dating back to the 9th century? First, let's look at the written sources. For example, the Tale of Bygone Years records the following:
In the year 6370 [862 by modern chronology]… They went overseas to the Varangians, to the Rus. Those Varangians were called Rus, as others are called Swedes, and others Normans and Angles, and still others Goths - so and these. The Chud, Slavs, Krivichi and Ves said to the Rus: "Our land is great and abundant, but there is no order in it. Come and reign and rule over us." And three brothers with their clans were elected, and they took with them all of Rus, and came first of all to the Slavs. And they founded the city of Ladoga. And the eldest, Rurik, sat in Ladoga, and the second, Sineus, on White Lake, and the third, Truvor, in Izborsk. And the Russian land was named after those Varangians.
According to the Novgorod First Chronicle:
They went across the sea to the Varangians and said: “Our land is great and rich, but we have no order; let you come to us to reign and rule over us.” Three brothers from their families were chosen, and they took with them a large and wondrous retinue, and they came to Novgorod. And the elders sat in Novgorod, his name was Rurik; and others sat on Beloozero, Sineus; and a third in Izborsk, his name was Truvor. And from these the Varangians, their discoverer, were called Rus.
According to the Pskov Third Chronicle:
In the year 6370. The Slavs and Krivitsas and Chud and Merya rose up against the Varangians, and drove them beyond the sea and did not give them tribute, and began to rule over themselves and build cities. And there was no justice among them, they rose up, and there was civil war among them. And the kingdom of Michael the King of the Greeks and his mother the Queen Theodora, who preached icon worship. The Slavs and Chud sent to the Varangians to Rus across the sea, and thus spoke to the Varangians: Our whole land is good, but there is no order in it; go and reign and rule over us and judge the truth. And three brothers with their families were chosen from the Varangians from the Germans: Rurik and Sineus and Trivor; and Rurik sat in Novgorod, and Sineus on Beloozero, and Trivor in Slovensk.
Now we will not argue about whether this was the "very calling of the Varangians" or a later insertion. It is obvious that it was or not, but the Slavs in any case met the Varangians on their land, that they traded with them, supplied them with watercraft for the journey to Constantinople, and perhaps even sailed there with them. And why in this case would they not have hired a Varangian squad along with its earl or konung for more successful "communication" with their neighbors?
It is possible that this is what the legendary Rurik looked like, who became the founder of the Rurik dynasty in the Slavic lands. He looks like a typical Viking, a Norman. He is dressed in chain mail, and in his hands he holds an axe - his favorite weapon "northern people" and a helmet with a half mask, riveted from four segments. Manufacturers: Silver Dream Studio and "Silver Ladya".
Sineus - Rurik's brother, ruler in Beloozero (862) Manufacturers: Silver Dream Studio and EK Castings
Well, based on these written sources, it is quite possible to conclude that in 862, three Varangian brothers with their squads came to the Slavic lands and began to reign in three cities, and the Slavs themselves invited them. It is clear that the first warriors existed in the Slavic lands before that. In particular, the Russian historian V. O. Klyuchevsky wrote that a powerful military alliance of Slavic tribes arose in the XNUMXth century in the Carpathians to fight Byzantium, the nomadic Avars (Obres), who "tormented" the southern Slavs, and then the Khazar Khaganate, which arose in the XNUMXth century in the south of Eastern Europe. However, the Varangian warriors were undoubtedly better armed, and they were successful in military affairs.
Most likely, they were the first professional warriors of our state. Moreover, warriors who obtained weapons for themselves in campaigns in the countries of Western Europe, where the "northern people" seized all sorts of trophies, and only after that they came to us, as well as to Byzantium, where they served in the Varangian guard of the Byzantine emperors.
So, although in modern historical science there are diametrically opposed opinions regarding the "calling of the Varangians": some say that it happened, others claim that it is an offensive fiction for us, Russians. In this case, we are only interested in the fact that the Varangians on the lands of the Slavs... were. And that they were good warriors, who were in the princely squads of all the ancient Russian princes.
And the "soldiers" are also good because there can be not one, but many of the same figures depicting Prince Rurik - from different manufacturers and in different scales. This Rurik, for example, looks completely different... Manufacturers: Silver Dream Studio and EK Castings
What did the Varangian warriors who were hired into Russian service look like? There are no descriptions of their equipment and clothing. The chroniclers did not consider it important enough to describe it. But... miniature figurines of "little soldiers" depicting the warriors of those years will come to our aid. They were created by sculptors - masters of their craft, and each such figurine is the result of painstaking research, so that to a large extent, what they show us can be completely trusted! So today we will get acquainted with what Russian warriors of the mid-9th century looked like, and who they were - visiting Varangian mercenaries or our own locals, in principle, is not so important. What is important is that they walked on our land and were buried with weapons in burial mounds!
First of all, their round shield with a diameter of about 90 cm catches the eye. In the center of it was placed an umbo (metal hemisphere) to protect the hand holding the shield by the handle. Linden wood was used as the material for its manufacture, and the shield itself was also covered with leather on the outside. The edge of the shield was also reinforced with leather or metal. Scandinavian sagas often say that they were often painted in different colors, with each color taking up either half or a quarter of the shield. The most popular color was red. However, there could also be black, yellow, white, less often green or blue. There is evidence that mythological scenes and animals (the same dragons), multi-colored stripes, a "chessboard" and even Christian crosses were also depicted on the shields. Thus, 64 shields found during the excavations of the famous "Gokstad ship" were yellow and black.
Viking with a four-piece shield. Manufacturers: Silver Dream Studio and EK Castings
The Scandinavians of that time loved to express themselves in flowery terms, and were also great lovers of poetic metaphors – kennings*, so it is not surprising that they gave their shields memorable names, although it is quite possible that in the sagas this was only a poetic device. Thus, the shields “Victory Board”, “Net of Spears” (the spear in turn was called “Shield Fish”), “War Linden”, “Battle Sun”, “Wall of Hilds” (“Wall of Valkyries”), “Country of Arrows” are known.
"Gjormundbu Helmet". It is considered a typical Norman Viking helmet. It dates back to the late 9th - early 10th century. It is forged from four iron plates in the shape of a cauldron with a ridge at the top. The "glasses" served to protect the eyes and nose when struck in the face. Also, a chainmail was attached to the back of the helmet to protect the neck (partially preserved). Museum of Cultural History, Oslo
Viking in a "Gjormundbu Helmet". Manufacturers: Silver Dream Studio and Mercury Models
Viking with a shield depicting a winged dragon. Manufacturers: Silver Dream Studio and Mercury Models
Viking helmets were not given such pompous names, although King Adils' helmet, for example, was called the "Battle Boar". They had a simple hemispherical or conical shape, and some of them had half masks that protected the nose and eyes, or a simple nasal guard in the form of a rectangular metal plate. At the same time, some helmets were decorated with eyebrow arches trimmed with copper and silver. Before battle, helmets were often painted to make it easier to "distinguish friend from foe", or a special "battle sign" was painted on them for the same purpose.
A typical Viking Age chainmail. They have not survived to this day in their entirety, but similar ones were produced for centuries. Weight 9869 g. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The usual name for chainmail was "ring shirt", although it could also be given poetic names: "Blue Shirt", "Battle Cloak", "Battle Canvas", "Arrow Net". On most Viking chainmails that have come down to us, the ends of the rings are brought together and overlap each other, but they are not fastened to each other. Such a simple technology allowed for their manufacture to be significantly accelerated, so among the Vikings, chainmail was by no means something out of the ordinary, although at the very beginning, as in other places, only the wealthiest people could afford this type of protection.
Viking of the 9th century in chainmail and helmet with chainmail shoulder guard (aventail). Manufacturers: Silver Dream Studio and Seil Models
Early chainmail had short sleeves and reached the hips or knees, since the Vikings were not only warriors, but also rowers on sail-and-oar ships, where they rowed with long oars, sitting on benches or each on his own wooden chest. It is clear that long chainmail would have been simply inconvenient for such work, but by the 11th century the length of some examples had increased significantly. Thus, King Harald Hardrada's chainmail reached mid-calf and was so strong that "no weapon could tear it."
Viking with a spear, dressed in a leather "quilted jacket", 9th-10th centuries. The image of a winding cross on a shield was a popular motif among the northerners. Manufacturers: Silver Dream Studio and Miles Publius
They also wore “quilted jackets” made of leather and lined with wool, which were very durable, and many warriors were armed only with what they could carry on themselves, that is, they had a sax knife, an axe, and a shield.
Northern Earl ('Sea King') with an expensive sword with a gilded hilt. Manufacturers: Silver Dream Studio and EK Castings
Viking sword hilt with copper and silver wire inlay. Similar swords have been repeatedly found in burials in Russia and even at the bottom of its rivers. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The Scandinavians' favorite weapon was swords, for which they came up with many colorful names: "Odin's Flame", "Snake of Wounds", "Snake of Chainmail", "Flame of Shields" and even such a fanciful one as "Causing Damage to the Battle Canvas". However, other names are also known, which are somewhat more understandable to us. For example, "Bjarni the Biter", "Long and Sharp", "Golden Hilt" and even... "Leg-Bite", which directly indicates the wounds that were inflicted with its help.
It is interesting that the Normans got their best blades in France, and their craftsmen equipped them with ornate handles made of metal, bone, horn and walrus tusks, while many metal handles were decorated with gold, silver and copper. At the same time, the simplest handle could well be made of wood and covered with leather. Inlaid blades, with inscriptions and patterns laid out on them, were about 80-90 cm long, double-edged or single-edged. In both cases, to reduce weight, they were equipped with a longitudinal groove from the tip to the handle.
Varangian in Russian service, 9th–10th centuries. He really did loot! The scabbard on the back is also richly decorated. Manufacturers: Silver Dream Studio, Pegaso Models, Italy
The scabbard was always made of wood and covered with leather. From the inside, they were also covered with leather, waxed cloth or sheepskin and oiled to protect the blade from rust. Usually, the sword is attached to the belt of the Vikings vertically, but it is worth noting that a horizontal position of the sword on the belt is more suitable for a rower, as it is more convenient for him.
Battle axe of the Scandinavians, 18,7th-19,1th centuries. Inlay made of silver wire. Length 520 cm, width XNUMX cm, weight XNUMX g. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Viking with a long-handled axe, 793 g. It was only possible to fight with such an axe by throwing the shield behind the back. Manufacturers: Silver Dream and Studio and Andrea Miniatures, Italy
The Vikings also held wide-bladed axes on long handles, which had to be held with both hands, in high esteem. A blow from such an axe could cut through a shield and chain mail, but required a free swing. Therefore, it was inconvenient to use them in formation. The axe's web, that is, the part between the butt and the blade, was often covered with silver wire inlay, meaning that this weapon was far from simple!
Scandinavian skier. As has been confirmed by archaeological finds, the Viking Varangians were not only sailors, but also good skiers! Their skis were shorter than modern ones, but somewhat wider and were secured to the feet with leather straps. Without a doubt, in the conditions of snowy Russian winters, the visiting Varangians often used such skis. Manufacturers: Silver Dream Studio and Mercury Models
*A kenning is a special kind of metaphor in skaldic poetry, usually consisting of two nouns, which was used to replace the usual name of some object or person.
P.S. The author and the site administration thank the management of Silver Dream Studio for the provided photographs.
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