For everyone and about everything. All Parts of the World. Why are they called that? What is the origin of the names of parts of the world

April 29th, 2013

The history of the names of each of the continents is very interesting. Why was Asia called Asia and Antarctica - Antarctica? The origin of some names is associated with ancient myths - the merit of the ancient Greeks in the etymology of many words, including their own names, is very great. For example, Europe is a mythical heroine that appeared thanks to the boundless imagination of the ancient Greeks, who created an incredible number of myths.

Why was Europe called Europe?

There are several versions. Here is one of the most common.

In ancient times, in the place where the state of Lebanon is located, Phenicia was located. According to ancient Greek myths, the god Zeus fell in love with an incredibly beautiful earthly woman named Europa. Historians suggest that the word “Europe” in Phoenician meant “set” (the word itself is most likely Assyrian).

Beauty Europa was the daughter of Agenor, king of Phenicia. The Thunderer Zeus wanted to make Europe his wife, but King Agenor would not allow this. Zeus had no choice but to kidnap the beauty.

Having turned into a white bull, Zeus stole Europa and transported her to the island of Crete. Later, according to some myths, Europa became the wife of the Cretan king. Therefore, the inhabitants of Crete began to call their land Europe.

“The Rape of Europe”, V. Serov, 1910

In the 5th century BC, the name Europe spread to all of Greece. Gradually, gaining new knowledge about the world around them and traveling more and more, ancient people pushed back the borders of Europe. And only in the middle of the 18th century were the final boundaries of Europe established, which are also marked on modern geographical maps.

Perhaps this is exactly what happened, and Europe was called Europe in honor of the heroine of ancient Greek myths. In any case, this is a very interesting and curious version.

Why was Asia called Asia?

The name “Asia” as applied to the continent also appeared thanks to the ancient Greeks and their myths. However, the word “Asia” itself is Assyrian, translated as “sunrise.” Now it’s clear why the largest part of the world was called Asia, because that’s where the sun rises.

The word “Asia” among the Assyrians was just a word, but it became the name of a part of the world thanks to the Greeks. In ancient Greek mythology there is a titan god named Ocean. Asia (Asia) is his oceanid daughter, whom the Greeks themselves depicted riding a camel. In her hands she had a shield and a box of aromatic spices. In some versions of myths, Asia is the mother (and in some - the wife) of Prometheus himself - the very hero who brought fire to people.

G. Dore "Oceanids", 1860

The ancient Greeks began to call everything east of Europe and closer to the place where the sun rises Asia. The Scythians, who lived beyond the Caspian Sea, were called Asians by the Greeks. And the ancient Romans, by the way, called the inhabitants of their eastern province Asians.

When the period of great geographical discoveries began, it was decided to use the word “Asia” to designate vast areas of land located closer to sunrise (that is, to the east). Thus, we owe the appearance on the map of a part of the world called Asia to the Assyrians and ancient Greeks.

Did ancient Greek mythology influence the name of any other part of the world? Yes! And this part of the world is Antarctica.

How did Antarctica get its name?

Antarctica is a derivative of the word "Antarctica". The southern polar region was called Antarctica. Translated from Greek, Antarctica means “opposite to the Arctic,” because the name “Arctic” appeared earlier as a designation for the area adjacent to the North Pole. It is the word “Arctic” that is directly related to ancient Greek mythology.

The Thunderer Zeus fell in love with the nymph Callisto, but the envious gods could not see how happy Zeus and Callisto were and turned the pregnant woman into a bear. After this she gave birth to a son. Arkad, that was the name of his son (in Greek, bear is arktos), grew up without a mother. One day, while hunting, he swung a spear at his mother bear Callisto (of course, he did not know who she was). Seeing this, Zeus turned both dear creatures into constellations - this is how Ursa Major and Ursa Minor appeared.

These constellations helped to find the polar star, which always pointed north. Therefore, the ancient Greeks began to call the entire northern region the Arctic. Then the name Antarctica (the opposite of the Arctic) appeared. Well, later the word Antarctica arose - a sixth of the world, the southern continent at the very pole of the Earth.

