The Slavs
The Slavic peoples lived in close contact with the
Byzantines. This constant interaction had a strong
influence on the Slavs. By A.D. 1453 when the Byzantine
Empire was conquered and destroyed, the Slavs shared
many aspects of their culture, including their language,
religion, government styles, and many of their traditions.
With the Byzantines now gone, the Slavs became the guardians of the
Eastern Orthodox faith. These religious practices would be handed down
from generation to generation until the present day.
There is some debate among historians about where the
Slavs originated. Many believe that they were early
farmers who cultivated the fertile lands around the
Black Sea. Others believe that they came from present
day eastern Poland. By A.D. 500 the Slavs had
separated into three main groups. Each of these three
groups shared a similar set of beliefs, and a similar
lifestyle.
Surrounded by marshlands, mountains, and some
plains a group of Slavs known as the West Slavs
inhabited eastern Europe around A.D. 500. These
people were more closely tied to Western Europe than
other Slavs, and shared many aspects of their culture
with them. The West Slavs fought a series of wars
against the Germans in the West, and against the
Scandinavians in the North in order to maintain
control of their territory. These efforts were successful, allowing them to
continue living on their lands down to the present day. The West Slavs
practiced the Roman Catholic faith. The descendants of these people live in
the present day nations of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia
The Eastern Slavs were by far the largest of the three groups of Slavic
peoples. The Eastern Slavs lived in the regions north of the Black Sea.
Descendants of the Eastern Slavs today inhabit the nations of Ukraine,
Russia, as well as many smaller nations in the region. The peoples of the
Eastern Slavic regions traded heavily with the Byzantines, as well as with the
nations of Western Europe, and Asia. As a result of this trade, as well as
their geographical location between these three cultures, the Eastern Slavs
never became fully European, fully Eastern, or fully Asian. Instead, they
share many aspects of all three cultures
The Slavic Lifestyle
Slavs lived in small villages consisting mostly of
relatives. They farmed the land, growing a variety
of grains and vegetables. These peoples also
hunted their thick woodlands for meat.Slavic
villages were made up of beautifully built log
homes. These log homes were skillfully carved
with pictures of animals, flowers, and gods, and
would be considered comfortable, even by today’s
standards. The Slavs were generally a peaceful
people, usually fighting only to maintain their
lands, and not to expand them further. They often depended on outside
armies such as the Vikings to help protect them.
In A.D. 860 the Slavic village of Novgorod located in the Northern Forests of
the Slavic regions contacted the Vikings asking for help in
maintaining order in their lands. They said told the Vikings that
they had rich fertile lands, but that they did not have the ability to
unite their people, or maintain order. Thus, they requested that
the Vikings come and rule them. A Viking by the name of Rurik
The Rus answered the request. It is believed that Rus is the root
for the name of the Slavic nation of Russia.