Ruserna - gamla svenskar?
Yes a bit provocative title ,I know, but I just want to get some discussion going. I have read from several sources, both Russian and Swedish, that:
1. The "modern" name (and to some extent - people) of "Rus" derrives from the ancient nordic chiefcommanders "Ruserna" (the Rus) and that in thier victorious campaigns, mainly in eastern Europe (from Russia to the middle-east), they "hired" people of slavic origin to fight for them - and supposedly these joined - together people became one and gave name to the modern word of "russian" (note: name)
2. This is not at all the case - That the "Rus" derrives from an entirely different source - namely (note: I dont remember this one to well) that it was the name of some Russian knight or warrior that settled in north western Russia, and that the people, after him, took the name of "russkij"
This is, of course not easily answered today, but I'm sure there is someone who knows this far better than me?
Please fell free to correct me!!!
Best Regards
Re: Ruserna - gamla svenskar?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zhenya
1. The "modern" name (and to some extent - people) of "Rus" derrives from the ancient nordic chiefcommanders "Ruserna" (the Rus) and that in thier victorious campaigns, mainly in eastern Europe (from Russia to the middle-east), they "hired" people of slavic origin to fight for them - and supposedly these joined - together people became one and gave name to the modern word of "russian" (note: name)
2. This is not at all the case - That the "Rus" derrives from an entirely different source - namely (note: I dont remember this one to well) that it was the name of some Russian knight or warrior that settled in north western Russia, and that the people, after him, took the name of "russkij"
This link is to a good summary, which also mentions the "controversy" between the Normanist and Slavicist theories.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus%27_%28people%29
The origin of the Rus is really two questions: 1. Who were the people who gave Rus/Russia its name? 2. What is the origin of the word Rus? It's entirely possible that the word was of Scandinavian origin and the people a mix of ethnic origin.
If we accept that Rus originated from Old Sw. rodhsman -> Fin. ruotsi -> Ru. rus' (or another similar sequence of borrowings), then it was likely not the name of a "people" but of the "profession" of the armed "rowers" (shipbound soldiers) who traversed and guarded the trading routes and towns in eastern Europe.
The same "rodh-" (rowing) root exists in the Swedish placename Roden (Rodhin) which is roughly the coastal areas north of Stockholm up to G
