Pages: 155-167

Most reliable fragments in the Primary Chronicle are accounts from the 10th century — Rus-Byzantine Treaties. Addressing these Rus-Byzantine Treaties as first reliable documents, A. V. Nazarenko determined Rus power structures in the 10th century as corpus fratrum and called it “fraternal co-ownership” and “clan suzerainty”. It seems these data can be extrapolated on the earlier period of the 9th century, when comparing power structures of Rus, Denmark and Frankish Empire. This close resemblance is not accidental taking into account the presumed identity of Rurik as Rørik of Friesland and Friesian Danes’ knowledge about the power structures, laws, diplomacy and politics of the Frankish Empire, acquired during approximately 70 years. It is possible that corpus fratrum of the 9 th century generated later Agnatic seniority system which defined the order of succession in medieval Rus.

Keywords: Rus, Denmark, Frankish Empire, “clan suzerainty”, headless state, Frisian Danes, Rurik/Rørik of Friesland

Information about author:

Oleg Gubarev (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation).
E-mail: [email protected]