This part of the world was discovered by Russian sailors under the command of Thaddeus Bellingshausen on January 28, 1820. True, this is the official date - it was then that the sailors saw the “ice continent”. A year later, the sailors saw the shore and called this area the Land of Alexander the First. However, this name never spread to the entire continent, which eventually received the name Antarctica, associated with ancient Greece.

So, three parts of the world - Europe, Asia and Antarctica - got their names thanks to ancient Greek myths. But how did the names of other parts of the world and continents appear?

Even children know that America was discovered by Christopher Columbus. Then why was this part of the world not called Colombia or Columbia? And what is the origin of the name America?

Christopher Columbus, of course, discovered America, but he himself did not know that he had discovered a new part of the world, believing that the land on the other side of the Atlantic was China (Catay, as it was called in the time of Columbus).

Columbus still became famous for centuries. But much less often they talk about the Florentine navigator, who lived at the same time as Columbus, but was younger than him. Amerigo made four trips to the western shores of the Atlantic Ocean, but historians consider two of them nothing more than a hoax. However, at least one journey actually took place - Amerigo made it in 1501-1502 to the shores of Brazil.

Upon returning, Amerigo Vespucci began to colorfully describe the progress of the trip and his impressions, sending these notes in letters to his friends and the banker Lorenzo Medici. After some time, Vespucci's letters were published and were a great success among readers.

Vespucci himself proposed to name the land he discovered New World, but in 1507, a Lorraine cartographer named Martin Waldseemuller decided to put a new land on the map and name it in honor of the “discoverer” - Amerigo Vespucci. After all, reading Amerigo’s notes, many came to the conclusion that Vespucci discovered some new continent that had nothing to do with China, discovered by Columbus on the other side of the Atlantic.

However, not much time passed, and geographers and cartographers concluded that both Columbus and Vespucci discovered the same continent. Cartographers left the name for it “ America", dividing it into North and South.

Thus, already in 1538, North America and South America appeared on the maps. However, until the end of the 17th century, that is, another two and a half centuries, these lands in Europe continued to be called the New World. But, as we know, the name America was officially recognized.

Stefan Zweig called this whole story a comedy of errors, and A. Humboldt dubbed the very name of this part of the world “a monument to human injustice.” It’s not for nothing that they say that Columbus had alternate luck: “he went to discover one thing, found another, but what he found was given the name of a third.”

Australia, the fifth continent, was discovered at the beginning of the 17th century by the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon. Since then, this part of the world has appeared on geographical maps, but under the name New Holland. However, the boundaries of the continent were unknown at that time. How Australia name changed its own, ceasing to be just New Holland?

Australia. Photo from space

The answer must be sought in the depths of centuries. People started talking about Australia long before it was discovered. Even the great Ptolemy was sure that in the southern hemisphere there is a huge continent that should “balance” the planet. The mysterious land, which either exists or doesn’t exist, has been given a conventional name Terra Australis Incognita, which translated from Latin means “Mysterious (or Unknown) Southern Land.”

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the British were actively searching for the Mysterious South Land or New Holland. And finally, James Cook and Matthew Flinders, having completed several voyages, contributed to the appearance of the shores of the fifth continent on the maps.

Flinders was the first to circumnavigate the mainland. He wrote that he was constrained by the name Terra Australis (Southern Land), but with great pleasure he would have called the continent differently -. So, with the light hand of Flinders, this continent began to be called Australia, because the option proposed by the navigator seemed very, very successful to cartographers and geographers.

Why is Africa called Africa?
There is no exact and only accepted answer to this question. There are many theories, each of which has the right to life. Let's give just a few.

How the name “Africa” appeared: the first version. The name "Africa" was invented by the Greco-Romans. The territory of North Africa west of Egypt was long called Libya by the ancient Greeks and Romans because it was inhabited by tribes whom the Romans called “Livs.” Everything south of Libya was called Ethiopia.

