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Article ANGLO-SAXON HISTORY ILLUSTRATED BY TOPOG... ← Page 3 of 6 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Anglo-Saxon History Illustrated By Topog...
of whole blood , they would have allowed no pre-eminence to a man , who had indeed the male blood of Weden , but was not even an English man , as wanting an English mother . Alliances that were unhallowed were found unhappy in their fruits , for their offspring was sacrificed to the bloodthirsty policy of the caste and the hatred of the English . How abiding was this feeling , is well enough manifested in the earlier history of the English in the east , when under the name of Warings , the "Vari ' ni of Tacitus , they founded the Russian empire and gave to it the title of Russia .
As the betrothal of Rowena , a fatal gift to the Welsh . j exemplifies the sacrifice of a daughter , so , from the history of Russia we may exemplify the pride of caste . Oskhold and Dir , two of the English who were concerned in the first expedition of Rurick , separating from him and penetrating into Slavonia , made themselves masters of Sief in 849 , and called themselves its kings . They were strong enough in 851 to make an attempt on Byzantium , in which they were foiled . They added to the profanation of assuming the kingly name what was looked upon as a betrayal of their nationality to the heathens—the offence of becoming Christians and receiving a Christian bishop and priest from the patriarch Photius . The fierce English and Norse ill brooked this conduct , and though they could not , on account of their
wars with the neighbouring Slavonians * at once punish the offenders , yet in the end they wreaked their bloody vengeance . About 882 , Oleg the regent of Igor , son of Rurick , set himself on this undertaking . Being fearful of a conflict with Oskhold and Dir and their English retainers , he is said to have resorted to a stratagem . Leaving his host behind , he floated down the Dnieper with a few boats full of armed English , and took the boy Igor with him . Having landed below the high river bank on which stood old Kieff , he sent word to Oskhold and Dir that some Waring traders on their way to Byzantium wished to see them as friends and brethren of the same race . The two kings went out to meet the so called traders , and when they reached the" spot , they were surrounded by the armed English there hidden . " You are neither kings nor of kingly blood , " said Oleg , "but I am of kingly blood , and this is the son of Rurick . " With these words Oskhold and Dir were slain , and the city fell under the sway of the commonwealth .
Another incident to the same effect may be quoted from the life of St . Wladimh * , or Waldemar the Great . He was the son of Sviato ^ laf or Swithslof , by Malusha , a Slavonian , and attendant on the old queen Olga . He was regarded as a natural son , and had Novogorod as his share . Waldemar having warred on his brother and kinsmen ,
in time made himself master of Russia , by calling in from Jutland and Norway a greater body of English and Norse . With this Waring aid he began his career of bloodshed , and to gratify their national feelings , he demanded as a wife Rogneda , the daughter of a Waring , who was master of Polotsk - Rogneda was betrothed to the king
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Anglo-Saxon History Illustrated By Topog...
of whole blood , they would have allowed no pre-eminence to a man , who had indeed the male blood of Weden , but was not even an English man , as wanting an English mother . Alliances that were unhallowed were found unhappy in their fruits , for their offspring was sacrificed to the bloodthirsty policy of the caste and the hatred of the English . How abiding was this feeling , is well enough manifested in the earlier history of the English in the east , when under the name of Warings , the "Vari ' ni of Tacitus , they founded the Russian empire and gave to it the title of Russia .
As the betrothal of Rowena , a fatal gift to the Welsh . j exemplifies the sacrifice of a daughter , so , from the history of Russia we may exemplify the pride of caste . Oskhold and Dir , two of the English who were concerned in the first expedition of Rurick , separating from him and penetrating into Slavonia , made themselves masters of Sief in 849 , and called themselves its kings . They were strong enough in 851 to make an attempt on Byzantium , in which they were foiled . They added to the profanation of assuming the kingly name what was looked upon as a betrayal of their nationality to the heathens—the offence of becoming Christians and receiving a Christian bishop and priest from the patriarch Photius . The fierce English and Norse ill brooked this conduct , and though they could not , on account of their
wars with the neighbouring Slavonians * at once punish the offenders , yet in the end they wreaked their bloody vengeance . About 882 , Oleg the regent of Igor , son of Rurick , set himself on this undertaking . Being fearful of a conflict with Oskhold and Dir and their English retainers , he is said to have resorted to a stratagem . Leaving his host behind , he floated down the Dnieper with a few boats full of armed English , and took the boy Igor with him . Having landed below the high river bank on which stood old Kieff , he sent word to Oskhold and Dir that some Waring traders on their way to Byzantium wished to see them as friends and brethren of the same race . The two kings went out to meet the so called traders , and when they reached the" spot , they were surrounded by the armed English there hidden . " You are neither kings nor of kingly blood , " said Oleg , "but I am of kingly blood , and this is the son of Rurick . " With these words Oskhold and Dir were slain , and the city fell under the sway of the commonwealth .
Another incident to the same effect may be quoted from the life of St . Wladimh * , or Waldemar the Great . He was the son of Sviato ^ laf or Swithslof , by Malusha , a Slavonian , and attendant on the old queen Olga . He was regarded as a natural son , and had Novogorod as his share . Waldemar having warred on his brother and kinsmen ,
in time made himself master of Russia , by calling in from Jutland and Norway a greater body of English and Norse . With this Waring aid he began his career of bloodshed , and to gratify their national feelings , he demanded as a wife Rogneda , the daughter of a Waring , who was master of Polotsk - Rogneda was betrothed to the king