Ragnar Lothbrok and the Rus: Trade with the East

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the historical reality behind Ragnar Lothbrok's legendary sons, particularly Björn Ironside, and their connection to the Rus trade routes that linked Scandinavia to the Byzantine Empire and the Abbasid Caliphate. Drawing on the Primary Chronicle, Ibn Fadlan's account, and archaeological finds of dirhams, they discuss how the Varangians established trading posts at Staraya Ladoga and Novgorod, eventually founding the Kievan Rus state. The conversation covers the famous raid on Constantinople in 860, the role of the Dnieper and Volga river systems, and the cultural exchange that brought silver, silks, and Slavic slaves to the Baltic. They also examine the controversial claim that Rurik, the alleged founder of the Rus ruling dynasty, was actually the Danish pirate Rorik of Dorestad. This episode avoids repeating earlier discussions of the Great Heathen Army or the Uí Ímair, instead focusing on the eastern trade networks that enriched the Viking world and shaped early Russian history.

#Rus #Varangians #BjörnIronside #IbnFadlan #PrimaryChronicle #Dirhams #StarayaLadoga #Novgorod #Kiev #Constantinople #VolgaBulghars #Khazars #Rurik #Danegeld #VikingTrade #History #FexingoHistory #NorthernEurope

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