In 146 BC, Rome defeated Carthage. A colony was founded on the territory captured as a result of the war, where Tunisia is now located. This colony was given the name “Africa”, since local warlike Afarik tribes lived in these places. According to another theory, the inhabitants of Carthage themselves called people who did not live in cities with the word “afri,” which is supposedly derived from the Phoenician afar (dust). The Romans, after defeating Carthage, used the word "afri" to name the colony. Gradually, all other lands of this continent began to be called Africa.

The ruins of one of the cities of the state of Carthage

How the name “Africa” came about: version two. The name "Africa" was invented by the Arabs. Arab geographers have long known that Asia and Africa are separated from each other by the Red Sea. The Arabic word "faraqa" is translated as "to divide", "to separate one from the other."

From the word farak, the Arabs formed the word “Ifriqiya” - this is what they called the fourth continent (the ancient name can be translated as “Separated”). The famous Arab scholar of the 16th century, Muhammad al-Wazan, wrote about this. Later, Ifriqiya turned into Africa, which was due to the peculiarities of borrowing foreign names in different languages.

And also find out whether it is really and true that The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

Not long ago we looked at where the names of the 12 months came from. Let’s continue this topic and look at where the names of parts of the world come from. As you know, there are six parts of the world. These are Australia, Asia, America, Africa, Europe and Antarctica. Where did all these names come from? Let's figure it out.

Why was America called America?

Let's start our review with America. Why is America called America? Where did this name come from, if every schoolchild knows that it was discovered by Christopher Columbus and it would be logical to call this part of the world Colombia, and the two continents that make it up Northern and Southern Colombia, respectively.

Everything here is quite interesting. The fact is that Columbus himself did not realize until the end of his days that he had discovered a new continent; he was deeply convinced that he had discovered an alternative route to Asia, through the western direction. In principle, this is why the indigenous population received the name Indians, because the Spanish discoverer believed that they were inhabitants of India. America received its very name from its explorer, the Florentine navigator Amerigo Vespucci, who in letters to his influential friends described his adventures in new lands in an inspiring manner. These stories spread very well throughout Europe, and ultimately the famous cartographer Martin Waldseemüller in 1507 attributed the discovery of the new continent to Amerigo Vespucci and called it America, although Vespucci himself modestly proposed the name New World, which was most common until the end of the 17th century.

Why was Australia called Australia?

There have been legends about the existence of a large continent in the southern hemisphere since ancient times. In those days, these mysterious lands were called Terra Australis Incognita, which translated means the mysterious southern land. The first European to reach the shores of Australia was Willem Janszoon, who named the discovered lands New Holland, but the name "Australia" itself became popular after the publication of a book by Captain Matthew Flinders, the first man to circumnavigate the Australian continent. The book was called "Travels in Terra Australis". In 1824, the British Admiralty finally approved this name for the continent.

Why was Africa called Africa?

There are several versions of the origin of the name Africa. Here's what Wikipedia tells us about it:

Initially, the inhabitants of ancient Carthage used the word “Afri” to refer to people who lived near the city. This name is usually attributed to the Phoenician afar, meaning "dust". After the conquest of Carthage, the Romans called the province Africa (lat. Africa). Later, all known regions of this continent, and then the continent itself, began to be called Africa.

Another theory is that the name "Afri" comes from the Berber ifri, "cave", referring to cave dwellers. The Muslim province of Ifriqiya, which later arose in this place, also retained this root in its name. According to historian and archaeologist I. Efremov, the word “Africa” came from the ancient language of Ta-Kem (Egypt. “Afros” is a foamy country. This is due to the collision of several types of currents that form foam when approaching the continent in the Mediterranean Sea.

There are other versions of the origin of this word, but it is unlikely that anyone will know for sure which version is true.

Why was Asia called Asia?

In the Assyrian language, the word Asia meant “sunrise,” but in relation to a certain part of the world, this name was introduced by the ancient Greeks. Apparently it comes from the name of King Asius, who in the Greek epic was an ally of the Trojans. Also in Greek mythology, Asia was the name of the oceanid, the wife of Prometheus, from whom, according to mythological tradition, the name of the part of the world came. By the time of Herodotus, the designation of an entire part of the world as Asia (Asia) was generally accepted among the Greeks. The Scythians, who lived beyond the Caspian Sea, were called Asians by the Greeks.

