登陆注册
5382300000073

第73章 CHAPTER XI(2)

"At that time, as the southern Slavonians paid tribute to the Kozars, so the Novgorodian Slavonians suffered from the attacks of the Variags. For some time the Variags exacted tribute from the Novgorodian Slavonians and the neighbouring Finns; then the conquered tribes, by uniting their forces, drove out the foreigners. But among the Slavonians arose strong internal dissensions; the clans rose against each other. Then, for the creation of order and safety, they resolved to call in princes from a foreign land. In the year 862 Slavonic legates went away beyond the sea to the Variag tribe called Rus, and said, 'Our land is great and fruitful, but there is no order in it; come and reign and rule over us.' Three brothers accepted the invitation, and appeared with their armed followers. The eldest of these, Rurik, settled in Novgorod; the second, Sineus, at Byelo-ozero; and the third, Truvor, in Isborsk. From them our land is called Rus.

After two years the brothers of Rurik died. He alone began to rule over the Novgorod district, and confided to his men the administration of the principal towns."

This simple legend has given rise to a vast amount of learned controversy, and historical investigators have fought valiantly with each other over the important question, Who were those armed men of Rus? For a long time the commonly received opinion was that they were Normans from Scandinavia. The Slavophils accepted the legend literally in this sense, and constructed upon it an ingenious theory of Russian history. The nations of the West, they said, were conquered by invaders, who seized the country and created the feudal system for their own benefit; hence the history of Western Europe is a long tale of bloody struggles between conquerors and conquered, and at the present day the old enmity still lives in the political rivalry of the different social classes. The Russo-Slavonians, on the contrary, were not conquered, but voluntarily invited a foreign prince to come and rule over them! Hence the whole social and political development of Russia has been essentially peaceful, and the Russian people know nothing of social castes or feudalism. Though this theory afforded some nourishment for patriotic self-satisfaction, it displeased extreme patriots, who did not like the idea that order was first established in their country by men of Teutonic race.

These preferred to adopt the theory that Rurik and his companions were Slavonians from the shores of the Baltic.

Though I devoted to the study of this question more time and labour than perhaps the subject deserved, I have no intention of inviting the reader to follow me through the tedious controversy. Suffice it to say that, after careful consideration, and with all due deference to recent historians, I am inclined to adopt the old theory, and to regard the Normans of Scandinavia as in a certain sense the founders of the Russian Empire. We know from other sources that during the ninth century there was a great exodus from Scandinavia. Greedy of booty, and fired with the spirit of adventure, the Northmen, in their light, open boats, swept along the coasts of Germany, France, Spain, Greece, and Asia Minor, pillaging the towns and villages near the sea, and entering into the heart of the country by means of the rivers. At first they were mere marauders, and showed everywhere such ferocity and cruelty that they came to be regarded as something akin to plagues and famines, and the faithful added a new petition to the Litany, "From the wrath and malice of the Normans, O Lord, deliver us!"

But towards the middle of the century the movement changed its character. The raids became military invasions, and the invaders sought to conquer the lands which they had formerly plundered, "ut acquirant sibi spoliando regna quibus possent vivere pace perpetua." The chiefs embraced Christianity, married the daughters or sisters of the reigning princes, and obtained the conquered territories as feudal grants. Thus arose Norman principalities in the Low Countries, in France, in Italy, and in Sicily; and the Northmen, rapidly blending with the native population, soon showed as much political talent as they had formerly shown reckless and destructive valour.

It would have been strange indeed if these adventurers, who succeeded in reaching Asia Minor and the coasts of North America, should have overlooked Russia, which lay, as it were, at their very doors. The Volkhof, flowing through Novgorod, formed part of a great waterway which afforded almost uninterrupted water-

communication between the Baltic and the Black Sea; and we know that some time afterwards the Scandinavians used this route in their journeys to Constantinople. The change which the Scandinavian movement underwent elsewhere is clearly indicated by the Russian chronicles: first, the Variags came as collectors of tribute, and raised so much popular opposition that they were expelled, and then they came as rulers, and settled in the country.

Whether they really came on invitation may be doubted, but that they adopted the language, religion, and customs of the native population does not militate against the assertion that they were Normans. On the contrary, we have here rather an additional confirmation, for elsewhere the Normans did likewise. In the North of France they adopted almost at once the French language and religion, and the son and successor of the famous Rollo was sometimes reproached with being more French than Norman.*

*Strinnholm, "Die Vikingerzuge" (Hamburg, 1839), I., p. 135.

Though it is difficult to decide how far the legend is literally true, there can be no possible doubt that the event which it more or less accurately describes had an important influence on Russian history. From that time dates the rapid expansion of the Russo-

Slavonians--a movement that is still going on at the present day.

