Why where Varangians especially the ones who became the Byzantine Guards and ruled over Kiev Rus so overpowered in their dominance over slav lands. Also how did they compare with other explanding peoples at the time? Seeing as how other Vikings always mainly went west, these Vikings always went East but rather than raid they settled why?
>>1102060
They were called varangians in the east and vikings in the west but they were the same guys, anon.
>>1102063
I know this. I was questioning the motives. Why raid in the west and settle in the east. I was also trying to discuss why Keiv Rus was so powerful.
>>1102060
>who became the Byzantine Guards and ruled over Kiev Rus so overpowered in their dominance over slav lands
Because the slavs were divided and tribal. They didn't have a militant hierarchical society like the germanics and other, more civilized civilizations did. They were pretty much hippies. According to legend the east slavs invited the Rus' to rule them.
>Also how did they compare with other explanding peoples at the time
they were pretty strong, they completely crushed the khazar khanate and raided the bulgarian capital preslav.
>>1102060
>Refering to scandinavians in general as vikings
REEEEEEE!
>>1102060
Culturally wise the Rus' assimilate to the Slavic Culture
different people different motives. the tribes who went to rule over the slavs in the east (and eventually transformed into the Kievan rus) where from a place called Roslagen just north of where Stockholm is. also the varangian guard are called so because they were "väringar" (means guardian / paid guardian, pretty much). Those vikings from Roslagen went east because they had dominion over that part of the baltic sea. The western vikings (from denmark and norway) were probably not allowed to sail east into the baltic and so sailed down to Europe instead.
>>1102101
>Because the slavs were divided and tribal. They didn't have a militant hierarchical society like the germanics and other, more civilized civilizations did. They were pretty much hippies. According to legend the east slavs invited the Rus' to rule them.
Russians*
>random "kvenland" between Sami's and Finns
Why even bother? Just put "finnic people" or something like that if you can't be bothered and just throw around finnic ethnicities willy nilly.
>>1102447
>Russians
>Being a thing before Ivan the Terrible
>>1102473
He said "Slavs couldn't form their own states" and yet Czech and Poland existed long before Russia was a thing.
Not all had viking dynasties.
>>1102499
By the time of 950, Poland existed for 100 years.
Czech even sooner than that.
Baptism doesn't equal being a state.
>>1102090
This whole idea of 'viking raids' is such bullshit. Vikings didn't just plunder and go home. They settled on the fertile land of Ireland, Scotland and England. They permanently lived there and began a new life. I'm pretty sure Lindybeige made a video on it.
