Rurik

Rurik or Riurik (held to be the same name as the Scandinavian Rörek, Hrörekr) (ca 830 - ca 879) was a Varangian (Viking) who gained control of Novgorod in 862 and built Holmgård there (Rurikovo Gorodische).

There is a debate over how Rurik came to control Novgorod. The later Slavic chronicles, starting from the Primary Chronicle, state that he was invited in by the local tribes who wanted order, but many scholars consider this unlikely and conjecture that he invited himself.

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. The ruling dynasty of this state is named the Rurik Dynasty, after Rurik.

Origin

Even though Rurik was probably legendary there is a controversy about his ethnic origins.

The Normanist versions

The Primary Chronicle refers to him as a Varangian from the tribe of the Rus, which lived across the Baltic Sea. Interestingly, across the Baltic Sea from Russia there is a Swedish province of Roslagen (Old Norse Roþrslandi) or Roden (see Rus' (people)), from which is derived the Finnish and Estonian names for Sweden (Ruotsi and Rootsi). The people are called Rospiggar which was Rosbyggjar in Old Norse. In Byzantine and Frankish sources Vikings appear as Rhos (see Rus' (people)). Add to this the fact that the Varangians are generally held to have been of mostly Swedish origins, it is consequently assumed that he was Swedish. However, some associate him with his contemporary Danish namesake Rörek of Jutland.

The Anti-normanist versions

There is a theory that Rurik, due to the common intermarriages between Varangians and Slav women, was both Slav and Scandinavian, but there are no sources about this. Another theory claims that he was wendish but it is not clear on what grounds this is based.

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