The Many Names of Vikings
Although we now call them Vikings, back in those times, they were known under many names by their enemies. Irish called them dark and fair foreigners – Dubgail and Finngail, Germans called them ashmen – Ascomanni, the Gaels called them lake people – Lochlannach, and the Arabs, Byzantines, and Slavs called them Rus’ – which comes from the Swedish region of Roslagen or the word “rowing.”