We think of Vikings as a Western phenomenon, but their influence shaped the East just as much. Martyn Whittock’s new book Vikings in the East uncovers how Norse adventurers founded the first Russian state, traded in Baghdad and left a legacy still felt in today’s geopolitics. Here, Martyn Whittock takes us behind the scenes of writing the book, sharing surprising discoveries and the myths that have shaped history for centuries.
Why is the Viking Age commonly considered to be a Western European phenomenon?
Because of the dramatic impact the Vikings had on Western societies. Across the British Isles, Viking destruction of monasteries (such as at Lindisfarne) is understandably prominent in history. In England, the fame of Alfred the Great, who fought them in the Viking wars, is very big in the national story. They have a similar high profile in Ireland and elsewhere. In addition, much more documentary evidence survives in Western Europe, written by those on the receiving end of Viking attacks and settlement. In contrast, much of the Eastern Viking movement went undocumented, as the Finns, Balts and Slavs lived in pre-literate societies when the Norse arrived.
How has the historical Viking narrative been used by Russian leaders to justify their actions?
It has been used to assert a common national character for Russia and Ukraine. This often ignores developments since the Middle Ages, which have differentiated the two communities. It has also fed into the idea of Orthodox ‘Holy Russia’. This accelerated after the fall of Constantinople(modern Istanbul) in 1453, which caused Russians to assert that Moscow is the ‘Third Rome’, an idea rooted in the conversion of the Rus to Orthodox Christian faith in 988. Claims as to the part that the Norse played in this process have varied over time and this is explored in the book. Latterly, Putin has referenced them as a way of claiming that Russia is the true embodiment of traditional European values in modern ‘culture wars’ disputes.
Given the current geopolitical situation, what lessons can we learn from the Viking legacy in Russia and Ukraine?
While the medieval Rus origins laid a common foundation in what is now Russia and Ukraine, later generations have agency to interpret it differently and to develop its legacy in their own ways. This challenges the current dominant narrative from the Kremlin, which asserts that a common historical experience in the Middle Ages undermines the contemporary Ukrainian right to sovereign self-determination. However, we are not prisoners of history.
Where has your research for this book taken you?
Into areas of research where the findings were quite astonishing: Norse travellers in Constantinople, in Baghdad, in Central Asia, maybe even reaching western China. The scale of travel is extraordinary, as well as the number of cultures that were interacting with each other. In terms of places, a memorable moment was in the upper gallery of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, looking at the runic inscription cut into the marble declaring – in effect – ‘Halfdan was here’. It was probably carved by a member of the imperial Varangian Guard (many were recruited from among the Rus).
If you could have dinner with Vladimir the Great, what’s one question you would ask him?
What was his prime reason for choosing Eastern Orthodox Christianity as the faith of the Rus?
If you could time travel to witness one moment in the book, where would you go and why?
I would like to witness the Rus arriving in Baghdad in the 840s and seeing what they made of it.
Vikings in the East: From Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin – The Origins of a Contested Legacy in Russia and Ukraine by Martyn Whittock is out 24 April.
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