同类推荐
  • 宾退录

    宾退录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 无量寿经优婆提舍愿生偈婆薮槃头菩萨造(并)

    无量寿经优婆提舍愿生偈婆薮槃头菩萨造(并)

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 读书后

    读书后

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 上清七圣玄纪经

    上清七圣玄纪经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上洞真贤门经

    太上洞真贤门经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 二次元最强英灵

    二次元最强英灵

    林天带着英灵系统来到了火影世界,在这里他又会翻起怎样的浪花?(世界∶火影[进行中]—fate[暂定]—……有什么想要看的世界可以从评论里发,我会不定时间选一下。)
  • 美人无恨:宸妃传

    美人无恨:宸妃传

    她只是一个平民出身的良家子,他却是从小见惯争斗的帝王。不该动心,却偏偏对彼此动心。太平盛世之下的暗潮汹涌,前朝与后宫的荣辱与共,当一切都交织在一起,是金风玉露一相逢,还是相逢何必曾相识?
  • 徐树铮(北洋风云人物)

    徐树铮(北洋风云人物)

    少时读书不成,卖布蚀本,又不愿继承父业,人称“曹三傻子”。愤而从戎,结“袁”而上,方成直系首领。成为北方霸主后,曹锟广敛钱财,家资无数,权力欲极盛,总想弄个总统干干。曹锟重金“贿选”,留下千古骂名。本书正是以“贿选”为核心,记述了曹锟“贿选”前后的起起伏伏。
  • 天下第一妖孽

    天下第一妖孽

    前世,她是魅世妖姬,身世离奇,命运坎坷。重生后,她风华绝代,才华横溢,无人能及。他曾冷言道:若不想沦为倾城妖姬,你可以自尽。她亦冷傲道:本姑娘也可以自强,更可以女扮男装。从此,她,一言九鼎,披荆斩棘,纵横九州,睥睨天下。奈何命里,任务繁重,男儿腹黑,师叔冷情。且看那传奇女子如何与之相争,如何风华魅世?从今后,岁月无蹉跎,且行且珍惜。PS:此文女强,女扮男装。【人物介绍】苏墨:绝世姿,倾国魂,舞风华,极妖娆。佳人历劫风云起,红裙妒杀石榴花。丽人男装天下行,岂知侬是玉倾城。谢千夜:谢氏殇,盛风华,天空城,霸天下。红颜有泪君不见,男儿无情度风华,翻手为云覆手雨,世人终得情难圆。师缨:朝如云,幕如烟,解行舟,青纸伞。人在天边心似月,绝世清雅无限柔,神秘白衣无人知,风姿独立云水间。姬白:伤青丝,悲白发,君无情,冷飘然。仙姿玉骨俯世间,仗剑三千走天涯,敢问仙君知妾否,一卷仙尘万世缘。花惜容:胭脂泪,醉花容,岁月尽,人蹉跎。手持扇柄映笑颜,缱倦一笑千媚生,回首转眸妖娆胜,琴音难觅知音闻。闻人奕:人清冷,指如冰,燕歌行,荡回肠。高傲公子美如玉,昆仑弟子冷若霜,一遇佳人冰为火,看似无情却有情。虞染:佳公子,神秘郎,邀明月,人百变。朝时潇洒花间舞,男儿风流春满楼,不谢异国浮萍梦,灯火阑珊踏归尘。容夙:少年傲,不苟笑,颜如玉,书中藏。隐居世间三千载,人情世故通练达,一身傲骨不曾折,风华绝世奈何天。【场景片段】苏墨此生最不甘的是,为何自己的师傅是门派中最严厉的女掌门?偏不是那七位玉树临风…美得人神共愤的师叔?直到一日,恰遇到师叔在下界历劫,她因犯错,一同被罚入下界。于是,她开始了与师叔不得不说的故事。总是应了那句古话:近水楼台先得月。—*—*—*—少年冷傲地道:“你居然是魅世妖姬,天下有权势的男子无不渴望得到,与你立下契约实在是我一生最倒霉的事情。”她目光诚挚:“你面冷心热,有颗七窍玲珑心,能与你立下契约,是我最幸运的事情。”少年脸色一红,撇过头道:“天下之大,莫非王土,你,又能逃向哪里?”她肃然正色道:“若我实力极强,这天下群雄都仰视于我,何处不可容身?”少年忍不住道:“我以为我是极傲的,不曾想你却比我更傲。”她微微一晒道:“这叫近朱者赤近墨者黑。”—*—*—*—
  • 卡夫卡奖获奖作品:受活

    卡夫卡奖获奖作品:受活

    在一个叫受活庄的地方,这是一个遗世独立、鲜为人知的村落,所有村民都天生残疾,视健全者为另类。主人公柳县长异想天开,想用重金购买列宁的遗体以发展旅游经济,于是,这个由残疾人组成的村庄开始了走向外部世界的不归路:村民们组建了绝术团,在柳县长的带领下红遍方圆百里。
  • 暴君你又掉线了

    暴君你又掉线了

    一朝穿越,她成了一国女帝。黄真真以为,她走了运。不曾想,人生如戏,全靠演技,这些一个个都不是简单的主儿。人前,他杀伐果断,残忍冷血,人人战栗。人后,他宠妻如魔,护短专情,不容许任何人伤她分毫。推荐《毒后归来之家有暴君》推荐完结文,《女皇陛下的绝色男妃》穿越女暴君。推荐完结文,《医女当家:带着萌娃去种田》种田文甜宠文。
  • 根本说一切有部毗奈耶随意事

    根本说一切有部毗奈耶随意事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 女王何处

    女王何处

    我在不断地讲述中,过往的片断次第闪现,曾经见识的人和物,好像都在仔细帮着我推敲着这未知的幸福。好像突然就明白了女王闯进我生活的意义。她的出现只是为了向我提醒,曾经的自暴自弃有多么糟糕吗?简直是神启啊。夹杂着木炭裂开的伴奏,我亲着侄女儿肉嘟嘟的脸,放任她的小手乱抓一气。外面爆竹炸响,新的一年不请自到。
  • 穿越之我是演技派

    穿越之我是演技派

    快穿系统冲冲冲。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
  • 啸旨

    啸旨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。