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(anglicized Gardariki or Gardarike) or was the
(anglicized Gardariki or Gardarike) or was the Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was 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 ...
term used in the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
for the lands of Rus'. According to '' Göngu-Hrólfs saga'', the name (also used as a name for Novgorodian Rus') was synonymous with ', and these names were used interchangeably in several other Old Norse stories.
As the Varangians
The Varangians ( ; ; ; , or )Varangian
," Online Etymology Dictionary were
The word , which first appeared in Icelandic sagas in the twelfth century, could stem from the words and (an empire, realm, kingdom) according to the common Scandinavian pattern for state formations ''X+ríki''. is the genitive form of , therefore the compound could be translated into English as "the kingdom of Garðar" or "the empire of Garðar". The name itself was used in skaldic poems, runic inscriptions and early sagas up to the twelfth century to refer to the lands to the east of Scandinavia populated by the Rus' people, primarily to Novgorodian Rus'.
is a plural form of the Old Norse word which referred to 1) a fence; 2) a fortification; 3) a yard; 4) a court; 5) a farm; 6) a village house, while the related Old Russian word ''городъ'' referred to 1) a fence; 2) a fortification; 3) a field defensive work; 4) a settlement. Since there is an overlapping meaning among the ones these related words once had ("a fence, a fortified place"), both ''garðr'' and ''городъ'' could mean the same at one time in the past. Thus, some researches interpreted as a collective name for Old Rus' towns encountered by Scandinavians on their way from Lyubsha and Ladoga down the Volkhov River into other Slavonic lands. The younger toponym could mean "the realm of towns", or "the country of towns".
," Online Etymology Dictionary were
saga
Sagas are prose stories and histories, composed in Iceland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scandinavia.
The most famous saga-genre is the (sagas concerning Icelanders), which feature Viking voyages, migration to Iceland, and feuds between ...
s regard the city of (usually identified with Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...
) as the capital of . Other important places of mentioned in the sagas that have generally been identified with well known historical towns are ( Ladoga), (Kiev
Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
), (Polotsk
Polotsk () or Polatsk () is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the Dvina River and serves as the administrative center of Polotsk District. Polotsk is served by Polotsk Airport and Borovitsy air base. As of 2025, it has a pop ...
), (Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow.
First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest cities in Russia. It has been a regional capital for most of ...
), (Suzdal
Suzdal (, ) is a Types of inhabited localities in Russia, town that serves as the administrative center of Suzdalsky District in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which is located along the Kamenka tributary of the Nerl (Klyazma), Nerl River, north o ...
), (Murom
Murom (, ) is a historical types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which sprawls along the west bank of the Oka River. It borders Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and is situated from the administrative center Vladimir, ...
), and ( Rostov).
At least seven of the Varangian runestones
The Varangian Runestones are runestones in Scandinavia that mention voyages to the East () or the Eastern route (), or to more specific eastern locations such as ''Garðaríki'' in Eastern Europe.
There are also many additional runestones in Sca ...
, G 114, N 62, Sö 148, Sö 338, U 209, U 636, and Öl 28, refer to Scandinavian men who had been in .
Etymology
The word , which first appeared in Icelandic sagas in the twelfth century, could stem from the words and (an empire, realm, kingdom) according to the common Scandinavian pattern for state formations ''X+ríki''. is the genitive form of , therefore the compound could be translated into English as "the kingdom of Garðar" or "the empire of Garðar". The name itself was used in skaldic poems, runic inscriptions and early sagas up to the twelfth century to refer to the lands to the east of Scandinavia populated by the Rus' people, primarily to Novgorodian Rus'.
is a plural form of the Old Norse word which referred to 1) a fence; 2) a fortification; 3) a yard; 4) a court; 5) a farm; 6) a village house, while the related Old Russian word ''городъ'' referred to 1) a fence; 2) a fortification; 3) a field defensive work; 4) a settlement. Since there is an overlapping meaning among the ones these related words once had ("a fence, a fortified place"), both ''garðr'' and ''городъ'' could mean the same at one time in the past. Thus, some researches interpreted as a collective name for Old Rus' towns encountered by Scandinavians on their way from Lyubsha and Ladoga down the Volkhov River into other Slavonic lands. The younger toponym could mean "the realm of towns", or "the country of towns".
Legendary kings
*Odin
Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...
()
* ()
* or ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (king of in )
* (king from , )
* (king of Ruziland, )
See also
* Rus' Khaganate *Kievan Rus
Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,.
* was the first East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of Russ ...
Notes
Citations
References
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Literature
* Brandt, Dagmar: (novel
A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...
). 2 Volumes, Berlin 1943. Reprint .
* Jakobsson, Sverrir, ''The Varangians: In God’s Holy Fire'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020),
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gardariki History of Kievan Rus' Viking Age populated places Exonyms Saga locations Old Norse Huns Varangians