Why was Antarctica called Antarctica?

Why was Europe called Europe?

Europa is named after the heroine of ancient Greek mythology, Europa, a Phoenician princess, kidnapped by Zeus and taken to Crete (the epithet of Europa could also be associated with Hera and Demeter). The origin of this name itself, as the French linguist P. Chantrain concludes, is unknown. The most popular etymological hypotheses in modern literature were proposed back in antiquity (along with many others), but are controversial: one etymology interprets it from the Greek roots evri- and ops- as “wide-eyed”, another - according to the lexicographer Hesychius, the name Europia means “ country of sunset, or dark,” which was compared by later linguists with Western Seminal. ‘rb “sunset” or Akkad. erebu with the same meaning.

Based on materials from Wikipedia and the site pochemuka.ru

Relief of the earth's surface

The surface of the lithosphere consists of continents and oceanic basins. Continent is a geological and geomorphological concept. It refers to large protrusions on the surface of the lithosphere, as opposed to oceanic depressions. Continents have an underwater continuation (continental shelf). The continental slope belongs to both the continent and the oceanic basin. Mainland islands are also part of the mainland. There are six continents: Eurasia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica.

A continent (from Latin continents - continuous, continuous) is a large, continuous land mass, not divided by the sea. There are four continents: the Old World, the New World, Australia and Antarctica. The rest of the land not included in the continents therefore belongs to the islands. The whole point of the term "continent" is to be opposed to the concept of "island". The opposition of these concepts is relative, the difference between them is purely quantitative, but since the largest island (Greenland) is four times smaller than the smallest continent (Australia), the appropriateness of such a division is beyond doubt.

The Old World is Eurasia and Africa, the New World consists of both Americas.

All land consists of continents and islands.

Land is conventionally divided into parts of the world. Part of the world - the concept of historical tradition. Unlike continents and continents, parts of the world cover all land, that is, including oceanic islands, each of them must be assigned to some part of the world. There are six parts of the world (Europe, Asia, America, Australia, Antarctica) or seven, if Oceania is called a special part of the world - the islands of the Pacific Ocean, which do not “gravitate” equally to any of the other parts of the world. Division into parts of the world has practical meaning for world geographical descriptions, atlases, reference books, as a basis for groupings of states, units of administrative-territorial division and natural or political boundaries. These “parts of the world”, of course, do not have quality content.

To clearly understand these concepts, it is necessary to understand the following provisions:

the surface of the continents is divided into two parts - continental and island;
the continental parts of the surface of the continents, not separated by the waters of the World Ocean, constitute one continent;
the border between continents cannot be on land;
the border between continents on land passes along the isthmuses: Panama and Suez;
The area of a continent is the sum of the continental parts of the surface surfaces included in this continent of continents;
any part of the world (except for Oceania) consists of continental and island parts;
The total area of the oceanic islands is equal to the land area minus the surface area of the continents.

Asia - from the Assyrian Asi - rising (Sun, east), as opposed to Irib or Ereb - darkness (sunset, west).

Europe . The words “Asia” and “Europe” as names of continents arose during the time of Greek culture.

Africa was called Libya by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. Later, the Romans began to call it Africa after the name of the Afri tribes, or Africos - land of Afri; subsequently, when the sea route around Africa was opened, this name spread to the entire continent.

Australia - lat. australis - southern. The mainland has been called this way since 1798. This name was given by the English navigator Flinders. Before that, until the 16th century. it was called Terra Australis incognito - unknown southern land. In 1606, Wil Janz called it New Holland, Tasman - Van Diemen's Land, in 1700 James Cook assigned the name New South Wales.

Antarctica , Antarctica - south polar, from the Greek words anti - against, arcticos - northern (from arctos - bear).

America - there are two versions. 1. From Amerrik - the name of the tribe that lived on the coast of the lake. Nicaragua - in the mountainous region of Sierra Amerric. This tribe attracted the attention of the Spaniards, who believed that gold was being mined on their land. 2. By the name of Amerigo Vespucci, who took part in one of the expeditions and described the new lands in detail. The name has existed since 1507. Martin Waldseemüller gave it to the continent in the book “Introduction to Cosmography” for Central and South America. The name was extended to North America by Gerhard Mercator in 1538. From the 16th century. this name is claimed for both continents.

