Varangians

Varangians were Scandinavian traders and warriors active in eastern Europe and the Byzantine world during the Viking Age. They traveled river routes, founded settlements, and served as mercenaries and imperial guards.

Volga trade route: A medieval network linking the Baltic region to the Caspian Sea through rivers and portages. Varangians used this route to trade with Islamic lands and reach the Caspian.
Viking Age: The period of Scandinavian seafaring, raiding, trade, and settlement, conventionally dated from the late eighth to the eleventh century. Varangian activity formed an eastern dimension of this wider Scandinavian expansion.
Oleg of Novgorod: A ruler of early Rus' traditionally associated with the capture of Kyiv and a campaign against Constantinople. Chronicles portray him as a Varangian leader who consolidated power in Rus'.
Varangian trade: The exchange of goods by Scandinavian merchants traveling through eastern European river networks. Trade was a central activity alongside the Varangians' military service.
Viking: A Scandinavian seafarer who participated in raiding, trading, or settlement during the Viking Age. The broader term includes western expeditions, while Varangian usually signals eastern routes and service.
Dnieper trade route: A medieval waterway connecting the Baltic region with the Black Sea through the Dnieper River. Its river-and-portage passage carried Varangians toward Constantinople.
Norsemen: The Scandinavian peoples of the Viking Age and the medieval period. Varangians were Norsemen who traveled and operated in eastern Europe and Byzantium.
Igor of Kyiv: A tenth-century ruler of Rus' and member of the Rurikid dynasty. His reign illustrates the dynasty's Scandinavian-linked origins and Byzantine diplomacy.
Byzantine diplomacy with Rus': The treaties, embassies, and political relations between the Byzantine Empire and Rus'. These relations formalized commerce and military cooperation involving Varangians.
Normans: A people of northern France descended chiefly from Scandinavian settlers and local populations. Their western European history contrasts with Varangian networks centered on Rus' and Byzantium.

Linked from 9 pages