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Chapter 68: Baptism of Merya and Fragmentation of Rus
Continuing further northeast into the region of Eastern Europe, into the East European Plains. The previous regional hegemon, the Kievan Rus, is now experiencing a period of fragmentation. After the death of Yaroslav the Wise, the realm became divided into a series of principalities, ruled by various members of the direct or cadet branches of the Rurik dynasty.
View attachment 487405
A linguistic makeup of Eastern Europe
Top-ranking in the hierarchy is Grand Duchy of Kiev, controlling also the areas to its westwards, towards the region of Volhynia and the Bug River, also including the Pinsk Marshes. To its southwest is the Duchy of Galicia, also to encompass the upper valleys of the Prut and Dniester Rivers. Galicia located at the northern foothills of the Carpathians was also in frequent contact with neighbouring Poland and Hungary. The role of the estates, especially the Boyars and Burghers was rather high in Galicia, and they came to dispose of the right to nominate the monarch.
Two further principalities were based on the lower Dnieper River, Pereyaslavl and Chernigov. The latter corresponded more-less to the territories of the Severians, and extended also to the Upper Oka, to Ryazan. Chernigov was thus given the task of protecting the rest of the East Slavic principalities from southward incursions by the Steppe peoples.
The nomadic tribes to the south were an everlasting threat
Further northwards, in the central parts of the former Rus lands are two principalities that of Smolensk and Polotsk, separated roughly by the upper course of the Dnieper River. The Duchy of Polotsk was centred mostly on the upper course of Dvina River, and subsequently incorporated also territories further downstream, notably the Latgalian duchy of Getsike and Jersika. This is actually the first of the Baltic tribes to come into contact with Christianity and accept baptism.
The northernmost of the East Slavic principalities was that of Novgorod. The city enjoyed its position and trade links over the Baltic Sea. The merchants and boyars begin to acquire more wealth and influence. Novgorodian society and culture is very close to that of Scandinavia, true to the Varangian roots of the original band of Hrorekr adventurers. The Novgorodian trade network has come to extend into Finnic lands further north, into Finland proper, Karelia and Vepsia. Those areas maintained their independence and chieftains, and were vital suppliers of furs, which became the key export of Novgorod.
From the linguistic point of view, the Eastern Slavic branch is now forming a dialect continuum, based along the major north-south axis, extending from Novgorod through Polotsk and Smolensk southwards to the middle Dnieper (Kiev, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl, ultimately ending in Galicia and northern Moldavia. The early variants of Old Novgorodian, Old Ruthenian – dialects of Polotsk, Kiev and Galicia, as well as Moldavian Bulgarian are gradually diverging (1).
View attachment 487402
A political map of the East European Plain
As for the Merya, they remain an independent principality on the Upper Volga River, but have come under the influence of the neighbouring East Slavic culture, adopting Christianity from them. However, the principality remains solidly ethnically Finnic, with the Merya language becoming the dominant in the Upper Volga valley (2).
The Duchy of Merya has thus incorporated a collection of Volga Finnic tribes: the Meshchera, the Muromians, the Cheremis and the Merya themselves. Also included were the southernmost Veps people. Solely the southeasternmost Volga Finnic tribe, the Mordva, remained outside of the Merya Duchy.
Along with Christianity, which established itself by the bishoprics of Obran Osh (Metropolitan Bishopric) , Sara and Murom (3) came also the penetration of East Slavic culture and language, in the form of the Old Church Slavonic as liturgical language and East Slavic as a general lingua franca of the merchants and also the nobility. However, this linguistic contact has not resulted in full-scale assimilation of the Finnic languages by the East Slavic tongues; rather it had the form of intense lexical borrowings from the more civilized Slavic neighbours, in matters of religion. In the spheres of commerce and warfare, the Volgaic languages also borrowed quite a few words from Bolghar language further downstream.
View attachment 487404
Paganism still remains dominant to the southeast of the Baltic Sea
Further north are only the tribes of the Komi, the Nenets and Veps at the estuary of the Northern Dvina, which are then bordered by the Karelians to their west. These peripheral tribes are still mainly Finnic pagans, intensively trading with the merchants of Novgorod.
This was also true for the Finns, the Ingrians and the Estonians. As for the Baltic tribes, we can observe larger tribal chiefdoms, especially those of the Semigallians, Selonians and Curonians, as well as Samogitians, Lithuanians, Sudovians and Prussians. As mentioned earlier, the easternmost Baltic tribes living in Latgalia were subjugated by the Principality of Polotsk and accepted Christianity, at least superficially.
