Where is Rugen located? Rügen Island: the legendary state of the Slavs. Transport infrastructure of Rügen

I'm sorting through the materials from the last trip - there is a lot of information even on individual objects, and there are still a lot of threads connecting one to the other, and I don't even know where to start from, my head is spinning. :-) Since there was a lot of talk about the German island of Rügen in past posts, I’ll start with it, since there is more interest in it. It would be worthwhile to first talk about Cape Arkona, as the most "promoted" place, but I decided to start with how we ended up in the same castle, without even knowing it ourselves. :-)) Still, fate leads to the right places, even against the will. At the same time, I’ll add an introductory part about Rugen. Under the cut there will be both our photos and old images from other sources. Some believe that it was from these places that the civilization of the Russian Land went, but I don’t undertake to give such generalized assessments - and, moreover, I wouldn’t want to argue on the Slavic topic, okay?

Photo by A.L.

So, the island of Rügen, the northeastern part of present-day Germany, where fate brought us in May of this year:

Picturesque Rügen is located in Vorpommern, in Mecklenburg, near the Polish border. It is washed by the cool waters of the Baltic Sea. Rügen area - 926 sq. km, it is the largest German island. The length of the beaches is 140 km. The shape of the island is bizarre, the coast is heavily indented, their bends form many bays, bays, peninsulas and capes. The width of Rügen in the south reaches 41 km, the maximum length from north to south is 52 km. About 100,000 people live here. Rügen is an archipelago consisting of 18 islands and peninsulas. It is connected to the mainland by a three-kilometer dam, so you can get here both by train and by car. The largest city and capital of the island is Bergen.
http://www.fitonline.ru/cities/2306/

I will only add that the total length of the Rügen coasts exceeds the length of the mainland coasts of the country.

As I wrote earlier, the hotel on the island of Rügen was booked almost at the last moment. There was nothing available near Cape Arkona and offered to look for options throughout the island. The lot fell on the city of Bergen an der Rügen:

And I didn’t have time to collect enough information about Bergen before the trip, except to look at Wikipedia on the go: - (Russian Wikipedia is laconic in relation to this place:

Bergen an der Rügen (German: Bergen auf Rügen) is a city in Germany, a district center, located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is part of the Rügen region. Subject to the management of Bergen auf Rügen. The population is 14.2 thousand people (2009); in 2003 - 15.1 thousand. It occupies an area of ​​41.77 km². The city is subdivided into 13 urban areas.
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C1%E5%F0%E3%E5%ED-%ED%E0-%D0%FE%E3%E5%ED%E5

The coat of arms of the city and the map found on the Internet:

So, we stopped in Bergen an der Rügen, drove through the city (photo from Wiki):

The streets are like this:

The city still differs little from its old images (at least in its old part):

In general, I am not indifferent to such small towns with low buildings that have a long history:

Time seems to stop in them, as on these postcards of the early 20th century:

If modern cars are removed from the streets, Bergen will look much the same:

Yes, even as in earlier images, except that the road surface has changed:

But what is the castle in the last two images? This is already a later building, but information about an earlier Slavic fortress came out through it.

Brockhaus and Efron report the following information about the city (I highlight the main in bold):

Bergen - the main city of the island of Rügen, near Stralsund, located on a hill almost in the center of the island; It has an old church built in the 12th century, a monastery for the upbringing of noble maidens, an extensive hospital, an orphanage, tanneries, dyers, windmills. There are 3,732 inhabitants of Bergen, who are mainly engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. The city of Bergen was built, as evidenced by the preserved historical documents, at the beginning of the 13th century and was originally called the "village of Gera" (Göra), but already in 1294 it was called "Villa Berghe", and in 1613 it was acquired from Duke Philip Julius Pomeranian city privileges. Approximately 1 km to the NE of Bergen is the Rugard hill (the highest point on the island) with the remains of extensive ramparts, which allegedly surrounded the fortified castle of the Rügen princes until the beginning of the 14th century. On this hill there is a monument to Erast Moritz Arndt.
http://www.vseslova.com/brokgauz_efron4/page/bergen__glavnyiy_gorod_ostrova_ryugen.26817/
- only now it’s not Erast, but Ernst is more correct.

Rugard Hill on an old engraving:

Here you can take a closer look at the building on the hill. The inscription at the bottom reads: "Arndt's tower on the island of Rügen".

The tower is named after this man:

Ernst Moritz Arndt (German Ernst Moritz Arndt, December 26, 1769, Gros Schoritz - January 29, 1860, Bonn) - German writer and member of the Frankfurt National Assembly. Arndt took part in the mobilization of the people against the occupation of Germany by Napoleon. Arndt is considered one of the outstanding lyricists of the era of the wars of liberation against Napoleon. Arndt's activities are evaluated in different ways: after all, he was not only a German patriot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C0%F0%ED%E4%F2,_%DD%F0%ED%F1%F2_%CC%EE%F0%E8%F6

Here is a little more about him (below in the post I will return to his work):

Arndt (Arndt) Ernst Moritz (December 26, 1769, Schoritz on Rügen Island, - January 29, 1860, Bonn), German writer. After graduating from the University of Jena, he was a professor of history. He took part in the fight against Napoleon (1806). Fled in 1812 to Russia; in 1813 he returned to Germany. A.'s political position is characterized by anti-feudal ideas; he is the ideologist of the war of liberation against Napoleon, although with a narrowly nationalist tendency, for which he was criticized by F. Engels. In 1848 he was elected to the Frankfurt National Assembly, but did not go further than the demands of a constitutional monarchy. Author of "The History of Serfdom in Pomerania and on the Island of Rügen" (1803), "Songs for the Germans" (1813), the book "War Songs" (1815), the collection of articles "The Spirit of the Times" (vols. 1-4, 1806-18 ). The best poems A. preserved in German poetry. In 1840 he published his autobiography Memoirs from an External Life.
http://slovari.yandex.ru/%D0%AD%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82-%D0%9C%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1% 86%20%D0%90%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%82/%D0%91%D0%A1%D0%AD/%D0%90%D1%80%D0%BD% D0%B4%D1%82%20%D0%AD%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82%20%D0%9C%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1% 86/

And now the meaning of the graffiti in the title picture for the post becomes clear. Not far from the hotel and the tower there is such a box of a transformer substation depicting Arndt contemplating a monument to himself with great surprise:

Photo by A.L.

The tower was built in 1877, 17 years after Arndt's death:

More about the tower in German: http://www.ruegen-inselinfo.de/sehenswert/ernst-moritz-arndt-turm.html
Ibid about Arndt: http://www.ruegen-inselinfo.de/persoenlichkeiten/ernst_moritz_arndt.html

Even postcards were issued with greetings from Rügen and a view of Arndt and his tower. It can be compared with modern graffiti. :-))

So, we drive up to our hotel, and the first thing I see against the background of the sunset sky and the just setting sun:

Photo by R.R.

Actually, here is the hotel and the tower next to each other:

A hotel on an old postcard - it is interesting that I have not yet found other hotels in Bergen on old postcards:

And today, if you look from the Arndt tower:

Photo by A.L.

Why I did not immediately pay attention to the name of the hotel, I still do not understand. Green ramparts are all that remains of the ancient Slavic settlement, on the territory of which the tower and the hotel were built. Therefore, the latter is often called "am Rugard" on sites - "on Rugard"!

Photo by A.L.

An interesting post on the location of the ancient settlement of Rugard, from which I will give a couple of quotes here:

In the vicinity of the city of Bergen, which is the administrative center of the island of Rügen, the ruins of an ancient Slavic settlement are still preserved. In the folk tradition, this ancient settlement is called Rugard, which, apparently, can be translated from Slavic as “the city of Rugs”. Although it would be more correct not even “Rugard”, but “Ruigard” - it is in this form that its earliest name is recorded in a deed of gift of 1258. Oddly enough, this ancient settlement rarely became a “contender” for the Ruyan capital among historians, although it would seem that everything speaks for this. As you know, the most famous city of Ruyan was Arkona in the north of Rügen. Here was the main pagan shrine of that time - the temple of Svyatovit - right next to it was a huge "herring" market, to which merchants from all over the south of the Baltic swam. But, both according to medieval descriptions and the results of archaeological excavations, it turns out that Arkona was a temple city, where, perhaps, only priests permanently lived, while the princely residence was located somewhere else.
http://nap1000.livejournal.com/20567.html

I will write about Cape Arkona separately, while a couple of aerial photos:

In my opinion, it is most likely that the residence of the Ruyan "king" was still Rugard. All, without exception, researchers admit that Rugard was at one time one of the most important cities of Rügen. The founding of Rugard dates back to the second half of the 8th century, and it continued to exist after the Danish conquest in the 12th century.

Rugard site plan:

Rugard is located not only in the very center of Rügen, but also at its highest point. In the 19th century, an observation tower was built on the territory of the Slavic settlement, from which "almost the entire island is visible." As for the "whole island", of course, it's too much, but we must admit that the visibility here is really excellent. Such a place is just perfect for a princely castle, besides, the exit to the bay was also quite close.
Rugard's successor was the city of Bergen - the place of residence of the Ruyan princes and the capital of Rügen from the adoption of Christianity to the present day. In Bergen, there is also one of the oldest, very first churches of Rügen, built in 1180 by the first Rügen Christian prince Jaromar. At the base of it, a stone is immured with the image of pagan times, which also speaks of the special significance of this place. Another similar stone is embedded in the wall of a church not far from Arkona.
Rugard, therefore, occupied the second place in terms of influence in Rügen, after Arkona, already by virtue of its strategically important location. Like Arkona, he controlled a large trade and craft center. From here it was possible to control the entire island, and, having access to the sea, at the same time, to secure the fortress as much as possible.
Rugard, with a high degree of probability the former residence of the "king", is located not only in the very geographical center of the island, but also at its highest point at sea level, on the mountain - the ruler really from ancient times was supposed to be "in the center", to rise above everyone.
http://nap1000.livejournal.com/20567.html

Not far from Arkona - this is in Altenkirchen. We visited there and there will also be a separate story about that. On an old postcard - the monastery of Bergen, where Jaromar is buried:

And in more detail about this Slavic prince, who made Bergen the capital of Rügen, which city is to this day (a typo in one date has been corrected):

Jaromar I was born around 1141 on the island of Rügen. According to the Pomeranian chronicle of Thomas Kantsov, he was the youngest son of Prince Ratislav and Princess Gyutskovsky, whose name has not been preserved in history.
After the defeat in the war with Denmark in 1168 and the baptism of the Ruyans, Jaromar, like his brothers, converted to Christianity. The former main temple of the Ruyans in the Arkona fortress (now Jaromarsburg) was destroyed, and the Danes built a cathedral in its place. At the same time, Prince Teslav, brother of Jaromar, recognized the vassal dependence of Rugia on the rulers of Denmark, and Rugia became known as the Principality of Rügen.
Jaromar entered into an alliance with the influential Hvide and Galen clans in Denmark, securing it with dynastic marriages. He himself married Princess Hildegard of Denmark. At the same time, German Christians began to settle in the principality for the first time, eventually assimilating the local Slavic population. In 1180, the prince moved the capital of the principality from Harets to Rugard (now Bergen an der Rügen).
In 1185, in the new capital, Jaromar began the construction of the Church of St. Mary (Marienkirche). In 1193, the construction was completed, and the prince called on the Cistercian monks from Denmark to found the first monastery in the principality at the church. This is how Bergen Abbey appeared.
Jaromar I, Prince of Rügen died on August 4, 1218 on Rügen and was buried in the church of Bergen Abbey founded by him.
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%AF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%80_I

So we spent the night here practically in the castle, known at least from the 7th century, even if only ramparts and this tower remained from it:

Photo by A.L.

This is also evidenced by the information board there:

Photo by A.L.

You can climb to the Arndt tower, which is on the site of the castle:

Photo by A.L.

Information at the entrance to the tower:

Photo by A.L.

And a top view from a height of 27 meters (photo from the Internet):

Now this place is located in a nature reserve and it’s good that building is impossible here and this land will keep intact all its secrets awaiting its explorer:

Photo by A.L.

And there are a lot of antiquities even without the ancient Slavic settlement:

Photo by A.L.

By the way, about antiquities. As befits any historical place, it has its own legends and the most interesting are those that relate to Rugard Castle, especially since the same Arndt had a hand in them:

The second part of the legend is introduced by the words: "Nun begab es sich lange nach diesen Tagen" ("much time has passed since those days") and, accordingly, refers to a later time. The action of this part is tied to another place - the city of Bergen on Rügen. Bergen, as you know, is a German toponym, but this is only a tracing-paper of the Slavic name Hora, which was relevant until the 13th century. Bergen is currently the main city of the island. Meanwhile, it has a long, still Slavic, history: here on Mount Rugard - the highest point of Rügen - in the 9th-10th centuries. there was another Slavic settlement that played an important role in the history of the Rügen Slavs. It is here that the name of Princess Svanvite, "King Rügen's daughter", appears in the legend. Further E.M. Arndt tells about the circumstances of Svanvite's matchmaking, the frustration of the wedding, the slander of the envious prince, the cruel punishment of the princess by her father, and the return of Svanvite to him after many years of imprisonment in the tower. To atone for sin and prove her innocence, Svanvite suggests sending her to the Harz ramparts to get the treasures of the old king: “You know the legend,” she says to her father, “that under the old ramparts in the Harz, where our pagan ancestors lived, a rich treasure And this legend, which I often heard in my childhood, says that only a princess can get these treasures, who is descended from those old kings.

Princess Svanvite is the link that connects both parts of the legend: a legendary girl from the family of Vendian "kings" with a name derived from the name of Svantevit himself. In the legend, in poetic form, it is repeatedly emphasized that she is a descendant of the Slavs, it is she who is allowed to touch the Slavic treasures, the greedy and unfriendly old man affably nods to her, she is the lady here, like he and her ancestors of the “royal” family: “And she looked around all the sparkling mountains jewels in this spacious hall, which her ancestors had been hoarding for many centuries, and then she saw in the corner a golden chair and a little gray man sitting on it, who nodded affably to her, as if he wanted to speak to his great-granddaughter. But she did not answer him, only waved her hand quietly. And at this greeting, the gray spirit rose and disappeared, and richly dressed servants came in its place and stood in respectful silence behind the princess, ready for any order from their mistress.

The final elements of the composition are traditional for German legends about treasures: the princess broke the ban on silence, the doors immediately slammed shut, the stairs disappeared, and the girl could not get out, remaining forever in the dungeon along with the treasures. “Everywhere they say that the princess is still alive and sitting underground in the Harz fortress, in that pantry, and is forced to guard the jewels along with her ancient gray-haired great-grandfather. And no one can say how it became known on earth. Maybe the little gray man who wanders around the ramparts at night told<...>And the news of the mysterious disappearance of Princess Svanvite under the earth spread around everyone, as if she were sitting in a dark dungeon and alive, and one day someone would save her.
http://bvsv.livejournal.com/17123.html

The ruins of Rugard in a painting by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, 1821:

The legend itself, for those who are interested:

Princess Swanwita (Ryugen lore)

Not far from the city of Harz on Rügen is a lake, next to which in ancient times stood the castle of pagan kings. When this castle was taken and destroyed many years ago by the Christians, an old pagan king lived there, who was very rich, but so greedy that he always reclined next to his treasures of gold and precious stones, accumulated in a huge hall of a deep dungeon. After the Christians ravaged the castle, he remained buried below, and had to die a pitiful death of starvation. But his soul could not get away from earthly blessings, and the king turned into a black dog, who guarded piles of gold day and night. Sometimes he was seen in human form, when he rode on a white horse through the city and the lake in chain mail and in a helmet. Occasionally, instead of a helmet, he had a golden crown on his head. Others met him at night in the forest near the Harz on the way to Poseritz, dressed in a black knitted hat and with a white staff in his hand.

Many years later, the city of Bergen on Rügen was ruled by a king who had a beautiful daughter named Svanvita. Many foreign princes came to woo her. But she rejected everyone, except for the Danish prince Peter, who was a handsome and stately man, and she liked it very much. So they got engaged, and soon the wedding was to take place. This greatly angered the Polish prince, who also wanted to become her fiancé, and, because he was of an insidious disposition, he began to spread rumors among people that the princess led a dissolute life and once spent the night with him. He told it so plausibly that everyone believed him. The suitors drove away, and with them the Danish prince, who no longer wanted to even hear about the engagement. Eventually, the story reached the king, who believed it just as much as the rest. He was beside himself with anger and imprisoned the princess in a gloomy tower, away from his eyes.

The princess spent more than three years in this tower, grieving in vain and thinking about how to prove her innocence to her father. This is where the story of the old pagan king began, because a pure and young maiden had the courage on Midsummer Night (Summer Solstice - approx.), After midnight, naked to climb the ramparts by the lake and wander there until she stumbled right to the place where, after the destruction of the castle, there was a covered door and a staircase leading to the dungeon with the treasures of the old king. She went down there and collected as much gold and precious stones as she could carry, and returned at dawn. What she herself could not master, the old king helped her. And she received so much good that it would be enough for a lifetime. But she shouldn't have looked back all this time or uttered a single word, otherwise she would have died. The same would have happened to her if she had not been a chaste virgin.

Meanwhile, the old king appeared to Princess Svanvita in her solitary dungeon, and they devised a plan to prove to her father and the world that she was pure and innocent and that they had been deceived by a treacherous Pole. She asked the king to fulfill his plan, and that he brought her out in the same way. He agreed.
When, after a while, Midsummer Night came again, the princess set off from Bergen to the Harz, and as soon as the clock on the church bell tower struck midnight, she threw off her clothes and climbed onto the ramparts, on which she began to walk back and forth with a sprig of St. John's wort, which she took with her. She did not have to wander like this for long, and soon the princess slipped down, falling into a huge hall where thousands of fires were burning, which made it brighter there than on the clearest noon. The walls of the hall were covered with marble and decorated with diamond mirrors, and piles of silver, gold and precious stones lay everywhere. In the back corner sat the king who guarded all these treasures. It was a little gray man who nodded to the princess to cheer her up. But she was not afraid, greeting the king with a light gesture of her hand. And suddenly there was a huge number of richly dressed servants and maids. They began to fill her hands with gold and jewels. And as soon as the princess had enough, she set off on her return journey, and the servants and maids followed her. So she climbed many steps, when suddenly she decided to look around to see if those who accompanied her with treasures were still following her. But then a misfortune happened: the old king suddenly turned into a huge black dog, which rushed to the princess with an open mouth and burning eyes. Out of fear, she exclaimed, “Oh my God!” And at the same moment, with a loud bang, the door slammed shut, the stairs collapsed and the princess fell down into the dungeon, in which the lights suddenly went out. And for many centuries she sits there to help the old pagan king protect his treasures.

She can be freed only when some pure and unmarried young man dares to go down to the dungeon on Midsummer Night in the same way as the princess. He must bow three times before her, kiss her, and, taking her by the hand, lead her upstairs. In this case, not a single word can be uttered. Whoever brings out the princess in this way will become her betrothed and will acquire so many treasures that it will be possible to buy a whole kingdom for them.
Many have already tried this act, but no one has yet been able to return. Rumor has it that the old black dog is probably so terrible that everyone who sees him screams in fear. Last time, about thirty or forty years ago, the shoemaker's son disappeared in that dungeon.
Temme J.D.H. Die Volkssagen von Pommern und Rügen. - Berlin, 1840. - S. 244-247.
http://russbalt.rod1.org/index.php?topic=1156.0

Disclaimer:
I have not the slightest desire to get into the disputes of the Normanists, Slavists and others, to give any assessment of ancient events and assess the degree of their significance in history. I am not a specialist in the history of this region, and I only see that the fact of the existence of a Slavic civilization on Rügen took place, the Germans themselves have long recognized this and there is still a field for research that is still unplowed for those who wish, in order to draw some final conclusions .
But the fact that this place is ambiguous and very interesting is undeniable!

Multiple links

Approximately as shown in the sketch, in the past the shrine of the Western Slavs looked, which at the same time served as a refuge for the inhabitants of these places. Unfortunately, due to the collapse (erosion - translator's note) of the coast, important parts of the fortress were destroyed. The great time of Arkona began in 1068 with the destruction of the temple of Svarozhich in Retra (now Feldberg). For exactly 100 years, Arkona was the center of Slavic worship of the gods. In 1136 Arkona was besieged for the first time by the Christian Danes (christlichen Danen). The destruction of the temple, and with it the custom of worship, succeeded the Danes, however, only on June 15, 1168. Saxo Grammaticus, a witness to the capture and chronicler of the Danes, left us a detailed description of this. Together with the capture, the last bastion of Slavic shrines fell, after which the Christianization of wounds (Ranen) began. Oh yes, something else changed in 1168: the tax had to be paid in the future, but now not to the priest, but to the bishop.

“In the temple stood a huge statue of a god, exceeding the height of a man, surprisingly distinguished by four heads and necks. Two of the heads seemed to be looking - one at the chest, the other as if back, while the other two were looking - one to the left, the other to the right. The beards are shaved, the hair is created as if the master sculpted their ruyants (locals). On the figure on the right there was a horn made of various metals, which the priest annually filled with liquid (drink), so that later, by its qualities, he could predict the future harvest. The left hand rested on the bow (in other translations, the hand held the bow). The shirt was made to the elbows; the lower parts of the arms were made of different kinds of wood, and connected to the knees in such a bizarre way that at first glance it was difficult to recognize the place of their connection. The legs rested as if on the floor and went into the ground. Nearby hung a bridle, a saddle and other attributes of a deity; his bewitching appearance was enhanced by a sword of monstrous size, the blade and hilt of which stood out for their masterful workmanship and were silvered. The deity was intended for festive service...” (I. Schmidt, S. 44)

During the harvest festival, the priest, on the basis of the liquid evaporated from the horn, predicted the results of the future harvest. From another contemporary - Helmold from Bosau (Helmold von Bosau) we learn that the priest then drank the contents of the horn and filled it again. In addition, a honey cake was prepared from the gifts of nature, which had to be so large that it hid the priest under it. If this was not possible, then it was believed that the future harvest would not be rich either. Not a single campaign, not a single journey by sea, not a single trade transaction was undertaken without recourse to the oracle. Svantevit's horse, led by a priest, had to cross three spears stuck into the ground and tied together. If she crossed this obstacle, stepping forward with her left foot, the transaction was considered unsuccessful in advance.