Atlantic Ocean. The name was first found by the Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BC) - “the sea behind the pillars of Hercules (Atlanta).” The Roman Pliny (1st century AD) gave him the name Oceanus Atlanticus. At different times, different authors called the Western Ocean, the North Sea, and the Outer Sea. From the middle of the 17th century. the entire ocean area began to be called the Atlantic Ocean.

Pacific Ocean. In 1513, the Spanish conquistador Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and came ashore to an unknown ocean. Since the waters extended to the south, the ocean was called the Southern Ocean. In 1520, Ferdinand Magellan crossed the ocean from Tierra del Fuego to the Philippine Islands in good weather, which is why the ocean received the name Pacific. In the 18th century at the suggestion of the French geographer J.N. Buash called the largest ocean the Great. On Russian maps until 1917, the name given by the explorers was used - the Eastern Ocean.

Indian Ocean. The ancient Greeks called the western part of the ocean the Erythraean Sea - the “Red Sea” (erythros, Greek red). In the 4th century. BC e. during the time of Alexander the Great it sounded "Indikos - Pelagos" - Indian Sea. In the 1st century n. e. The Roman Pliny gave the name Oceanus Indicus - Indian Ocean.

Melanesia (Greek black melas, nesos - island) - black island. This name was proposed by Europeans in the second half of the 19th century. for the black skin color of the population. Now these are islands and archipelagos in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

Micronesia (Greek micros - small, nesos - island) - small islands in the western part of the Pacific Ocean north of the equator.

Polynesia (Greek polis many, nesos islands) - many islands. Islands and archipelagos in the central Pacific Ocean.

FIRST NEWS ABOUT Rus'

Questions in the text

Why does the question of the origin of Rus' cause controversy not only among historians?

The history of the origin of Rus' as a state formation is based on contradictory chronicle data. Archaeological excavations, on the one hand, confirm the Norman theory of the emergence of Rus', but on the other hand, they cannot refute the anti-Norman theory. Moreover, at one time both of these theories were too politicized. Some supporters of the Norman theory used it to justify the backwardness of the Slavs, their unwillingness to organize their own state, and historically proved the subordinate position of the Slavs in relation to more “civilized” peoples. During the Soviet period, the thesis that the state cannot be imposed from the outside became a state ideological guideline for historians in proving the Slavic origin of the “Rus” people. Everyone tried to use historical data for non-scientific purposes. Disputes continue to this day regarding the origin of Rus'.

Who are the Normans? Which European countries did they raid?

The inhabitants of Scandinavia were called Normans. They carried out military raids on the coastal territories of the Baltic Sea. They also made a great contribution to the development of many peoples of modern Europe. Thus, traces of the presence of the Normans were recorded in France (where one of the provinces was named Normandy), and archaeological traces of settlements with a household and military culture similar to the Scandinavian were found on Lake Ladoga.

Questions to the text of the paragraph

What is told in The Tale of Bygone Years about the beginning of Rus'?

The Tale of Bygone Years tells about the origin of the Slavs, about the calling of one of the leaders of the Varangians-Rus to the principality, about the history of the formation of the Old Russian state - Rus'.

Which historical source contains the first dated information about the Ros (Rus) people? What does this source say?

The first precisely dated news about Rus' is considered to be the message of the “Vertinsky Annals”, which were kept in one of the monasteries of the Frankish Empire. It talks about the embassy of the people growing up to the court of Emperor Louis the Pious.

What do archaeological finds in Ladoga and Novgorod indicate?

Finds by archaeologists in Ladoga and Novgorod indicate the presence of “aliens from overseas” in the 8th-9th centuries in the northern territories of the Eastern Slavs. Some historians consider these “aliens from overseas” to be Scandinavians, but this statement does not have sufficient substantiation, since the found household items and weapons were common in many Baltic lands. Archaeological finds made in the 20th century in Pskov, Novgorod, Ruse, Ladoga, etc., indicate a very close connection between the population of the north of Ancient Rus' not only with Scandinavia, but also with the Slavic southern coast of the Baltic - with the Pomeranian and Polabian Slavs.

