>>23499233> Garðaríki (Old Norse) Gårdarike (Swedish) [lit. “Realm of Fortified Settlements”]Rusrike-Rúzland, Ryssland in Modern Swedish) -> Russia
> Garðaríki _> Rúzland {Of the Rurikids} (Rusrike) -> Kievan Rus' (Rus') -> Grand Duchy of Moscow -> Russian EmpireGarðaríki ("realm of towns" or "realm of forts")
used by Scandinavian traders & explorers to describe a network of Slavic territories they encountered and interacted with during the Viking Age.
It referred not to a centralized state, but to a vast region dotted with fortified settlements
("garðar" in Old Norse, akin to Slavic grad/gorod, meaning "town" or "city").
Within this broader Garðaríki, the Rús emerged - a people likely of mixed Norse-Slavic descent
who would go on to establish political control over key areas, including Rusrike or Rúzland,
the early Norse designation for what would become the Kievan Rus'.
Varangians and the Rise of Rus'
The Varjager (Varangians, from Old Norse Væringjar) were Norse adventurers, traders, and mercenaries
who traveled and settled among the Slavs. In East Slavic sources, they are known as вapѧгъ (varęgŭ).
East Slavic tribes invited these Norsemen to rule over them in order to bring stability.
This led to the establishment of the Rurikid dynasty, named after Prince Rurik, a Varangian chieftain who settled in Novgorod (Hólmgarðar).
His descendants expanded southwards to Kiev (Kœnugarðr), forming the basis of the Kievan Rus’,
the political & cultural predecessor of modern Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Hólmgarðar – Novgorod
Kœnugarðr – Kiev
Aldeigja – Ladoga
These cities, often established near important river routes (like the Dnieper & the Volkhov),
served as crucial hubs for trade between the Norse world, the Byzantine Empire, and the Islamic Caliphates.
