Real Vikings 4. The Wild East: Rise of the Rus
Mar 30, 2026
Elizabeth Rowe, a scholar of Viking-era trade, and Eleanor Barraclough, a historian of Viking diplomacy, explore Scandinavian travel along eastern rivers and commerce with the Islamic Caliphate. They trace river routes to the steppes, the rise of the Rus and Old Ladoga as trading hubs, and the dramatic story of Olga of Kyiv. The narrative highlights trade in silver, furs and slaves and vivid eyewitness accounts like Ibn Fadlan’s.
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Viking Diplomacy In The Baltic
- The Salmi boat burials suggest Vikings in the East pursued high-status diplomacy and trade, not just raids.
- Grave goods like gaming pieces and trained birds indicate a diplomatic mission linking Swedish elites with eastern peoples.
Rivers Opened Viking Routes To Byzantium And Beyond
- River networks from the Baltic to the Black and Caspian Seas enabled Vikings to reach Constantinople and Baghdad by longship and portage.
- Dangerous stretches like the Dnieper rapids and Pecheneg ambush zones framed these routes as high-risk, high-reward corridors.
Dirhams Drove Eastern Viking Expansion
- Eastern Viking activity was driven by demand for silver dirhams from the Islamic Caliphate, obtained via trade and slaving.
- Vikings exported furs, walrus ivory and especially slaves down river in exchange for silver bullion.