Quote from the book of Ozar the Raven - "":

Where did the Russian land come from? ... the Caves monk chronicler put this question in the subtitle of his great work - “The Tale of Bygone Years”. So where, who created this Power "from the Finnish cold rocks to the fiery Taurida"? The chronicle says this: three northern peoples - the Ilmen Slovenes, the Krivichi and the Merya - drove the Varangians who collected tribute from them, but choked in strife. “Rise generation upon generation, and there will be no truth in them.” Tired of the massacre, three nations were sent across the sea, to the Varangians-Rus, with the words: “Our land is great and plentiful, but there is no dress in it. Come reign and rule over us by right.” And three brothers responded - Rurik, Sineus, Truvor. "And from those Varangians the Russian land was nicknamed" ...

Grandchildren of Gostomysl: Rurik, Truvor, Sineus. Ilya Glazunov. 1986

In the 8th century, Prince Godlav ruled over the Obodrite-Rerik people. He had three sons, strong and brave, thirsting for glory: Rurik the Peaceful, Sivar the Victorious and Truvar the Faithful. Since they could not test themselves in their homeland, the brothers went to the east, where they became famous in battles. They came to the aid of the oppressed, accomplished many feats in "terrible battles", and then came to Russia. The Russian people at that time were under the yoke of "a long tyranny, against which they no longer dared to rebel." The brothers breathed courage into him, led the assembled army and destroyed the power of the oppressors. After peace and order in Russia were restored, the brothers decided to return home to their father. However, the people liberated from oppression begged them to stay and take over the reins of government. Rurik received Nowoghorod, Sivar - Pleskow, and Truvar - Bile-Jezoro.

This ancient Russian form of the name Pskov - Pleskov is noteworthy! Ozar Raven writes in his book - It is unlikely that such a detail could be invented in distant Mecklenburg.

The data of modern archeology say that the first traces of the Ilmen Slovenes on the Novgorod land - the basis of the future Rus', related to the culture of "funeral hills" (VI-VII centuries) - are clearly West Slavic. In the 9th-10th centuries, the second large wave of settlers from the Slavic Pomerania of the Baltic came to Novgorod from Bodrichan (Mecklenburg) - the lands of the Obodrite union. The Obodritsky Union included, and dominated in it, the Wagr tribe - the “Vagir Mark”, they are Vargs, they are Varnas, they are Varins, they are Varangians, they are Rus ...

The cape on which Arkona stood

Researchers have tried many times to establish the location of the mysterious island of the Rus (many times mentioned in historical chronicles). However, a real island is known that has all the properties of the homeland of the Rus described by the Arabs. It is small - something about three days' journey both from south to north and from east to west. It was once covered with forests and swamps. The key feature can be considered the absence of agriculture on the island and at the same time a lot of inhabitants. Such a population density is not at all typical for, say, Scandinavia or northern Rus'. Its population "all Slavic Pomorie imposed tribute, but they themselves did not pay tribute to anyone." They, according to Helmold, "neglecting all the benefits of arable farming, were always ready for sea voyages, hoping for their ships as the only means of enrichment." Their ruler, according to Helmold, is the only one of all Slavic rulers who bears the title of king. Let us recall that from the very first days, Western authors call the ruler of the Rus the king. Hilferding, commenting on the description by Helmold and other German authors, speaks of the sacred nature of his power. “He,” writes the Russian scientist. “Maybe he wasn’t even called a prince, but bore the highest title.”

This island is Rügen Island.

The map shows the Slavic names of the settlements of the island of Rügen

Rügen Island. Priest and sacred horse Svyatovit. Ilya Glazunov. 1986

The bronze idol of Svyatovit was found in Ryazan, in layers scorched by the Batu fire. And even in the capital of Orthodox Bulgaria, in Preslav, a small bone idol was found, looking around the world with its four faces. It is believed that the island of Buyan, familiar to everyone from the Pushkin fairy tale, and which came to it from conspiracies, where it is the seat of Christ, the Virgin, the saints who replaced the Orthodox witches of the ancient Gods in spells, is Ruyan, Ryugen. To him, to his shrines, to the temples of the many-faced Gods in Arkon, Rugard and Korenitsa, illiterate old women healers called out, without knowing it themselves. Here was the center of all faith, all the hope of the pagan Slavs. And not only the Slavs - the Danish king Svein donated booty to the temple of Arkona, and in the temples themselves, idols and rituals, scientists see a lot in common with the religion of the Celts. The gray-haired antiquity sleeps on the banks of the Rügen - it remembers the Druids destroyed by Caesar...

Nine centuries ago, on the coast of the Baltic Sea, above the snow-white rocks of this island, which is now called Rügen (the federal state of Mecklenburg - Vorpommern), the city of Arkona towered. The island, as already mentioned, was inhabited by Ruyan-Rus. Here is how the early medieval chroniclers described them: "Ruyans, called Ruans by others, are cruel tribes that live in the heart of the sea and are overly devoted to idolatry. They excel among all Slavic peoples, have a king and a famous sanctuary. (...) completely neglecting benefits from agriculture, they are always ready to make attacks on the sea, placing their only hope and all their wealth on ships.

The Temple of Svyatovit in Arkona was the main sanctuary of the Slavic Pomerania, and the wound was revered by other Baltic Slavs as a sacred people, having a special closeness to the gods, without whose consent, not a single important decision was made.

Idol of Svyatovit installed in Arkona by Polish pagans in the 90s

When, after an unceasing four hundred years of struggle with the Frankish, German, Danish baptizers, the peoples of the Baltic Slavs were enslaved one after another, Arkona became the last free Slavic city honoring the ancestral Gods. And it remained so until its destruction in 1168.

Warrior Rus

"Just as people who have suffered all sorts of hardships and troubles in their lifetime and hardened in the struggle, become prone to perseverance, so the Baltic Slavs; there was hardly a people in the world more stubborn. Of all the peoples of Europe, they alone laid down their lives for their antiquity, for their old pagan life: the stubborn defense of antiquity, this is the first property of all these advanced Slavic tribes .. "

Coat of arms of Ruyan-Rügen from the 13th century. Ruyansk kings Wislaw II and Wislaw III

In 1234, the Ruyans freed themselves from Danish rule and undertook expansion to the coast of the modern German land of Mecklenburg - Western Pomerania, founding the city now known as Stralsund. In 1282, Prince Wisław II entered into an agreement with King Rudolf I of Germany, receiving Rügen for life, along with the title of Imperial Jägermeister. Further, the Slavs of Rügen, being part of various German state formations, gradually became completely Germanized over the next several centuries. In 1325, the last prince of Ruyansk, Vislav III, died. The Ruyan dialect completely ceased to exist by the 16th century.

Never forget, our glorious ancestors - the Varangians - Vends - Russ - created large trading cities in the Baltic, which were admired by all European travelers of that time, who later entered the "Hanseatic Union" under Germanized names. They were the first Europeans to lay the Volga and Dnieper trade routes, they dominated the international Baltic trade. They created Novgorod and Kievan Rus. Their Viking squads did not let the German-speaking Vikings into the Baltic, as a result of which the latter had to be content with the coasts of France and England ... And proud Arkona reigned over this Slavic world ... As Vadim Kazakov aptly remarked - Truly our symbol of the continuation of the Slavs and the symbol of Spiritual support. No other Slavic shrine was as well known to everyone as Arkona. And all this is due to her Holiness and Power; A shrine that brought European monarchs to their knees and conquered peoples...

