Rogneda of Polotsk (962–1002) is the
Slavic name for Ragnheiðr, a Princess consort of
Rus'. She was the daughter of
Ragnvald (Slavic:
Rogvolod
Rogvolod (russian: Рогволод, translit=Rogvolod; be, Рагвалод, translit=Rahvałod; 920978) was the first chronicled prince of Polotsk (945–978). In the ''Russian Primary Chronicle'', he is known as , probably a slavicized versio ...
) who came from
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...
and established himself at
Polotsk
Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Dist ...
in the mid-10th century.
Life
It has been speculated that Rogneda belonged to the
Ynglings
The Ynglings were a dynasty of kings, first in Sweden and later in Norway, primarily attested through the poem ''Ynglingatal''. The dynasty also appears as Scylfings (Old Norse ''Skilfingar'') in ''Beowulf''. When ''Beowulf'' and ''Ynglingatal'' ...
royal family of present day
Sweden. According to the
Novgorod Fourth Chronicle, in or about 980,
Vladimir the Great
Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych ( orv, Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь, ''Volodiměrъ Svętoslavičь'';, ''Uladzimir'', russian: Владимир, ''Vladimir'', uk, Володимир, ''Volodymyr''. Se ...
, on learning that she was betrothed to his half-brother
Yaropolk I of Kiev
Yaropolk I Sviatoslavich (Old East Slavic: Ꙗрополкъ Свѧтославичъ, transliterated as ''Iaropolk Svyatoslavich''; Russian: ; Ukrainian: Ярополк I Святославич; 952 – 11 June 978) was a young and rather enig ...
, took Polotsk and forced Rogneda to marry him. Having raped Rogneda in the presence of her parents, he ordered them to be killed, along with two of Rogneda's brothers.
Rogneda gave him several children. The four sons were
Yaroslav the Wise
Yaroslav the Wise or Yaroslav I Vladimirovich; russian: Ярослав Мудрый, ; uk, Ярослав Мудрий; non, Jarizleifr Valdamarsson; la, Iaroslaus Sapiens () was the Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until his death. He was al ...
(though some accounts suggest he may have been the son of
Anna Porphyrogenita), Vsevolod,
Mstislav of Chernigov
Mstislav Vladimirovich (; ; ) was the earliest attested prince of Tmutarakan and Chernigov in Kievan Rus'. He was a younger son of Vladimir the Great, Grand Prince of Kiev. His father appointed him to rule Tmutarakan, an important fortress by th ...
, and
Izyaslav of Polotsk
Izyaslav (russian: Изяслав, be, Ізяслаў) was the son of Vladimir I of Kiev and Rogneda of Polotsk. When his father converted to Christianity in 988, he had to divorce all his previous wives, including Rogneda. She and her son Izyas ...
. She also bore two daughters, one of whom is named by
Nestor the Chronicler
Saint Nestor the Chronicler ( orv, Несторъ Лѣтописецъ; 1056 – c. 1114, in Principality of Kiev, Kievan Rus') was the reputed author of '' Primary Chronicle'' (the earliest East Slavic letopis), ''Life of the Venerable The ...
as
Predslava (taken as a concubine of
Boleslaus I of Poland, according to
Gallus). A later chronicle tells a story, most likely taken from a
Norse saga
is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, from the Super NES to the Pl ...
, of Rogneda plotting against Vladimir and asking her elder son, Izyaslav, to kill him. As was the Norse royal custom, she was sent with her elder son to govern the land of her parents, i.e. Polotsk. Izyaslav's line continued to rule Polotsk and the newly found town of
Izyaslavl, now called
Zaslawye
Zaslawye or Zaslaŭje ( be, Засла́ўе, ; russian: Засла́вль; pl, Zasław; lt, Zaslavlis) is a historical town in the Minsk Region of Belarus, 20 kilometres northwest of Minsk. In 2009 its population was 14,400.
History
Accor ...
.
After Vladimir converted to Christianity and took
Anna Porphyrogeneta
Anna Porphyrogenita ( grc-x-medieval, Ἄννα Πορφυρογεννήτη, translit=Anna Porphyrogennētē, rus, Анна Византийская, uk, Анна Порфірогенета; 13 March 963 – 1011) was a Grand Princess consort ...
as his wife, he had to divorce all his previous wives, including Rogneda. After that, she entered the convent and took the name Anastasia.
