Image: Freyr by Johannes Gehrts
I recently engaged in the very tedious task of researching my genealogy and what I found surprised me. My ancestors from hundreds of years ago, came from an area in Sweden before migrating to what was then Slovakia. Tacitus wrote about this tribe in his Germania, from about 98 CE. According to another source, the Heimskringla, written by Snorri Sturlason, an Icelandic author, the Swedes were a powerful tribe and their kings claimed to have descended from the god Freyr (also known as Frey), who was associated with kingship, fertility, and sunshine. These Swedes, or a subset of, the Vanargians, to then become known as the Rus', who in the late 900's made Kiev their new home, thus developing a political center.
There is much debate as to whether the Slavic nation of Kiev was already occupied by a Slavic tribe, or if the Swedes eventually developed into what would become known as the Slavic people. These people, known as the Rus', who were a Swedish Viking tribe, came specifically from an area called Roslagen. The "Ros" people, to whom I believe to be directly related, (It is still unclear if the Rhos people of Wales (Sea-on-Rhos, located in the county of Gwynedd,) are connected, as it appears that the people of Gwynedd descend from a Celtic tribe. It is quite possible there was a blending of the two tribes in central Europe, with one part of this union going to Wales, and the other staying behind in central Europe. Old English and Old Norse, are two versions of Germanic.
When you take into consideration the migration of The Viking's to the island of Britain that has been studied from an historical, archaeological, and linguistic perspectives by people of various disciplines, some believe the Norse traveled to Scotland, mainly the Northern Isles and Outer Hebrides in early Medieval Scotland. However, in Wales, the Norse can be found within the Milford Haven and the Gower Peninsula, and perhaps too, the Red Wharf Bay in Anglesey.
(I am currently in contact with researchers to help determine the information relevant to my family history. While it is widely known that the Germanic and Celtic tribes traveled all throughout Europe and beyond, I am focusing primarily on the above areas, based on my genealogy results. It is believed that my ancestors were among the people who either created or settled in the Carpatho-Rusyn areas - not to be confused with Russia. This is a rabbit hole that goes on for miles in numerous directions. As I learn more, I will blog about it here in a broad, historical manner).
Read more on the Vikings here: