Ilmen Slavs
Encyclopedia
The Ilmen Slavs was the northernmost tribe
of the Early East Slavs, which inhabited the shores of the Lake Ilmen
and the basin
of the rivers of Volkhov
, Lovat, Msta
, and the upper stream of the Mologa River
in the 8th to 10th centuries.
The Ilmen Slavs seem to have been different from other Slavic tribes colonizing what is now Russia
in that they were closely related to the Polabian Slavs
in language and traditions (see old Novgorod dialect
and Gostomysl
for examples). They settled mostly Finnic
areas in Northern Russia, moving along the major waterways, until they met the southward expansion of the Krivichs in the modern-day Yaroslavl Oblast
.
They left a few archaeological monuments of the 6th–8th centuries, such as agricultural settlements
and tall conelike kurgan
s with incinerated bodies in the Ladoga
region. The most ancient settlement is dated back to the 7th or 8th century. Numerous archaeological finds, such as a metal tip for a wooden plough
, indicate that the Ilmen Slavs had a well-developed agriculture. They were not a particularly warlike state, but evidence of their unique weaponry, dated back to mid-8th Century, has been found around the city of Novgorod. The weaponry consisted of spears, maces, swords, bows, javelins and even some war hammers. It would seem that they fought rather aggressive warfare designed to push their enemies out of their lands, rather than destroy them utterly.
The principal cities of the Ilmen Slavs were Staraya Russa
and Novgorod, which had appeared in the 9th–10th centuries. The land of the Ilmen Slavs later became the center of the Novgorod Republic
.
According to some historians, Slavic presence around Ladoga Lake pre-dating the 10th century is unlikely.
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
of the Early East Slavs, which inhabited the shores of the Lake Ilmen
Lake Ilmen
Ilmen is a historically important lake in the Novgorod Oblast of Russia, formerly a vital part of the Trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. The city of Novgorod lies six kilometers below the lake's outflow....
and the basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the rivers of Volkhov
Volkhov River
Volkhov is a river in Novgorod Oblast and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia.-Geography:The Volkhov flows out of Lake Ilmen north into Lake Ladoga, the largest lake of Europe. It is the second largest tributary of Lake Ladoga. It is navigable over its whole length. Discharge is highly...
, Lovat, Msta
MSTA
The 2S19 "MSTA-S" is a self-propelled 152 mm howitzer designed by Russia/Soviet Union, which entered service in 1989 as the successor to the SO-152...
, and the upper stream of the Mologa River
Mologa River
Mologa River is a river in Tver, Novgorod and Vologda Oblasts of Russia. It is a left tributary of the Volga River, flowing into the Rybinsk Reservoir. The river freezes up in the late October - early December and stays under the ice until April - early May....
in the 8th to 10th centuries.
The Ilmen Slavs seem to have been different from other Slavic tribes colonizing what is now Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in that they were closely related to the Polabian Slavs
Polabian Slavs
Polabian Slavs - is a collective term applied to a number of Lechites tribes who lived along the Elbe river, between the Baltic Sea to the north, the Saale and the Limes Saxoniae to the west, the Ore Mountains and the Western Sudetes to the south, and Poland to the east. They have also been known...
in language and traditions (see old Novgorod dialect
Old Novgorod dialect
Old Novgorod dialect is a term introduced by Andrey Zaliznyak to describe the astonishingly diverse linguistic features of the Old East Slavic birch bark writings from the 11th to 15th centuries excavated in Novgorod and its surroundings...
and Gostomysl
Gostomysl
Gostomysl is a legendary 9th-century posadnik of Novgorod who was introduced into the historiography by Vasily Tatishchev, an 18th-century historian. Gostomysl's rule is associated with the confederation of Northern tribes, which was formed to counter the Varangian threat in the mid-9th century...
for examples). They settled mostly Finnic
Finnic peoples
The Finnic or Fennic peoples were historic ethnic groups who spoke various languages traditionally classified as Finno-Permic...
areas in Northern Russia, moving along the major waterways, until they met the southward expansion of the Krivichs in the modern-day Yaroslavl Oblast
Yaroslavl Oblast
Yaroslavl Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , which is located in the Central Federal District, surrounded by Tver, Moscow, Ivanovo, Vladimir, Kostroma, and Vologda Oblasts. This geographic location affords the oblast the advantages of proximity to Moscow and St. Petersburg...
.
They left a few archaeological monuments of the 6th–8th centuries, such as agricultural settlements
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and tall conelike kurgan
Kurgan
Kurgan is the Turkic term for a tumulus; mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves, originating with its use in Soviet archaeology, now widely used for tumuli in the context of Eastern European and Central Asian archaeology....
s with incinerated bodies in the Ladoga
Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:...
region. The most ancient settlement is dated back to the 7th or 8th century. Numerous archaeological finds, such as a metal tip for a wooden plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
, indicate that the Ilmen Slavs had a well-developed agriculture. They were not a particularly warlike state, but evidence of their unique weaponry, dated back to mid-8th Century, has been found around the city of Novgorod. The weaponry consisted of spears, maces, swords, bows, javelins and even some war hammers. It would seem that they fought rather aggressive warfare designed to push their enemies out of their lands, rather than destroy them utterly.
The principal cities of the Ilmen Slavs were Staraya Russa
Staraya Russa
Staraya Russa is a town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located south of Veliky Novgorod. It is a wharf on the Polist River in the Lake Ilmen basin. It serves as the administrative center of Starorussky District, although administratively it is not a part of it...
and Novgorod, which had appeared in the 9th–10th centuries. The land of the Ilmen Slavs later became the center of the Novgorod Republic
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a large medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th centuries, centred on the city of Novgorod...
.
According to some historians, Slavic presence around Ladoga Lake pre-dating the 10th century is unlikely.