Rogvolod (russian: Рогволод, translit=Rogvolod; be, Рагвалод, translit=Rahvałod; 920978) was the first chronicled prince of

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 Distr ...

(945–978). In the ''

Russian Primary Chronicle The ''Tale of Bygone Years'' ( orv, Повѣсть времѧньныхъ лѣтъ, translit=Pověstĭ vremęnĭnyxŭ lětŭ; ; ; ; ), often known in English as the ''Rus' Primary Chronicle'', the ''Russian Primary Chronicle'', or simply the ...

'', he is known as , probably a slavicized version of the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

name ''

Ragnvald Ragnvald, Rögnvald or Rognvald or Rægnald is an Old Norse name (Old Norse ''Rǫgnvaldr'', modern Icelandic ''Rögnvaldur''; in Old English ''Regenweald'' and in Old Irish, Middle Irish ''Ragnall''). Notable people with the name include: * Ragnval ...

.'' The name has also been connected with the Russian words ''рог'' and ''володеть,'' from which the formation of the name may have come. He was a

Varangian The Varangians (; non, Væringjar; gkm, Βάραγγοι, ''Várangoi'';Varangian
" Online Etymo ...

, unrelated to

Vladimir the Great Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych ( orv, Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь, ''Volodiměrъ Svętoslavičь'';, ''Uladzimir'', russian: Владимир, ''Vladimir'', uk, Володимир, ''Volodymyr''. Se ...

, and was established at

in the mid-10th century, most likely having come from overseas (i.e., from Scandinavia or the Southern Baltic). According to the ''Russian Primary Chronicle'', Vladimir the Great sought an alliance with him in 980 by marrying his daughter

Rogneda Rogneda of Polotsk (962–1002) is the Slavic name for Ragnheiðr, a Princess consort of Rus'. She was the daughter of Ragnvald (Slavic: Rogvolod) who came from Scandinavia and established himself at Polotsk in the mid-10th century. Life It ...

, but she refused, insulting his parentage, and married his brother, Yaropolk. In revenge, Vladimir attacked Rogvolod and his family, killing him and his sons, after which he raped Rogneda, and forcibly took her as his bride.Janet Martin, ''Medieval Russia 980-1584'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995), 1.

References

External links

Oleg Łatyszonek, Ales’ Bely. On the Scandinavian origin of Rahvalod // Annus Albaruthenicus/Год беларускі №6. 2005.
920 births 978 deaths Year of birth uncertain Fairhair dynasty Varangians 10th-century princes in Kievan Rus' 10th-century murdered monarchs People from Polotsk 10th-century Vikings {{Europe-noble-stub