Gone Medieval — When the Vikings met the Slavs

Host: Matt Lewis
Guest: Dr. Martin Witte (author of "Vikings in the East")
Release Date: November 28, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Gone Medieval explores the lesser-known eastward journeys of the Vikings, examining the transformative encounters between Norse adventurers and Slavic peoples. With Dr. Martin Witte as a guide, the discussion covers the origins of Viking expansion east, archaeological and literary evidence of their activities, cultural exchanges, the formation of the Rus, and the ongoing relevance of these early medieval stories in modern Russian and Ukrainian identity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Did Vikings Go East?

• Concurrent Expansion (03:20)

  • Viking eastward expansion began around 750–800, at the same time Norse movement to the west started.
  • A major factor: Disruption of trade between the Islamic caliphate and Scandinavia in the mid-8th century, leading to diminished silver imports.
  • The eastern “front” helped trigger the Viking Age by incentivizing silver-, slave-, and booty-seeking expeditions.
  • “It was an eastern front event that caused the opening up... of the Western Front in the Viking wars.” — Martin Witte (04:08)

• Origins and Connections (05:20)

  • The terms “Norway,” “Denmark,” and “Sweden” are modern references; at the time, these were loosely connected regions without formal states.
  • There was significant cultural and linguistic connectivity among Norse groups traveling east and west, despite alliances being fluid and nation-states not yet formed.

2. Runestones, Riches, and Routes

• Ingvar Runestones (07:10)

  • The Ingvar runestones commemorate a disastrous eastward expedition to the Caspian Sea led by Ingvar the Far-Traveled (~1041).
  • 26 runestones for a single event, marking the importance and dangers of these journeys, particularly the pursuit of wealth and adventure.

  “This runestone is one of about 26 Ingvar runestones... Their memorial reminds us of this Eastern way, some of them died in a fierce battle fought in Georgia ... involving Byzantines, Georgians, and Scandinavian mercenaries.”
  — Martin Witte (07:48)

• Archaeological Evidence (10:04, 11:33)
  • Tens of thousands of Islamic silver coins have been found in places like Gotland, indicating vigorous trade along the eastern route.
  • Norse artifacts—brooches, weapons—have been discovered at sites in Russia, illustrating the spread of Norse culture.

3. Cultural Exchange and Connectivity

• Plugging into the Silk Roads (11:33, 14:09)

  • Norse traders (the Rus) reached as far as Baghdad, Persia, possibly even into regions bordering China, connecting Scandinavia to the Silk Roads.
  • Norse and Slavic peoples exchanged goods, while stories like the kidnapped Irish princess (16:16) highlight personal dimensions of Viking expansion.

  “We see the whole connectivity of the Viking world... the Rus, we see Ireland, we see the Baltic, we even see Iceland.”
  — Martin Witte (14:51)

4. Formation and Nature of the Rus

• Identity and Integration (18:19, 20:13)

  • “Rus” and “Varangians” were terms for Norse groups in the east, with the former adopted both by themselves and by outsiders.
  • The Rus state evolved into a culturally and linguistically Slavic society after initial Norse dominance.

  “Rus becomes increasingly Slavic in its name-giving, in its language, in its culture… After a couple of generations... this gives way to an increasingly composite and complicated arrangement…”
  — Martin Witte (22:28)

• Myth and Historiography (20:27, 38:27)

  • The Russian Primary Chronicle tells of inviting Varangians to rule, a story likely shaped to legitimize later rulers.
  • This myth has been used as a tool for political legitimacy, with its prominence waxing and waning in Russian history.

5. Interactions with Other States

• Byzantine and Islamic Worlds (30:26)

  • Vikings initially attempted to conquer Constantinople but quickly shifted to seeking trade privileges, ultimately negotiating under Byzantine control.
  • Similar patterns characterized encounters with the Islamic caliphate: initial raids softened into trade agreements.

  “They negotiate a relationship with the Byzantine world in which the Byzantine world is... the senior partner... Although a beneficiary of things being brought down from the north.”
  — Martin Witte (30:51)

• Adaptability and Reputation (33:01, 34:42)

  • Vikings were opportunistic and chameleon-like, sometimes integrating so fully that their Norse identity faded within a few generations.
  • Their reputation in the east is more complex and, at times, more prestigious (allies of Byzantium, e.g., Varangian Guard) than their violent reputation in the West.