And that's why it hurts to write about her last days... Glory to her forever!

The Slavic tribe Ruyan settled on the island of Rugiya around the 6th century. The favorable geographical position and another, original faith aroused hatred among the neighbors, especially among the Danes. By Pavel Zhukov.

As befits the inhabitants of the island, the Ruyans had a powerful merchant and military fleet. Their ships repeatedly visited the Scandinavian and Baltic countries for the purpose of robbery. Moreover, even some territories that were part of Denmark paid tribute to the Ruyans. And in the XII century, a war broke out between the Danes and the inhabitants of the island.

Arkona - the capital and cultural center

The main city of the Ruyans was Arkona, which was not just a capital, but a real cultural and spiritual center of the entire island. A special place in the city was occupied by the temple of the god Svyatovit, which was described by the Danish historian and traveler Saxon Grammatik: “The city of Arkona lies on the top of a high mountain. From the north, east and south it is protected by natural protection ... from the western side it is protected by a high embankment of 50 cubits. In the middle of the city lies an open square, on which stands a wooden temple. The temple was of impressive size - more than three hundred meters.

The first Slavs settled on the island of Rugiya in the 6th century

At the temple at the time of the highest heyday of the island Slavic state, there were three hundred selected soldiers, who were considered almost the personal squad of the four-faced Svyatovit himself.

And this is how the Grammatik, in his work “The Acts of the Danes”, created in the 14th century, described the temple of the main deity Ruyan: “In the middle of the city there was a square on which stood a temple made of wood, of the finest work ... The outer wall of the building stood out with neat carvings, rough and unfinished, which included forms of various things. It had only one entrance. The temple itself contained two enclosures, of which the outer one, connected to the walls, was covered with a red roof; the inner one, resting on four columns, had curtains instead of walls and was not connected in any way with the outer one, except for a rare binding of beams.

Svyatovit - the supreme deity of the Ruyans

Around the 11th century, the Ruyans reached the peak of their power. They were the full owners of the Baltic Sea, which the neighboring peoples called only the Sea of ​​Rug.

Wars for survival

At the beginning of the 12th century, the balance of power in the Baltic region began to change. Ruyan, despite a strong fleet and a powerful army, are at a disadvantage. The fact is that the inhabitants of the island found themselves surrounded by Christians who really wanted to spread their faith as far as possible. And Denmark became the main enemy of the Ruyans.

In 1136, the first conflict took place between the two states. It ended tragically for the Ruyans - King Eric II of Denmark captured Arkona. But he did not destroy the city. Moreover, he returned the occupied lands, but with one condition - the Ruyans had to abandon the faith of their ancestors and accept Christianity. The island Slavs agreed, but they never accepted the new religion.

This provoked further wars. For seven years (from 1159 to 1166), either the Danes or the Saxons attacked the island. Ruyan resisted desperately, but they failed to cope with a much stronger opponent. The Danish king Valdemar I managed to defeat the last Ruyan prince Jaromir.

In 1168, Arkona was completely destroyed, and the statue of the god Svyatovit was burned. Prince Jaromir escaped the death penalty. He recognized himself as a vassal of Valdemar I, and his island as part of the bishopric of Roskilde. But this, of course, was not enough for the Danes. They wanted the Slavic tribe to become Christian. And Jaromir agreed. Ruyan was forcibly baptized, and those who refused to betray the faith of their ancestors were killed.

The Danes wanted to convert the pagan Ruyans to Christianity

It is also interesting that under the terms of the peace treaty, the land where the Svyatovit temple used to be was now transferred to the direct subordination of the church. “Doveskom” was the obligatory help of the Ruyans of Denmark in cases of war and the annual tribute.

In 1185, the Danes began building a church on the Witt peninsula in Altenkirchin. And as a building material they used the ruins of Arkona. Therefore, the “stone of Svantevit” is still alive there. David Khitreus even described it in the “Saxon Chronicle” for the 16th century: “The image of the Ruyan idol, carved on stone, can be seen in the village of Altenkirchen, in the vestibule of the temple. More like a monstrous evil demon than any god; the former inhabitants of the island called him Svyatovit, the current Vitold.

A mention has also been preserved in the “History of the Stone Diocese” from the 17th century: “Hence the evil god the Devil and Chernobog, that is, the Black God, the good Belbog, that is, the white god was called. The figure of this idol, carved in stone, can still be seen on Ruyan, on the Witt Peninsula, popularly referred to as Wittold, as it were, “Ancient Wit”. With a big head, a thick beard, he looks more like a monster than a fictional god.

The last of the Slavs

In 1234, the inhabitants of Ruyan managed to throw off Danish rule. They even expanded the territory of their state and founded the city of Stralsund. But these, of course, were no longer the same rouge that ruled in the Baltic two centuries ago. They became Christians, their original traditions, for the most part, were replaced by Danish or German ones. Even the native language began to be forgotten.

In 1168 Arkona was completely destroyed.

By the end of the 13th century, the Ruyan Slavs had almost completely lost their culture and identity. The process of Germanization proceeded swiftly and inexorably.

And in 1325, the last Ruyansk prince Vislav III died. On it, the Slavic branch of the rulers of the island broke off. And in 1404, the last man and woman, who still remembered the language of their ancestors, passed away in turn. With their death, the Slavic Ruyan dialect also ceased to exist. The island of Ruyan has already unconditionally become Rügen, and its inhabitants are carriers of only German culture and language.

The Slavs could not cope with Germanization

Today, almost all of these lands belong to Germany, to its federal state of Macklenburg-Vorpommern. And the fact that a proud and formidable Slavic tribe once lived there is only reminded by the ruins of their main city - Arkona. And even then, the territory of the settlement is getting smaller due to frequent landslides. So, the day is not far off when the last trace of the rouge will disappear.

Rugen Island is located on the southern coast of the Baltic (Varangian) Sea. Rügen has been inhabited since about 4000 BC. In the 7th century, a powerful Slavic tribe - Ruyans (Rugieris) or Rugs (Rugii), founded here on the coast of Pomerania, a Slavic principality that became a political and commercial center (Ralwick Harbor) of the Varangian Sea on the trade route from Gotland, and a well-fortified religious center on Cape Arkona.

Slavic coastal settlements, located in large numbers on all river trade routes, were of great importance in trade on the Baltic (Varangian) Sea. Many Scandinavian merchants lived permanently in some of the major market centers of the Western Slavs.

Today, large areas of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea belong to Germany, and it keeps many Slavic toponyms - Rostock, Lübeck, Schwerin (Zverin), Leipzig (Lipsk), Berlin - (“lair” - the lair of a bear-bear). .

"An island in the sea lies,
The city on the island stands ... "
A.S. Pushkin.

An ancient Russian legend about a wondrous island has been preserved: “There on the sea-Okiyan, on the island of Buyan, the white-key stone Alatyr lies ... The great-dub is ancient, vast and powerful, stands, pierces seven heavens, Iriy props up.”» Iriy is Paradise in the seventh heaven, and alatyr is amber!

On the island of Ruyan, on a high 40-meter cape facing east, archaeologists discovered the temple city-state of the Russ - Arkona - Yarkon - an ardent horse - the sunny white horse of Svyatovit.

Arkona - lies on top of the high white coast of the island of Rügen, and is washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea from three sides. The settlement-sanctuary of Arkona now covers an area from east to west of 90 meters, and from north to south - 160 meters, although archaeologists suggest that the dimensions of the sanctuary were three times larger.