Legacy
Around 1825
Kondraty Ryleev wrote a narrative poem entitled ''Rogneda''. This poem became a literary source for her portrayal in the nationalist Russian opera ''
Rogneda'' by
Alexander Serov
Alexander Nikolayevich Serov (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Серо́в, Saint Petersburg, – Saint Petersburg, ) was a Russian composer and music critic. He is notable as one of the most important music critics in ...
, which premiered in 1865.
Issue
By Vladimir the Great:
#
Izyaslav of Polotsk
Izyaslav (russian: Изяслав, be, Ізяслаў) was the son of Vladimir I of Kiev and Rogneda of Polotsk. When his father converted to Christianity in 988, he had to divorce all his previous wives, including Rogneda. She and her son Izyas ...
(born c. 979, Kiev), Prince of Polotsk (989–1001)
#
Yaroslav the Wise
Yaroslav the Wise or Yaroslav I Vladimirovich; russian: Ярослав Мудрый, ; uk, Ярослав Мудрий; non, Jarizleifr Valdamarsson; la, Iaroslaus Sapiens () was the Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until his death. He was al ...
(born no earlier than 983), Prince of
Rostov
Rostov ( rus, Росто́в, p=rɐˈstof) is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population:
While ...
(988–1010), Prince of Novgorod (1010–1034), Grand Prince of Kiev (1016–1018, 1019–1054). Possibly he was a son of Anna rather than Rogneda. Another interesting fact that he was younger than Sviatopolk according to the words of
Boris in the ''
Tale of Bygone Years'' and not as it was officially known.
#
Mstislav of Chernigov
Mstislav Vladimirovich (; ; ) was the earliest attested prince of Tmutarakan and Chernigov in Kievan Rus'. He was a younger son of Vladimir the Great, Grand Prince of Kiev. His father appointed him to rule Tmutarakan, an important fortress by th ...
(born c. 983), Prince of
Tmutarakan
Tmutarakan ( rus, Тмутарака́нь, p=tmʊtərɐˈkanʲ, ; uk, Тмуторокань, Tmutorokan) was a medieval Kievan Rus' principality and trading town that controlled the Cimmerian Bosporus, the passage from the Black Sea to the Se ...
(990–1036), Prince of
Chernigov
Chernihiv ( uk, Черні́гів, , russian: Черни́гов, ; pl, Czernihów, ; la, Czernihovia), is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within t ...
(1024–1036), other sources claim him to be son of other mothers (Adela,
Malfrida Malfrida (died 1000) was probably the Bohemian wife of the grand prince of Kiev Vladimir I of Kiev.
Primary Chronicle mentioned about a death of woman named ''Malfrida''. Russian historian Vasily Tatishchev supposed that Malfrida was a Bohemian wif ...
, or some other Bulgarian wife)
# Predslava,
concubine
Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive.
Concubi ...
of
Bolesław I Chrobry Boleslav or Bolesław may refer to:
In people:
* Boleslaw (given name)
In geography:
*Bolesław, Dąbrowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
*Bolesław, Olkusz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
*Bolesław, Silesian Voivodeship, Pol ...
according to
Gesta principum Polonorum
The ''Gesta principum Polonorum'' (; "''Deeds of the Princes of the Poles''") is the oldest known medieval chronicle documenting the history of Poland from the legendary times until 1113. Written in Latin by an anonymous author, it was most lik ...
# Premislava (died 1015), some source state that she was a wife of the
Duke Laszlo (Vladislav) "the Bald" of
Arpadians
# Mstislava, in 1018 was taken by
Bolesław I Chrobry Boleslav or Bolesław may refer to:
In people:
* Boleslaw (given name)
In geography:
*Bolesław, Dąbrowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
*Bolesław, Olkusz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
*Bolesław, Silesian Voivodeship, Pol ...
among the other daughters
# Ariogia (?)
Sources
See also
*
Family life and children of Vladimir I
The family life and children of Vladimir I, popularly known as Vladimir the Great (c.958–1015), grand prince of Kievan Rus', is subject to scholarly studies. The primary sources about his life, such as the '' Primary Chronicle'' and the ''Chro ...
*
List of rape victims from history and mythology
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rogneda Of Polotsk
962 births
1002 deaths
Kievan Rus' princesses
People from Polotsk
Violence against women in Belarus
Kievan Rus' nuns
10th-century Rus' people
10th-century Rus' women
Belarusian nuns
Wives of Vladimir the Great