148. The Vikings Go East

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode examines the Vikings in the East, arguing that Scandinavian expansion into the rivers of eastern Europe was driven less by conquest than by trade, especially silver and slaves, and that it helped shape the origins of Rus, Russia, and Ukraine. It also highlights the political stakes of this history, from Putin’s claims to Soviet-era debates, and uses Ibn Fadlan’s account to show the violence and strangeness of Viking ritual.

Main Topics: Putin, Rus, and modern political claims: The hosts open with Putin’s essay linking Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians to ancient Rus, and discuss how this history is used to justify modern territorial and identity claims. The Vikings in the East as trade networks: They argue that eastern Viking activity was primarily about commerce along river routes to the Black Sea, Caspian, Baghdad, and Constantinople, not just raiding. Silver, slaves, and economic incentives: The discussion emphasizes that Arabic silver and slave markets were the main attractions drawing Scandinavians eastward, shaping Viking movement and later western raids. Geography, river routes, and fortified trading posts: The hosts trace the practical geography of Baltic and river travel, including Gotland, Birka, Staraya Ladoga, Novgorod, and Smolensk as nodes in a riverine network. Ibn Fadlan and the Viking funeral: A long section recounts Ibn Fadlan’s eyewitness description of a Rus funeral on the Volga, illustrating the brutality, pagan ritual, and cultural distance of the Viking world. Christianization and historical memory: The episode closes by noting that the conversion of the Rus to Christianity transformed this world and made it more legible to later moral frameworks, while also setting up a future episode on Kiev and Byzantium.

Key Arguments: The origins of Rus were shaped by Scandinavian Vikings, not solely by Slavic peoples, despite later nationalist efforts to minimize that influence. Viking expansion in the East was often more lucrative than western raiding because it connected Scandinavia to the wealth of the Islamic world and Byzantium. The eastern Viking world was organized around rivers, portages, forts, and trade stations rather than territorial conquest in the conventional sense. Slave trading was central to the eastern Viking economy, and the English word "slave" reflects the scale of Slavic enslavement. The availability of silver in the East influenced Viking activity in both eastern and western Europe; when eastern silver declined, western raids intensified. Ibn Fadlan’s account is crucial evidence for understanding Viking religion and burial practice because it provides the "software" behind archaeological finds. The conversion of the Rus to Christianity was historically transformative because it moved the region into a shared moral and cultural world with later Europe and the Islamic world.

Data Points: Length of Putin essay: 5,000 words - Referenced as the historical essay Putin wrote about Rus and Ukraine. Century of Rus origins: 10th century - The hosts trace Putin’s argument back to the emergence of the Kingdom of the Rus. Primary eastern trade route period: 8th-10th centuries - The discussion centers on Viking movement through eastern Europe during this era. Birka’s emergence: c. 750/753 - Birka is described as an early Scandinavian staging post for eastern travel. Silver mine boom: c. 890s - Samanid silver mines in Central Asia are said to have flooded the trade network with silver. Eastern silver decline: after c. 965 - The drying up of eastern silver is linked to the abandonment of Birka and renewed western Viking activity. Funeral preparation period: 10 days - Ibn Fadlan describes the elaborate Rus funeral as taking ten days to prepare. Funeral wealth division: 3 parts - The dead man’s fortune is divided into thirds: booze, funeral goods, and inheritance.

Pivotal Quotes: "Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians ... are all descendants of ancient Rus" — Vladimir Putin (as quoted by the hosts): Opening discussion of the political use of early medieval history. "the Vikings in the East, which is this impossibly kind of romantic, violent, exotic, exciting, murky subject" — Tom Holland: Framing the episode’s historical theme. "they are the filthiest of Al-Az creatures" — Ibn Fadlan (as quoted by the hosts): Ibn Fadlan’s description of the Rus after observing them on the Volga.

Implications: The episode shows how early medieval history remains politically potent, especially for Russia and Ukraine, while also revealing that Viking expansion was a global trade story tied to silver, slavery, and cultural exchange.