- Garðaríki
Garðaríki (Anglicized Gardariki or Gardarike) or Garðaveldi is the
Old Norse term used in medieval times for the states ofRus' Khaganate andKievan Rus' . The shortened form Garðar also refers to the same country, as does the general term for "East", Austr, with its various derivations: "Austrvegr" ("Eastern way"), "Austrlönd" ("Eastern lands") and "Austrríki" ("Eastern realm"). A third set of names consisted of Svíþjóð hin mikla [http://www.northvegr.org/lore/sagas_oi/120.php "Ynglinga saga"] ] ("GreatSweden ") and Svíþjóð hin kalda, [ [http://www.heimskringla.no/original/fornaldersagaene/sorlasaga.php "Sörla saga sterka".] ] ("Cold Sweden") which probably referred to an east Scandinavian origin of many of the Norse settlers in the region.The meaning of the word "Garðaríki" is usually interpreted as "the kingdom of cities", or "the realm of towns" " [http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780141000039,00.html Sagas of the Icelanders] ",
Penguin Group ] , which probably referred to a chain of Norse forts along theVolkhov River , starting withLyubsha and Ladoga. "Gardar" contains the same root as Slavic "gord" ("town") and English "garden". Garðr refers to a wall or fortification but came to primarily mean what it contained. For the Germanicetymology of the latter element, see the article onReich .As the
Varangians dealt mainly with Northern Russian lands, theirsaga s regard the city of Holmsgardr ("Holmgarðr",Novgorod the Great ) as the capital of Gardariki. Other local towns mentioned in the sagas are Aldeigjuborg (Old Ladoga), Kœnugarðar (Kiev ), Pallteskja (Polotsk ), Smaleskja (Smolensk ), Súrsdalar (Suzdal ), Móramar (Murom ), and Ráðstofa (Rostov ).Legendary kings of Garðaríki
*
Sigrlami ("Hervarar saga ")
*Svafrlami ("Hervarar saga")
* Rollaugr ("Hervarar saga")
*Ráðbarðr ("Sögubrot ")
* Hreggviðr ("Göngu-Hrólfs saga ")
* Hálfdan Brönufostri (king of Svíþjóð hin kalda in "Sörla saga sterka ")ee also
*
Gord (Slavic settlement)
*Varangian Runestones Notes
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