Childbirth In Pre-Petrine Russia Summary

The origins of Kievan Rus’ have been the subject of scholarly debate for some time. Mainly this has been framed under the Normanist question. This inquiry asks, did the Varangians organize political and social order in the Rus’ lands, or was there a sociopolitical infrastructure in place upon arrival? Eve Levin’s article “Childbirth in Pre-Petrine Russia: Canon Law and Popular Traditions” describes the connection between the Slavic pagan rituals and Orthodox Christian theology present during childbirth in medieval Russia, using the term “dvoeverie” which means dual-belief. Does Levin’s article also help us answer the Normanist question? This essay will argue it does, and along with the Primary Chronicle it also provides evidence for the anti-Normanist …show more content…
This is not to gloss over many important details and nuances, such as the Rurik Dynasty, which would be claimed until the 1500s, being of Varangian origin. There is no doubt that the Varangians have had a great impact on the shaping of Rus’. However, the Levin piece, as well as class lectures and the Primary Chronicle, have provided evidence there was not only a Slavic identity prior to the Varangians, but a social and economic order which the Slavic tribes of the Rus’ lands adhered to. These social and economic realities on the ground prior to the arrival of the Varangians serve as the foundations on what would become the Rus’ state, and therefore the Varangians had come to rule over a sociopolitical order that was already in existence. Due to this, the answer to the Normanist debate seems to be anti-Normanist in