6. Christianization and Its Impact

• Conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy (42:23, 42:41)

  • Vladimir the Great converted to Orthodoxy in 988, forging religious and political ties with Byzantium.
  • Though later sources offer mythological tales of weighing Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, and Orthodoxy, strategic concerns likely dominated.

  “It is a game changer, albeit one in which ordinary people didn’t always have much choice in these elite decisions.”
  — Martin Witte (45:53)

• Political and Trade Benefits (46:52)

  • The decision to convert had significant diplomatic and economic motivations, facilitating trade and alliances.

7. Legacies in Russia, Ukraine, and Modern Politics

• Lasting Influence and Mythology (47:56, 51:23)

  • The Kievan Rus was a vast and influential state (c. 250–300 years), connecting Baltic and Black Sea and serving as a precursor to Russian and Ukrainian identities.
  • After the Mongol destruction, Muscovy and later rulers (Ivan the Terrible, the Romanovs) positioned themselves as heirs to the Rus legacy to legitimize territorial claims ("gathering the Rus lands").

  “It becomes a way to enhance the power increasingly of Muscovy... to justify the pushing of Russian authority south, including into what we now call Ukraine.”
  — Martin Witte (50:24)

• Contemporary Political Uses (52:17)

  • Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea (2014) and related rhetoric rely on medieval narratives, emphasizing the “sacred” origins of Russian nationhood in Crimea and erasing Ukrainian independence from that story.
  • Putin’s references to Rurik and the Primary Chronicle (even as recently as 2024) illustrate the enduring deployment of Viking and Rus myth for modern political ends.

  “It was on this spiritual soil... that our ancestors first and foremost recognized their nationhood, one nationhood with no room for independent Ukrainian nation experience.”
  — Martin Witte relating Putin (52:34)

• Cautions on History’s Role (55:04)

  • Dr. Witte emphasizes that while people inherit the past, they are not its prisoners; history is a resource for understanding, not a justification for present-day violence or oppression.

  “We are inheritors of the past. The past decides an awful lot of our parameters and our experiences, but we're not prisoners of our past. We can still—we have agency to make of it what we will.”
  — Martin Witte (55:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the complexity of Viking identity and legacy:

  “We need to think about the Vikings in far more complex terms than just these violent raiders… There is so much more going on.”
  — Matt Lewis (17:11)

• On the role of historical myth in politics:

  “It’s a classic ethnic and racial trope that the rulers are here because they rule better than anybody else... It can have some very dark sides.”
  — Martin Witte (38:27)

• On the enduring shadow of the Rus legacy:

  “In the same way that Rome casts a very long shadow in the west... so in the same way... the grand princes of the Rus cast a very long shadow.”
  — Martin Witte (47:56)

• On modern Russian uses of medieval stories:

  “It’s quite clear that this deep story is being deployed among a whole range of other deep stories and claims to justify current situations.”
  — Martin Witte (53:41)

• On the necessity and limits of engaging with the past:

  “We need to know our past to understand our future, but also remember we're not prisoners of our past.”
  — Martin Witte (56:29)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:20 — When and why Vikings turned east
• 07:10 — The Ingvar runestones and the Eastern Way
• 10:04 — Viking wealth, silver, and the importance of the eastern route
• 11:33 — Archaeological and written evidence of Viking trading
• 14:09 — The Vikings as connectors of Europe and Asia
• 20:13 — The origins and meaning of "Rus"
• 22:28 — Integration of Slavic and Norse cultures
• 30:26 — Viking interaction with Byzantium and Islamic caliphates
• 42:41 — Christianization of the Rus and its significance
• 47:56 — The Rus legacy in later Russian and Ukrainian states
• 52:17 — Putin and the modern political legacy of the Rus

Tone & Style

The conversation is both scholarly and accessible, weaving together archaeology, saga literature, political history, and present-day relevance with humor and vivid storytelling. The original curiosity and energy of the hosts and guests are maintained throughout.

Conclusion

This episode dismantles the one-dimensional view of Vikings as violent raiders, recasting them as entrepreneurs, mercenaries, settlers, and political founders in the east. It traces how their encounters with Slavs and others created new identities and legacies—from the Kievan Rus to the narratives underpinning Russian and Ukrainian nationalisms today. Dr. Witte and Matt Lewis make clear that while the past shapes our world, it need not dictate our future.