Name the main difference between the Norman and anti-Norman theories.

The main discrepancy between the Norman and anti-Norman theories is the assessment of the origin of the Varangian-Rus, whom the Ilmen Slovenes and Chud tribes called to reign in Novgorod. Normanists consider Rurik and his squad to be Scandinavians from the Svei (Swedes) tribe, and anti-Normanists classify the Varangian Rus as one of the Slavic tribes that inhabited the southern coast of the Baltic Sea at that time.

Why was the dynasty of rulers of Rus' called Rurikovich?

Because the leader of the Varangian Rus, who sat down to reign in Novgorod, was Rurik. He laid the foundation for the dynasty of princes in Rus'.

Which of the documents listed in the paragraph were written in Russian, and which in other languages?

“The Tale of Bygone Years” was written by the monk Nester at the beginning of the 12th century in the Slavic language (it is very different from the modern Russian language). All other documents are in other languages.

Working with the map

1. Show Scandinavia, the island of Rügen, Ladoga, Novgorod on the map.

Let's complete the task for the contour map in the workbook on page 20.

Scandinavia is a large peninsula located in northern Europe (shaded in purple).
The island of Rügen is located off the coast of modern Germany (a small yellow island).
Ladoga is a city on the shores of Lake Ladoga.
Novgorod is a city located just below Ladoga along the Volkhov River.

2. Find on the map the rivers along which trade took place from the most ancient Russian centers.

Consider the map on page 7 of the atlas.

The most important trade routes along which trade took place from the most ancient Russian centers are indicated on this map with brown lines.
The most famous trade route was called “From the Varangians to the Greeks” (marked with a thick red line). It passed along the rivers: Volkhov (1), Lovat (2) and Dnieper (3).
Trade was also carried out along the rivers: Neva (4), Svir (5), Volga (6), Western Dvina (7).

We think, compare, reflect

Express your opinion on the dispute between Normanists and anti-Normanists. Give arguments in defense of the opinion that you consider more convincing.

I believe that there are sufficient grounds to consider the Varangians, who came to rule Novgorod from the southern coast of the Baltic, as Rus. They cannot be clearly considered Scandinavians, Germans or Slavs. Most likely, this tribe was formed as a result of numerous mixtures, incorporating Scandinavian, Slavic, and Germanic roots.

The applicability of the names Rus, Rugi, Ruten, Ruyan to the same tribe is proven in many historical documents. The history of the origin of the Rug tribe allows us, with a high degree of probability, to classify them as one of the Veneti tribes (this is the name that all the ancient Slavic tribes were subsequently called, although the Veneti themselves came to Europe from Asia Minor after the fall of Troy and mixed with the local Slavic tribes, introducing innovations into the culture , beliefs and traditions). However, many historians consider the Rugs to be an East Germanic tribe.

It cannot be denied that although the Rus spoke the same language with the Slavs, as is directly stated in the Tale of Bygone Years, they adopted this language as a result of neighboring residence and mixing with the Slavs. Historian Lev Gumilyov is inclined to attribute the Rugs more likely to Germanic tribes - the Germanic and Scandinavian tribes really had a great influence on the culture and traditions of the future Rus. The Rus were very different from the Slavs in the historical documents of Byzantine and Arab authors. If the Slavs were described as a peace-loving people, then the Russians were attributed belligerence, sometimes they were even called robbers. At the same time, the presence of mercenary detachments of Russians is noted in almost all armies of ancient Europe, because they were brave, strong and excellent at fighting.

There are many documents that mention the Rugs (Russ), describe the territory of their settlement - the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, provide evidence of the migration of the Rugs during the Great Tribal Migration and the founding (though not for long) of the state formation Rugenland on the territory of modern eastern Austria and Hungary, which in at that time it was the province of Noricum in the Roman Empire. Nestor in The Tale of Bygone Years also expressed confidence about the homeland of the Rus in Norik. In addition, this territory is adjacent to the theory of the origin of the Slavs in the Danube region, recognized by many scientists. According to some versions, from here the Rus tribe, as one of the tribes of the Slavic glades, migrated to the area of the middle reaches of the Dnieper and its tributary - the Ros River.

Using the Internet and additional literature, find and write down in your notebook the main versions on the origin of the word “Rus”.

According to one version, the word “Rus” is of Scandinavian origin; the inhabitants of Finland used a similar word to describe people sailing on boats with several rows of rowers. According to another, the name “Rus” is associated with the island of Rügen, a stronghold of the Rus tribe. There was also a popular opinion that the word “Rus” came from the name of the Ros River, near Kyiv. There is also a hypothesis put forward by S.A. Gedeonov, who argued about the sufficiency and irrefutability of the facts of the existence of the Russian Khaganate in the neighborhood of the Khazar Khaganate in the middle of the 9th century; the word “Rus”, according to Gedeonov, came from the name of this tribe and the Khaganate. There is a version that “Rus” is a supra-tribal druzhina-trading social layer, consolidating around the prince, forming his squad, army, and administrative apparatus.

Possible questions during the lesson

Why is the question of the origin of Rus' still considered controversial?

The question of the origin of Rus' is still considered controversial because there are not enough sources to unambiguously substantiate this or that hypothesis. And the available written sources are contradictory. In addition, different positions on the issue of the origin of Rus' for a long time served not for scientific, but for political purposes. Today, more and more scientists are inclined to conclude that it is necessary to talk about the influence of several cultures on the process of formation of Rus'.

How can we find out the origins of the people “Rus”? Using what sources?

The origin of the Rus people can only be clarified by comparing various chronicle sources and archaeological finds, which are still not enough to unambiguously determine the origins of the Rus people.

How does The Tale of Bygone Years interpret the word “Rus”?

In The Tale of Bygone Years the word “Rus” is used by the author several times, and each time in a different context. The first mention in the chronicle of the people “Rus” is at the very beginning of the narrative when listing the peoples who came from the tribe of Japheth. The author puts “Rus” on a par with other peoples, as a separate people. At the same time, the author contrasts the “Rus” people with the Slavs, Scandinavians, and Finno-Ugric peoples. In subsequent references, the word “Rus” can be interpreted as a certain territory (the northern land and the lands of the glades and Drevlyans) and the military-trading squad in the Slavic tribes (“Rus raised the oars”, in the sense of a squad).

What do foreign authors say about the people of Rus'?

The Gothic historian Jordan mentions the Rus or Ros people, who lived in the Black Sea region and annoyed their neighbors with robberies. The Arab writer Ibn Khordadbeg reports about Russian Slavic merchants coming to the east. And in the “Annals of Bertin” it is said about the people of the Ros, who are ruled by the Kagan, and who are actually Svei (Swedes).

What conclusions did you come to?

We see that there are several versions of the origin of the “Rus” people. The first is a Slavic or East Germanic tribe that lived on the southern coast of the Baltic. The second is the tribes of the Slavs who came from the Danube to the middle Dnieper and Black Sea regions and founded the Russian Kaganate, and subsequently Kyiv. The third is the Scandinavians. I believe that these versions may have a right to exist; only the version about the Scandinavian origin of the “Rus” people is doubtful, since it is based on the speculation of the author of the “Bertinian Annals”, although it indirectly confirms the existence of “Rus” on the island of Rugen.
The “Rus” people and the Slavs are most likely either related peoples or have existed in the neighborhood for a long time. Their relationship may have been mutually beneficial. This explains the information that the Rusyns themselves did not plow or sow; they were provided for by the Slavs, i.e. paid tribute. It is likely that for this “Rus” provided protection and conducted military operations on behalf of this union. This symbiosis also explains the mention of the existence of a people with a similar name on the Dnieper and Black Sea coast.
The people of “Rus” were greatly influenced by Slavic, Germanic, and Scandinavian culture. This may explain the confusion in their identification.
In the history of Ancient Rus', the concept of “Rus” most likely changed its meaning from the name of a tribe or union of tribes to the name of a military trading class, and subsequently the name of a state.

