Ragnar Lothbrok and the Rus: Vikings on the Volga

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the eastern frontier of the Viking world — the rivers of Russia and the Caliphate of Baghdad. We trace the journey of the Rus, often linked to Ragnar's sons or followers, as they sailed from the Baltic to the Caspian Sea. We examine the archaeological evidence from Staraya Ladoga and the silver dirham hoards that reveal a vast trade network. We discuss Ahmad ibn Fadlan's famous account of a Rus chieftain's funeral, the slave trade along the Volga, and the contested etymology of the word 'Rus' itself — from Finnish 'Ruotsi' to Old Norse 'rods.' We ask: were these eastern Vikings the same as Ragnar's raiders, or a separate wave of adventurers? And we look at the legacy of the Kievan Rus', the state that would become Russia. Along the way, we touch on the Dnieper rapids, the Khazar Khaganate, and the rise of the Varangian Guard in Constantinople.

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