The VarangiansPowerPoint by Anna Zimmerman

Who were the Varangians?

The Varangians were Vikings who ruled the Medieval State of ‘Rus from the 9th century until the 11th.

Origins Most think that the Varangians came from

Sweden originally.

The Varangians’ original group of the Vikings had an influence in much of Europe during the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries..

As Vikings, the Varangians used boats on the ocean and many rivers to trade, sell, and even steal from other nations and ships.

Two of the main areas the Varangians occupied were the river systems of the Gardariki and the areas north of the Black Sea.

The State of Rus In 862 the Varangians took over rule of the

state of Rus.

Eventually the Varangian Rus looked southward and captured Kiev from the Khazars, making their state even larger.

Activity The Varangians saw the riches of places like the

Byzantine Empire in the middle east. They attempted to trade with them, but also raided their ships and invaded their territory. This greatly upset the Byzantines, and led the Varangians to go to war with the empire several times. Sometimes these wars led to good treaties between the two parties.

Through so much contact with the Byzantine Empire, the Varangians and those who lived in the state of Rus were converted to orthodox Christianity in 988 during the reign of Vladimir the Great.

The Varangian Guard

From the 9th to 14th century, the Varangian Guard were a part of the Byzantine military. The guard was initially made up of Varangians from the state of Rus. Members of the guard served primarily as personal guards to Byzantine royalty and officials.

Assimilation Eventually, the Varangians started to be

assimilated, or started to “blend in” with the Slavs. This lead to the Varangian culture of the east to slowly die away.

Some of the largest contributions the Varangians made to this area were the availability of trade and exchange of knowledge with the Middle East, and the name of their state, “Rus,” which is thought to be the root of the word “Russia,” the country that now sits where the state of Rus once did.