Scandinavian/Rus’ Captives and Slave Soldiers
Journal: Viking Special Volumes
Year: 2021

During the Viking Age (c. AD 750–1050), the Rus’, an inclusive group of warrior-merchants of mainly Scandinavian origin – owning and trading slaves – were active in the East (in this case the eastern Baltic region, European Russia, Belarus, the Ukraine, the Black Sea region, Byzantium, the Caucasus, and beyond). There are several written accounts of Rus’ taken captive in the East during the Viking Age, including information about some of them ending up as slaves. This article will examine differ