The Curonians were the dominant maritime tribe of the Baltics, and became quickly known as the “Baltic Vikings”, making their living as merchants and raiders in the Baltic Sea. Further south, the Lithuanians has become the dominant chiefdom, with the southernmost sector being dominated by the Yotvingians, also known as Sudovians (to the south of the Nemunas River) and Prussian tribes in the southwest. The names of these tribes have been preserved by German historians: Pomesanians (Pameddi),Varmians (Warmi),Pogesanians (Paguddi), Natangians (Notangi),Sambians (Semba), Nadrovians (Nadrauwa),Bartians (Barta), Scalovians (Skallawa), and Galindians (Galinda).
A map of Prussian tribes
Further southwards is the Kingdom of Poland, which in the early 11th century under Boleslaw the Brave became a mighty power in the region. However, his conquests did not last long, as his heirs came squabbling among themselves. Thus Poland was once more restricted to the core areas between the Odra and Vistula River, encompassing the Lesser, Greater Poland and also Masovia and Silesia. (4).
To the northwest of Poland, the Pommeranian Coast is still a refuge to perhaps the last Slavic pagan realms. Just west of the Vistula delta, we have the Duchy of Pommerelia. This area had been subjugated by Poland under Boleslaw the Bold, but has again broke free after his death. Centred on Gdansk, it borders the Duchy of Pommerania to its west. Pommerania is also a west Slavic pagan realm, based on the both sides of the Odra estuary, with its capital at Stettin, but also including the island of Rujana (5), with the Slavic temples at Cape Arkona. The Pommeranians are also known to engage in maritime trade and raiding. Pommerania was in frequent contact with the Norse via the emporia of Ralswiek and Wolin.
(1) Yes, no Great Russian (modern Russian language around Moscow) present in this TL. I know that no Muscovy is going to have big implications. Let us wonder how this world would look like.
(2) The Merya principality geopolitically corresponds to the Duchy of Vladimir-Suzdal, which later evolved into Muscovy
(3) Obran Osh lay in the site of OTL Nizhniy Novgorod, a
(4) As further developments happened without major departures from OTL, I see no reason to write more about the internal develoments of the early Polish state.
(5) Ruegen, in German
View attachment 487405
A linguistic makeup of Eastern Europe
Top-ranking in the hierarchy is Grand Duchy of Kiev, controlling also the areas to its westwards, towards the region of Volhynia and the Bug River, also including the Pinsk Marshes. To its southwest is the Duchy of Galicia, also to encompass the upper valleys of the Prut and Dniester Rivers. Galicia located at the northern foothills of the Carpathians was also in frequent contact with neighbouring Poland and Hungary. The role of the estates, especially the Boyars and Burghers was rather high in Galicia, and they came to dispose of the right to nominate the monarch.
Two further principalities were based on the lower Dnieper River, Pereyaslavl and Chernigov. The latter corresponded more-less to the territories of the Severians, and extended also to the Upper Oka, to Ryazan. Chernigov was thus given the task of protecting the rest of the East Slavic principalities from southward incursions by the Steppe peoples.
The nomadic tribes to the south were an everlasting threat
Further northwards, in the central parts of the former Rus lands are two principalities that of Smolensk and Polotsk, separated roughly by the upper course of the Dnieper River. The Duchy of Polotsk was centred mostly on the upper course of Dvina River, and subsequently incorporated also territories further downstream, notably the Latgalian duchy of Getsike and Jersika. This is actually the first of the Baltic tribes to come into contact with Christianity and accept baptism.
The northernmost of the East Slavic principalities was that of Novgorod. The city enjoyed its position and trade links over the Baltic Sea. The merchants and boyars begin to acquire more wealth and influence. Novgorodian society and culture is very close to that of Scandinavia, true to the Varangian roots of the original band of Hrorekr adventurers. The Novgorodian trade network has come to extend into Finnic lands further north, into Finland proper, Karelia and Vepsia. Those areas maintained their independence and chieftains, and were vital suppliers of furs, which became the key export of Novgorod.
From the linguistic point of view, the Eastern Slavic branch is now forming a dialect continuum, based along the major north-south axis, extending from Novgorod through Polotsk and Smolensk southwards to the middle Dnieper (Kiev, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl, ultimately ending in Galicia and northern Moldavia. The early variants of Old Novgorodian, Old Ruthenian – dialects of Polotsk, Kiev and Galicia, as well as Moldavian Bulgarian are gradually diverging (1).
View attachment 487402
A political map of the East European Plain
As for the Merya, they remain an independent principality on the Upper Volga River, but have come under the influence of the neighbouring East Slavic culture, adopting Christianity from them. However, the principality remains solidly ethnically Finnic, with the Merya language becoming the dominant in the Upper Volga valley (2).
The Duchy of Merya has thus incorporated a collection of Volga Finnic tribes: the Meshchera, the Muromians, the Cheremis and the Merya themselves. Also included were the southernmost Veps people. Solely the southeasternmost Volga Finnic tribe, the Mordva, remained outside of the Merya Duchy.
Along with Christianity, which established itself by the bishoprics of Obran Osh (Metropolitan Bishopric) , Sara and Murom (3) came also the penetration of East Slavic culture and language, in the form of the Old Church Slavonic as liturgical language and East Slavic as a general lingua franca of the merchants and also the nobility. However, this linguistic contact has not resulted in full-scale assimilation of the Finnic languages by the East Slavic tongues; rather it had the form of intense lexical borrowings from the more civilized Slavic neighbours, in matters of religion. In the spheres of commerce and warfare, the Volgaic languages also borrowed quite a few words from Bolghar language further downstream.
View attachment 487404
Paganism still remains dominant to the southeast of the Baltic Sea
Further north are only the tribes of the Komi, the Nenets and Veps at the estuary of the Northern Dvina, which are then bordered by the Karelians to their west. These peripheral tribes are still mainly Finnic pagans, intensively trading with the merchants of Novgorod.
This was also true for the Finns, the Ingrians and the Estonians. As for the Baltic tribes, we can observe larger tribal chiefdoms, especially those of the Semigallians, Selonians and Curonians, as well as Samogitians, Lithuanians, Sudovians and Prussians. As mentioned earlier, the easternmost Baltic tribes living in Latgalia were subjugated by the Principality of Polotsk and accepted Christianity, at least superficially.
The Curonians were the dominant maritime tribe of the Baltics, and became quickly known as the “Baltic Vikings”, making their living as merchants and raiders in the Baltic Sea. Further south, the Lithuanians has become the dominant chiefdom, with the southernmost sector being dominated by the Yotvingians, also known as Sudovians (to the south of the Nemunas River) and Prussian tribes in the southwest. The names of these tribes have been preserved by German historians: Pomesanians (Pameddi),Varmians (Warmi),Pogesanians (Paguddi), Natangians (Notangi),Sambians (Semba), Nadrovians (Nadrauwa),Bartians (Barta), Scalovians (Skallawa), and Galindians (Galinda).
A map of Prussian tribes
Further southwards is the Kingdom of Poland, which in the early 11th century under Boleslaw the Brave became a mighty power in the region. However, his conquests did not last long, as his heirs came squabbling among themselves. Thus Poland was once more restricted to the core areas between the Odra and Vistula River, encompassing the Lesser, Greater Poland and also Masovia and Silesia. (4).
To the northwest of Poland, the Pommeranian Coast is still a refuge to perhaps the last Slavic pagan realms. Just west of the Vistula delta, we have the Duchy of Pommerelia. This area had been subjugated by Poland under Boleslaw the Bold, but has again broke free after his death. Centred on Gdansk, it borders the Duchy of Pommerania to its west. Pommerania is also a west Slavic pagan realm, based on the both sides of the Odra estuary, with its capital at Stettin, but also including the island of Rujana (5), with the Slavic temples at Cape Arkona. The Pommeranians are also known to engage in maritime trade and raiding. Pommerania was in frequent contact with the Norse via the emporia of Ralswiek and Wolin.
(1) Yes, no Great Russian (modern Russian language around Moscow) present in this TL. I know that no Muscovy is going to have big implications. Let us wonder how this world would look like.
(2) The Merya principality geopolitically corresponds to the Duchy of Vladimir-Suzdal, which later evolved into Muscovy
(3) Obran Osh lay in the site of OTL Nizhniy Novgorod, a
(4) As further developments happened without major departures from OTL, I see no reason to write more about the internal develoments of the early Polish state.
(5) Ruegen, in German
- Tomislav Addai
- Word Count: 1.2k