The roving bands of Scandinavian traders and freebooters were
alternately his persecutors and protectors. After burning his villages
for some fancied offense, and appropriating his cattle and corn, they
would sell their service for the protection of Kief, Novgorod, and
Pskof as freely as they did the same thing to Constantinople and the
Greek cities. In other words, these brilliant, masterful intruders
were _Northmen_, and can undoubtedly be identified with those roving
sea-kings who terrorized Western Europe for a long and dreary period.

The disheartened Slavs of Novgorod came to a momentous decision. They
invited these Varangians--as they are called--to come and administer
their government. They said: "Our land is great and fruitful, but it
lacks order and justice. Come--take possession, and govern us." With
the arrival from Sweden of the three Vikings, Rurik and his two
brothers Sineus and Truvor, the true history of Russia begins, and the
one thousandth anniversary of that event was commemorated at Novgorod
in the year 1862.

Rurik was the Clovis of Russia. When with his band of followers he was
established at Novgorod the name of Russia came into existence,
supposedly from the Finnish word _ruotsi_, meaning rowers or
sea-farers. Slavonia was not only christened but regenerated at this
period, and infused into it were the new elements of martial order,
discipline, and the habit of implicit obedience to a chosen or
hereditary chief; and as Rurik's brothers soon conveniently died, their
territory also passed to him, and he assumed the title of Grand Prince.

Upon the death of Rurik in 879, his younger brother Oleg succeeded him
as regent during the minority of his son Igor; and when two more
Varangian brothers--Askold and Dir--in the same manner--except that