"In the year 859 the Varjags came over the sea and gathered payment from
Estonians, Slovers, Merjans, Vess and Krivetians. In the year 862 they were driven
away back over the sea, no payment was given and the Estonians and others ruled
themselves. And justice was lost, tribe rose against tribe, great disorder and
quarrels arose and they started to fight among themselves. And they said to one
another: "Let us find a Prince, who will rule over us and bring justice". And they
went back over the sea to the Varjags (Varidg). They were also called "Russes",
like others were called Swealanders, other Norrlanders, others Angles, others
Gothtalanders. And they said to the Russes: "Our land is big and wide, but without
any order. Come and rule over us and be our Princes!" And three brothers were
chosen from among them and they took all the Russes with them and came.
The oldest, Ruierik, stayed in Novgorod, the second oldest Sineus, went to
Whitelake, and the third, Truvor, went to Irboska. Russia got its name from these
Russes.In two years Sineus and Truvor died and Ruierik took the whole country,
giving his men towns; to one Polotsk, to another Rostov, to the third Whitelake. To
these towns the Varjags came.
Earlier there lived in Novgorod Slovens, in Polotsk the Krivitch, in Rostov the
Merjans, in Whitelake the Vess, in Muron the Muromers. They were all ruled by
Ruierik".
The name of the Scandinavians, "Varjag" comes from the Scandinavian word "var" - "oath", which
the merchants gave to each other to protect themselves.
The Scandinavians were often mercenaries in Europe, also Russian Princes had private armies of
Scandinavians, called "Druzina".
From them began most of the old Russian families. So the Russians got their name from Vikings,
who established their state".