At the northern slope of the mountain in the sanctuary of Arkona is Holy spring and there is a path leading to it.

"Another island is opposite Wiltsev (Lutich). They own it wound, the bravest Slavic tribe. ... Rane, called Ruans by others, are cruel tribes that dwell in the heart of the sea and are overly devoted to idolatry. They excel among all the Slavic peoples, they have a king and a famous sanctuary. Therefore, due to the special veneration of this sanctuary, they are most respected and, imposing a yoke on many, they themselves do not experience the yoke of anyone, being inaccessible, for it is difficult to reach their places.- Adam of Bremen "The Acts of the Bishops of the Hamburg Church" ("Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum")

Archaeological excavations of the Arkona sanctuary were carried out in 1921, 1930, 1969-1971. In the vicinity of Arkona settlement there are 14 settlements and a large burial mound resembling kurgan burials of northwestern Rus'.

According to archeology, the wounds (ruyans) had extensive trade relations with Scandinavia and the Baltic states, and also waged wars with their neighbors, protecting their territory. Trade in Arkona was carried on from the 8th century to the 10th century.

Archaeologists have discovered two main settlements on the island of Rügen (Rügen):
(1) The harbor at Ralswick on the island of Rügen was a trading center from the 8th to the 10th century. In the harbor, archaeologists have found twenty (20) houses, with adjoining sections of the coast of the Baltic Sea, and convenient marinas for merchant ships. Residents - Scandinavians and Slavs were engaged in various crafts and traded with foreign merchants. Outside the city limits on a hill, more than 400 mounds were found, the burials of the Scandinavians and Slavs are similar.

(2) The Sanctuary of Arkona is a pagan temple and fortress of the Rugiers. The sanctuary of Arkona was located on the top of a cape, protected from the sea side by a steep cliff, and from the land side by a double semicircle of bulk ramparts and ditches with water. The sanctuary was guarded by 300 Rug warriors. In the center of the sanctuary of Arkon there was an ancient temple, surrounded by a log palisade with large gates. Only the high priest of the god Svyatovit could enter inside the temple. .

Encyclopedic Dictionary of F. A. Brockhaus and I. A. Efron, S.-Pb., Brockhaus-Efron, 1890-1907. "The Rugii are a numerous and powerful people, who lived in northern Germany, along the seashore, between the Oder and the Vistula. During the migration of peoples Rugii joined the Goths and moved to the region along the middle reaches of the Danube.

In 1325 the last prince of the Ruyans Wislav-3 died, and the island of Rugen (Rügen) was conquered by the Duke of Pomerania. In 1405, the last inhabitant died on the island of Rügen. speaking Slavic — .

Veneration of the pagan god Svyatovit was so strong among the people that the new Christian religion was forced to reckon with it. That is why Christian churches were built on ancient pagan temples, and stones with images of pagan gods were built into the walls of Christian churches. The names of pagan gods were turned into Christian shrines, so the temple pagan Svyatovit was turned into St. Vitus Church on the island of Rügen.

In the era of the struggle against paganism and planting Christianity in Britain famous Bishop with a strange Slavic name Svitun Winchester (St. Swithun of Winchester), who died on July 2 862 years and buried near the walls of the building Winchester Cathedral.

Testament of St. Swithun (Old English: Swīþhūn = Svidun ) was completed a hundred years later, when Winchester Cathedral was finally completed and 15 July 971 year monks moved the remains of St. Swithun inside the new magnificent Winchester Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun.

According to legend, during the reburial ceremony of St. Swithun of Winchester, heavy rain fell, and subsequently torrential rains also fell on every anniversary of the bishop's death. In Britain, St. Svituna Winchester is revered patron of the weather" - this indicates the connection of the Christian bishop with the ancient pagan traditions, which he adopted to attract pagans to the Christian temple. According to ancient folk signs, if it rains on St. Swithun's Day, it will rain for forty days (If it rains on St. Swithun's Day).

The symbols of Saint Swithun are apples from the trees planted by the bishop. In England they say that one should not eat apples before St. Swithun's Day.

In 1005 Bishop of Winchester Cathedral Elfeah(Ælfheah, Anglo-Saxon: "elf-high"; ook Alfegus, Alfege) was elected the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Leaving from Winchester Cathedral, Bishop Elpheah (c. 953 - April 19, 1012) took with him to Canterbury the holy relic of the cathedral- head of St. Swithun who died in 863. Bishop Elpheah was killed by the Vikings in 1012 y. In the late Saxon period, Swithun was credited with strength, healing soldiers wounded in battle, crippled and restoring sight to the blind.

Before 1316 Swithun's head was kept in Canterbury, then traces of the relic are lost. But at the end of the 14th century, Swithun's head appears in Normandy in the Cathedral of Evreux (Evreux), who began to celebrate the feast of St. Svituna

IN Norway in 1125 the parish Roman Catholic Church of St. Swithun was built near St. Swithun (Norwegian: Sankt Svithun kirke) in Stavanger(Stavanger) and kept the relics of the saint Svituna(Old English: Swīþhūn = Svidun ) from Winchester. Interesting similarity of names Swīþhūn = Svidun and « Sviurr ok Sviirir er ek hét at Sokkmimis" - "Svidur and Svidrir I was at Sökkmimir", " Viðurr at vigum" - " Vidur in battles "(" VEDUN "); - from the List in the Elder Edda in one chapter of Grimnir's Speech. Proto-Germanic: * - “vodanaz” or *Wōđinaz - “vodinaz”; Danish: Woen (WAR), Woden (WODEN); Anglo Saxons: Woensdag = Wednesday WAR-DAY (Danish: Woen)

Exactly under the banner of Svyatovit wars participated in all battles, the god Svyatovit led them into battle, as One god of war , to which human sacrifices were made by defeated enemies and Christians. A warrior could win favor in battle Odin throwing a spear at their enemies with a cry: "One owns all!" (Old Norwegian: Óðinn and yðr alla ).

The wind walks on the sea
And the boat is urging;
He runs in waves
On inflated sails...
Past the steep island
Past the big city...

RUYAN Island

Ruyan Island lies against the Danish coast and covers an area of ​​almost 1000 sq. km; all its shores are indented with deep and secluded bays and coves, and some toponyms of God's Stone or the Holy Mountain are surprisingly reminiscent of the mythical stone - Alatyr.

According to the testimony of the ancient historian Gerard Mercator "Cosmografiya": "On that island lived idolater people - wounds or rutens (rugs, ruyans), called lyutes, are cruel in battle, such are the nobles, strong, brave warriors used to be, they fought cruelly against Christians, for they stood by their idols, and were terrible and disgusting to all the surrounding states. Their language was Slovene and Vandal. They did not seek competent teaching, but they made a commandment among themselves, so that diligent hunters would be literate, and not only military affairs. "

The population of the island of Ruyan "all Slavic Pomorie imposed tribute, but they themselves did not pay tribute to anyone," according to Helmold, "neglecting all the benefits of arable farming, they were always ready for sea voyages, hoping for their ships as the only means of enrichment" . Arkona was famous far beyond the borders of the Ruian land. The surrounding tribes obeyed her, and the rulers of neighboring principalities and kingdoms presented gifts to the famous Arkon temple. The glory of Arkona was one of the most striking indicators of the flourishing of the Slavic culture of that time.

