H3: Rus leader
By the end of the 9th century the Varangian Vikings who created the large and rapidly expanding state of Kievan Rus had adopted many aspects of the military technology of the Eurasian steppe peoples, mostly notably from the Khazars, and thus had little visibly in common with their Scandianian ancestors. Those Viking features which most obviously endured were straight, double-edged swords, and large-bladed war axes. This commander wears a silver neck torque with pendant Thor’s hammers, and his sword has a trilobate pommel, but the other aspects of his panoply are fully within the Eurasian steppe tradition. His helmet is gilded except for the steel bowl, and worn with a mail aventail. His short mail hauberk is concealed, except at the dagged hem, by a short, linen-lined, overlapping woollen coat; its horn buttons and cord loops are themselves hidden here by a dark cloak folded diagonally around the body and pinned on the right side. Linen puttees are wrapped around the woollen trousers, within soft leather boots. His archery equipment, riding whip and horse harness are all of steppes patterns (like the discarded bow and quiver of H1), though he might have an axe of Scandinavian form hung from the right of his saddle, perhaps with chiselled decoration on the blade suitable for his high status.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
MIKHAIL ZHIROHOV, born 1974, is a military historian; a graduate of Donetsk State University, Ukraine, he lives in Chernihiv. His interests extend from the medieval history of the territories of the former USSR to modern warfare, and he is the author of some 20 books in Russian and Ukrainian, on subjects including the Mius Front in 1941–43, Soviet military aviation over Afghanistan in 1979–89, and modern hybrid warfare. He has also published more than 300 articles on various aspects of military history in Russian, Ukrainian, English, Serbian and French journals.
DAVID NICOLLE is Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of Medieval Studies, Nottingham University. A specialist in the military history of Islam, he is the author of over a dozen books on medieval military history, and has been a prolific contributor to Osprey series for many years.
CHRISTA HOOK began her illustrating career in 1986, after studying under her father Richard Hook. Her work has featured extensively in the worlds of publishing and television. She has established herself as one of Osprey’s most popular artists, having illustrated multiple series titles. Her illustrations are sought after by collectors worldwide. Christa lives and works in East Sussex, England.
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First published in Great Britain in 2019
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