Wikipedia: Rurik
For the ships, see Rurik (1851), Rurik (1892) and Rurik (1906).
Rurik or Riurik (Russian: Рю́рик; Old East Norse: Rørik, meaning "famous ruler"; ca.
830 – ca. 879) was a Varangian chieftain who gained control of Ladoga in 862, built the
Holmgard settlement near Novgorod, and founded the Rurik Dynasty which ruled
Russia until the 17th century.
The Varangians in Russia
Name
Main article: Hrōþirīk(i)az
Riurik is the Slavic rendering of the same Germanic name as the modern English
Roderick, or Spanish and Portuguese Rodrigo. In old Germanic languages it had forms
such as Hrodric (Old High German) and Hroðricus (Old English). In Old Norse,
Hrœrekr (Norway, Iceland) and Hrørīkr or Rørik (Denmark, Sweden), from which
Riurik is derived. The name also appears in Beowulf as Hrēðrīk[2].
History
A monument celebrating the millennium of Rurik's arrival to Novgorod
There is a debate over how Rurik came to control Ladoga and Novgorod. The only
information about him is contained in the 12th-century Russian Primary Chronicle,
which states that Chuds, Slavs, Merias, Veses and Krivichs "…drove the Varangians
back beyond the sea, refused to pay them tribute, and set out to govern themselves".
Afterwards the tribes started fighting each other and decided to invite Rurik to
reestablish order.
Rurik remained in power until his death in 879. His successors (the Rurik Dynasty),
however, moved the capital to Kiev and founded the state of Kievan Rus, which
persisted until 1240, the time of Mongol invasion. A number of extant princely families
are patrilineally descended from Rurik, although the last Rurikid to rule Russia, Vasily
IV, died in 1612.
There is a large 9th-century funerary barrow in Novgorod Oblast, reminiscent of the
mounds at Old Uppsala. Intricately defended against looting, it remains to be excavated.
The local inhabitants refer to it as Rurik's Grave.
Disputed origin
Even though some historians emphasize folklore roots for the Rurik legend and
consequently dismiss Rurik as a legendary figure, there is a controversy about his ethnic
origins in Eastern Europe.
According to the Primary Chronicle Rurik was one of the Rus, a Varangian tribe likened
by the chronicler to Danes, Swedes, English and Gotlanders. In the 20th century,
archaeologists partly corroborated the chronicle's version of events. It was discovered
that the settlement of Ladoga, whose foundation has been ascribed to Rurik, was
actually established in the mid-8th century. Earthenware, household utensils, and types
of buildings from the period of Rurik's foundation correspond to patterns then prevalent
in Jutland.
Rurik and his brothers Truvor and Sineus arrive in Ladoga
Some Slavic historians argue that the account of Rurik's invitation was borrowed by a
pro-Scandinavian chronicler from a hypothetical Norse document. For instance, the
Primary Chronicle states that Rurik arrived to Slavic lands with two brothers, Sineus
and Truvor, and sent them to rule the towns of Beloozero and Izborsk, respectively.
Instead of connecting Sineus to Signjotr and Truvor to Torvald, they suggest that the
chronicler read a hypothetical Scandinavian document and misinterpreted the Norse
words 'sine hus' (with house) and 'tru voring' (with loyal guard) as the names of Rurik's
brothers: Sineus and Truvor.
There is another theory that Rurik, on account of common intermarriages between
Varangians and Slavic women, was of mixed Slavic-Varangian descent. This theory is
based on the information of the first modern historian of Russia, Vasily Tatishchev (a
Rurikid himself), who claimed that Rurik was of Wendish extraction. He went so far as
to name his mother, Umila; his maternal grandfather, Gostomysl; and a cousin, Vadim.
Those who assume good faith on Tatishchev's part point out that he based his account
on the lost Ioachim Chronicle.
A current DNA research project by Professor Andrzej Bajor of Poland, under the
auspices of the Familytree DNA Project, seeks to more accurately place Rurik within
the light of history and out of the shadows of legend, while simultaneously trying to
find his modern descendants. So far, only two modern Rurikid princes have agreed to
take this DNA test. Their results indicate that their male line originated in Uppland
province in Sweden. So far, one Swede shares 11 of the prince's markers, and he
believes that his own male line goes back to the 15th century in Roslagen. The DNA
results of modern Rurikid princes indicate that Rurik was of the Finno-Ugrian descent
(haplogroup N). [1]
Hrörek of Dorestad
Main article: Rorik of Dorestad
Rorik of Dorestad, as conceived by H. W. Koekkoek
The only Hrörek described in Western chronicles was Rorik of Dorestad, a konung from
the royal house of Hedeby. Since the 19th century, there have been attempts to identify
him with the Viking prince Rurik of Russian chronicles.[2]
Roerik of Dorestad was born about 810/820 to Ali Anulo, 9th King of Hedeby. Frankish
chroniclers mention that he received lands in Friesland from the Emperor Louis I. This
was not enough for him, and he started to plunder neighbouring lands: he took Dorestad
in 850, captured Hedeby in 857 and looted Bremen in 859. The Emperor was enraged
and stripped him of all his possessions in 860. After that Roerik disappears from the
Western sources for a considerable period of time. And at that very moment, in 862, the
Russian Rurik arrives in the Eastern Baltic, builds the fortress of Ladoga and later
moves to Novgorod.
Roerik of Dorestad reappeared in Frankish chronicles in 870, when his Friesland
demesne was returned to him by Charles the Bald; in 882 he is already mentioned as
dead. The Russian chronicle places the death of Rurik of Novgorod at 879. According
to Western sources, the ruler of Friesland was converted to Christianity by the Franks.
This may have parallels with the Christianization of the Rus', as reported by Patriarch
Photius in 867.
Pop culture references
Prince Rurik, an integral character from the game Guild Wars, was named after Rurik of
Dorestad.
References
1. ^ Information about his Rurikid DNA Project can be found at: [1]. Professor
Bajor can be contacted at: [bajor@itme.edu.pl].
2. ^ Rurik's identification with Hrörek was propagated by Boris Rybakov and
Anatoly Kirpichnikov (see А.Н. Кирпичников: Сказание о призвании
варягов. Анализ и возможности источника // Первые скандинавские
чтения. - СПб., 1997. - С. 7-18). Alexander Nazarenko objects to this
identification (see Nazarenko A., Rjurik и Riis Th., Rorik // Lexikon des
Mittelalters. VII. - Munchen, 1995. - P. 880, 1026.)
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not
have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)