According to Helmold, the ruler of Ruyan is the only one of all Slavic rulers who bears the title of king. Let us recall that from the very first days, Western authors call the ruler of the Rus the king. German documents call "kings" only two Slavic rulers - the lord of the Eastern European state and the ruler of a small island off the coast of the Baltic. Recall that the rulers of Poland and the Czech Republic are just "princes" for them! According to Ibn Ruste and Gardizi, the head of the Rus bears the title "Khakan-Rus". Khakan is an imperial title! Moreover, in the east, this word denoted the king-priest, the sacred ruler. And Hilferding, commenting on the description by Helmold and other German authors, speaks of the sacred nature of his power.

To what extent the respect of the Slavs for the ruler of the sacred island reached, shows Saxo Grammatik. He told about an incident that occurred during one of the raids of the Rugs-Rusyns on their neighbors. The Rug prince, Jaromir, attacked two warriors from another tribe. Killed one, but the spear got stuck in the body. Then another jumped up, swung, and suddenly recognized the ruler of the rugs. The enemy warrior threw down his weapon and collapsed on his face.
Here it is, the sacred "khakan-rus"!

All Arabs note the hospitality of the Rus, the inhabitants of the island, which amazed even them, the people of the East. And the North German author of the chronicle of the II century. Adam Bremensky respectfully writes about the Russo-Slavs, the immediate neighbors of the German tribes: “Despite the endless wars (of the Baltic Slavs) of the Varangians with the Germans and the stubborn unwillingness of the former to renounce ancient customs and accept the “true faith”, the latter still admired courage, directness and the honor of the pagans. Helmold in his “Slavic Chronicles” writes: “Although the hatred of Christianity and the heat of delusions were stronger among the Ruyans than among other Slavs, they also possessed many natural good qualities. . These people are extremely hospitable and most of all revere their parents. Among them you will never meet a person left in trouble or poverty. If someone is sick or weak due to old age, then he is taken into care. Hospitality and care for the elderly are considered among the Slavs as the first virtues, ”and regarding the Ruyans, he adds: “The Ruyans are a very brave Russo-Slavic tribe, without whose decision, in accordance with the law, no public decisions are made. They are feared because they are in close relationship with the gods, or rather demons, to whom they pay more reverence than the rest.

And in fact, the Rus, kept the power and knowledge of the Light Gods, have the main commandment: "To honor our parents and Ancestors, and the Ancestors are Our Gods, and we are Their children."

The Arkon temple was the center of the city itself and the whole city life. It was the tallest building in the city, in front of it there was a large square where the veche, the people's assembly, gathered. It was dedicated to the solar deity of the Varangian Rus and Slavs - Svetovit.

Although the very name of God suggests that he is the patron of the sun and light, such a perception conveys the ideas of the ancient Slavs only superficially. Svetovit was equally revered as the patron of life and war, his symbols were depicted in the temple - a sword and a cornucopia. For the Slavic sun-worshippers, the Luminary was the personification of life itself, and they breathed into the great image of the Vedic vision of the world, which was the solar Svetovit, all its possible manifestations, expressed both in the abundance brought by labor and in the fury of warriors. Svetovit was also revered as the personification of the highest wisdom, he was respectfully called Grandfather. Svetovit is the embodiment of life, Nature, which surrounded the Slavs and part of which they realized themselves. The Temple of Svetovit was the symbol of Arkona. It contained the illuminated military banner of the Ruyans - Stanitsa - which was carried in front of the troops before the battle. In the temple itself, a huge eagle lived, which, along with the banner, was considered a symbol of Svetovit and the Varangian Rus-Slavs. The image of an eagle was one of the main symbols of the ruyan, it was both in the temple and on banners, shields, boats and much more.

Over the past centuries, Ruyan, which became Rügen, alternately belonged to Danish, Swedish and German princes. On Cape Arkona, the remains of giant earthen fortifications are clearly visible - an ancient fortress of the Baltic Slavs.

Many people know the Norman theory as "the calling of the Vikings." The calling of the Varangians really took place, but who are the Varangians? Modern historical science can say with confidence that the Eastern Slavs called all the people from the Baltic (Varangian) coast Varangians. And it by no means always belonged primarily to the Germans. Until the 11th-12th centuries, all the southern and eastern shores of the Varangian Sea (Baltic) were inhabited by Venedian Slavs - Bodrichs (encouraging) and Lyutichs. It was they who were basically called the Vikings. Rurik, the founder of the first Russian ruling dynasty, also came from these Russo-Slavic tribes. From them came the great military leaders of that time: Odoacer, who deposed the last Roman emperor, and Prophetic Oleg, the conqueror of the "second Rome" - Constantinople.

So, the island of Rus, Ruyan, Buyan, Ryugen, the main shrine of the Rus and Slavs. It was to its inhabitants that the Ilmen Slovenes called out from the bloody timelessness of strife. Defending themselves from evil spirits, their descendants, even after a thousand years, turned to the forces living on the sacred island. It was from there that the Varangians-Rus responded to their call. It was thanks to them, thanks to the Russians: Rurik, Prophetic Oleg, Svyatoslav - the founders of the sovereigns who strengthened and preserved the power of the Sons of the Falcon and ruled it for seven centuries, Rus' itself was reborn once again!

The Varangians were famous throughout Europe as brave warriors and skillful seafarers. In fact, the very word "Varangians" meant not any people, but people leading a lifestyle of warlike sailors. When the warlike Varangians went into battle against the enemy, their battle cry was: “Var! Var!”, which meant “to the ground!” drive the enemy, hence the word "barbarians". They constantly went on campaigns against their neighbors, and with the beginning of the aggressive expansion of the Crusader Germans to the east, they began to wage almost continuous wars with them.

The researcher of the Baltic Slavs A. Hilferding cites the evidence of the 12th-century Danish missionary Helmold and other contemporaries that the Varangians, “the leading fighters on land against the Germans, were the first daring men at sea as well. They themselves accustomed themselves to marine life, so that contemporaries called their country the maritime region of the Slavs. On the other hand, their position ahead of all the Slavic peoples, among the enemies, Saxons and Danes, took away the possibility of peaceful, merchant shipping. Thus, the war at sea with the Danes became the main occupation, as on land with the Germans, and their main occupation was piracy.

For how many years the main character of the dispute about the origin of Rus' has been Prince Rurik, about whom it is said in the Tale of Bygone Years that he was a Varangian, called in 862 together with his brothers to reign in Novgorod from across the sea. Russian scientists believed: Rus' could not get statehood from the hands of the Germans, and German historians stood their ground: Rus' as a state was formed by their compatriots. In confirmation of the fact that Prince Rurik was from the Rusich family, one can already find a lot of chronicle evidence for this. Meanwhile, this name was widely known, including in the early Middle Ages, in the Baltic. Historian Sergei Pereverzentsev writes in his book Rugi:

“... the word “Rus” itself is not Slavic. And those ancient Rus, the famous brothers Rurik, Sineus and Truvor, who in the 9th century stood at the head of the Slavic tribes, were not Slavs. Moreover, it turned out that on the map of ancient Europe the name "Rus" is found in a variety of places. For example, four different Rus were in the Baltics. In Eastern Europe, the name "Rus" can be found not only on the banks of the Dnieper, but also in the Carpathian Mountains, and at the mouth of the Danube, and on the coast of the Azov and Caspian Seas, and in the Crimea, and in Western Europe, on the territory of modern Austria, and also in Thuringia and Saxony.

Today, many different chronicle, historical and modern sources have the right to declare the vast territories of Rus'!

Indeed, the ancient Rus lived in the vast expanses of Eurasia. They were among the first European settlers, including those on the southern and western shores of the Baltic Sea, where they were known under different names - Ruyans, Rugs, Obodrites, Lutechs ....

The Czech historian Lubor Niederli, as an honest historian, could not but see that the Ruyans, or Rugs, fall out of the Slavic community: this people is more ancient, and their customs are different. The historical paradox lies in the fact that the memory of the ancient Russian shrines was preserved thanks to the German chroniclers, who fiercely hated our ancestors, their faith and took part in the destruction of our shrines.

The Danish historian Saxo Grammatik (1140-1208) in 9 books of the "Acts of the Danes" superimposed the most ancient sagas and historical events that took place in Northern Europe from antiquity to the end of the 12th century. Saxon was curious and devoted many pages of the chronicle to describing the life and customs of our Russian ancestors. And again we will return to the sacred city of Svetovit - the center of the primordial faith of the Russians and Slavs, preserved in legends as the island of Buyan. For example, here is how he described his observations of the ancient ritual, which the Slavs call dozhinki. From Saxo's observations:

“On a freshly mowed field, the sorcerer read a prayer addressed to Mother Raw Earth, asked her forgiveness for the fact that people hurt her body with a plow, grow life on it - wheat. Thanks for the rich harvest. Then the reapers spread a white tablecloth on the ground, put food, gifts of the earth on it, and began a joint meal. It is possible that the legend of the self-collecting tablecloth originated from this ritual, because they ate right on the Earth-nurse, which will bring the same gifts next year.

Saxo concluded that these primitive meals contained the “pagan” faith that, in the name of Christ, his compatriots had decided to destroy. However, he changed his original mind when he ended up on the island of Ruyan and saw Arkona. What he saw amazed the Danish monk that he barely had time to dip his pen into a camping inkwell to describe his impressions (see the description of the city of Arkona in the chapter “Cap Arkona on Rügen”).

So, the reconstruction of the past is based mainly on chronicle data. The chroniclers themselves were ordinary people with their own passions and preferences. They left chronicles that were supposed to glorify their people through the ages. Therefore, the events of national history were embellished by them, and everything foreign was presented as ugly and aggressive. The chronicles of the ruined people, of course, could not be preserved! They just got destroyed!

Everyone in the world remembers 300 Spartans, but few people do not know that we had our own 300 Slavic "knights"!

The sacred city of Arkona was in those distant times the forge of the martial arts of the European North. The ancient history of the Polabian Slavs brings to us the memory that there was a special kind of military service at the temples. These temple warriors were originally called "knights".

The phenomenon was unique, since there were no special troops at the temples of other peoples in Europe. The temple army was considered sacred by the Polabian Slavs. It consisted of envoys, young men of noble Slavic families. Moreover, these young men remained professional soldiers for the rest of their lives. Three hundred knights - gold belters (movement, twice-born), temple warriors of Arkona, kept all the surrounding tribes and peoples of the Baltic under their control. From whom they took tribute in peace, and from others they collected it with a sword.

As in Arkon, at the temples of other gods, in other tribal centers, there were also 300 knights, “recruited” from the best families of the Polabian tribes - after all, these were, in fact, the necessary guard troops of the sacred city-fortresses. Therefore, in battles, for example, against the Germans, 300 knights on horses, the same color as the horse of the deity, acted ahead of the Polabian troops: for example, 300 knights of Svyatovit on white horses, 300 knights of Triglav on black horses.

On the origin of the word "knight": The word "knight" consists of the root "vit", that is, light, the pronoun "az, yaz" and the ending "b" (erb), which could be pronounced with the sound "e" (esi). The word as a whole stands for "vit I am" or I am the light.

Consider the meanings of the words: Holy and bright - twin brothers: words that had the same meaning. The Slavs, who honored the LIGHT, called their country, given to them as an inheritance, from ancient times called LIGHT and also RUSSIA. Which also means “light”: in all Slavic and in general in all Indo-European languages, the root RUS is associated with the concept of LIGHT, FIRE-LIGHT. Rusichi - fair-haired people - sunny. Judeo-Christians, forging their alien, foreign religion under popular ideas, appropriated and perverted light Vedic concepts, putting into them their own, ecclesiastical content: the words “sacred”, “holy” - are distorted by Christians “bright”, that is, sunny. So they changed SVETORUSIE into "Holy Rus'".

Based on this, the solar patron god of Arkona is called Svetovit, and not Svyatovit. In the same way, the prince of the Rus, who defeated the Khazars, should be called Svetoslav, not Svyatoslav. Such an ancient form of writing names did not disappear completely; it was preserved among some Slavic peoples, for example, among the Bulgarians.

The lands of the Polabian Slavs were famous for the temples of the Vedic gods, which were (in addition to Arkona) in Radigoshcha, Retra, Korbel and other cities. The gods were called names with the ending "vit" ("viti" in Sanskrit - light, the whole inhabited world). Moreover, their huge kummirs carved from wood were multi-headed: Svetovit, Perevit, Korevit, Yarovit. From the Polabian gods - “vitas” - and from nowhere else - the word “knight” came from. The word was in use among the Czechs, who were closest ethnically to the Polabian Slavs, and "vitezky" meant "victorious" among them. That is "knight" Means "I am god"(I mean as a conductor). It is believed that the Cossacks-characterists during the battle directly communicate with the Rod itself. And, by the way, if we recall the Cossacks, their custom is to wear a mustache and forelock (the Varangians-Rus shaved their heads and beards almost without exception, as the Arabs and Byzantines report. Their God Perun was depicted with a "silver mustache", and on the miniatures of the Radziwill Chronicle - with a military forelock on his head), and even earlier: “The Slavs themselves, contrary to the image of the “ancient Rus” that we are accustomed to, with shoulder-length hair and a beard with a spade, cut their hair and beards short, or even shaved. Noble warriors - Lutichi (according to Titmar) - could, as a sign of a high family and military prowess, leave a tuft of unshaven hair on the top of the head, or on the front of the skull.

The Arkonian idol of Svetovit had shaved heads and beards "according to folk custom", according to Saxo Grammatik. Only the priests wore long hair and beards "contrary to custom."
So, the legendary Cossacks-characterists are the bearers of the Vedic traditions and knowledge of the temple knights of Arkona ... After all, the Cossacks are the army of God Rod, to whom He gave Kaz (hence the decree, order, mandate) - to guard His heavenly and earthly ways. This is where the “Cossack” comes from, and this word is read from left to right, from right to left - the same.

Russ, firmly held the northern seas in the sovereign hand. The maritime state of the Rus was part of the vast Slavic world from the Laba (Elbe) and Donnaya (Danube) to the Urals and from the Varangian (Baltic) to the Red (Black) Sea. Ruyan Island was part of the Obodrite (Bodrich) union, and was also in a close military and political alliance with the Lyutichs (the strongest Slavic union). The Polabian Slavs (Bodrichi, Lutichi) resisted the onslaught of the Germanic tribes until the 11th century, for more than 350 years they stayed in the very center of already Christianized Europe.

But the eternal problems are civil strife ... The Slavs opposed not only the Germans, but also each other: the Bodrichi fought with the Lyutichs in mortal combat, up to the call to help the Crusader knights. Discord and civil strife shook the Western Slavic world. Thus, the weakening of the influence of the Rus on the Baltic and other northern seas was associated with the weakening of the positions of the Western Slavs in Europe in general. Shortly after the fall of Arkona, all of Polabia, torn apart by the fratricidal wars of the Luticians (velets) and encouragers, after two hundred years of bloody struggle, was annexed by Germany. The Baltic Slavic Venedian ethnos ceased to exist, many people think so, but even now they speak almost in the very center of the long-Germanized land, you can hear Slavic speech.