When and how did the Varangians come to reign in the Slavic lands?

The Tale of Bygone Years says that the Varangian-Rus people came to the Novgorod land at the invitation of the Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes, who quarreled among themselves and in 862 decided to call on the Varangians to establish fair rule for them.

When do alien settlements from overseas appear in the lands of the Eastern Slavs?

Settlements of aliens from overseas appeared in the lands of the Eastern Slavs in the 8th-9th centuries.

Where were these settlements located?

They were located in the area of Lake Ladoga, as well as near Novgorod.

When and where did Novgorod appear?

Novgorod is located on the Priilmenskaya lowland, on the Volkhov River. The official date of the emergence of Novgorod is considered to be 859.

What conclusion have many archaeologists come to?

Many archaeologists have come to the conclusion that the newcomers from across the sea were the Normans. However, this statement cannot be unambiguous, since the weapons, pottery, buildings and household items found were also used on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, where Slavic tribes lived.

What were the main occupations of the Normans?

The main occupations of the Varangians and Normans were war and trade.

Why did the Varangians have almost friendly relations with the Eastern Slavs, while in the West they inspired terror in the locals?

According to academician B.A. Rybakov, the Varangians came to the territory of the Ilmen Slovenes not to fight, but to trade. He explains this by the fact that the attack tactics of the Varangian squads were famous for surprise. In order to attack the Eastern Slavs, the Varangians had to enter the Gulf of Finland, where their flotilla was visible from the shore, and then walk several hundred kilometers along rivers and lakes against the current of the Neva, Volkhov and Lovat. Along this entire route, the boats could be shot at from the banks. In addition, in order to get to the rich possessions of the Polans, Northerners, and Drevlyans, the Varangians would have to drag their ships overland from one body of water to another, while they themselves became defenseless against attack. The surprise factor could not play a major role.

Let's sum it up

Who are the Varangians?

Varangians are a group within the population of Ancient Rus', of an ethnic, professional, or social nature, which gives rise to numerous discussions. The Varangians often include people from Scandinavia - the Vikings and their Russified descendants, who were mercenary soldiers or traders in the Old Russian state. According to another version, the Varangians were Slavic or East Germanic peoples of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. The Old Russian chronicle “The Tale of Bygone Years” connects the emergence of the state of Rus' with the Varangian-Rus tribe.

What was the role of the Varangians in the creation of the Old Russian state?

Archaeological sources say that in the 9th century, the presence of representatives of the South Baltic peoples was noted in the northern territories of Rus'. This is confirmed in the “Tale of Bygone Years” by the monk Nestor, who spoke about the calling of the Varangians of the Rus tribe to reign in Novgorod. It was from this moment that the movement of the Rus from north to south and the unification of the Slavic tribes into the Old Russian state were noted.

Homework

Write an essay about the origin of the word “Rus”.

It is impossible to say unambiguously where the word “Rus” came from, because there are not enough historical sources to confirm one version or another. According to one version, the word “Rus” is of Scandinavian origin; the inhabitants of Finland used a similar word to describe people sailing on boats with several rows of rowers. According to another, the name “Rus” is associated with the island of Rügen, a stronghold of the Rus tribe. There was also a popular opinion that the word “Rus” came from the name of the Ros River, near Kyiv. There is also a hypothesis put forward by the historian S.A. Gedeonov, who argued that the facts of the existence of the Russian Khaganate in the neighborhood of the Khazar Khaganate in the middle of the 9th century are sufficient and irrefutable. The word “Rus,” according to Gedeonov, comes from the name of this tribe and kaganate.

One way or another, the word “Rus” changed several times before it came to its final form. In my opinion, the most likely version is the origin of the word “Rus” from the name of the tribe. Thus, it is possible to trace the changes in the word “Rus” in a series of long centuries to its other variations “rug”, “ruzhe”, “ruzi”, “ros”, “rosh” and the meanings: “red”, “red”, “light” ", "brown", "handsome".