The Rus and the Silk Roads: Viking Silver, Slaves, and Empire

In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the Viking routes east to the Abbasid Caliphate, following the silver dirhams, furs, and slaves that flowed from Scandinavia through Staraya Ladoga to Baghdad. They explore the archaeological evidence at Birka, the diplomatic missions of Ibn Fadlan, and the rise of the Rus Khaganate, a polity that blurred the lines between Viking warlords and Slavic princes. Along the way, they untangle the complex relationships between the Rus, the Khazar Khaganate, and the Volga Bulgars, and ask whether the sagas' legendary Ragnar might have had historical counterparts among these eastern adventurers. With fresh insights into the economic engines of the Viking Age, this episode offers a new perspective on familiar raiders and traders.

#VikingAge #Rus #SilkRoads #AbbasidCaliphate #IbnFadlan #Birka #StarayaLadoga #KhazarKhaganate #VolgaBulgars #Dirhams #SlaveTrade #FurTrade #RusKhaganate #VikingTrade #NorseExplorers #HistoryPodcast #FexingoHistory #NorthernEurope

Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo