Serkland

and probably some neighbouring Muslim regions.

Despite the obvious similarity to Saracen, the place-name is likely derived from "serkr" (shirt, modern Swedish "särk") and "land" (land, country), referring to the clothes of the people that lived in the area. Another possible explanation is the Turkic word for "forty furs", which was an important currency during the Viking Age and resulted in the modern Russian word for "forty" - "sorok". It could also be related to Sarkel, a city located in the territory of the Khazars [Jesch, Judith. Geography and travels. In : "Old Norse-Icelandic literature : a critical guide". Ed. by Carol J. Clover and John Lindow. Toronto ; London : University of Toronto Press in association with the Medieval Academy of America, 2005. (Medieval Academy reprints for teaching ; 42). P. 125. ISBN 0-8020-3823-9.] .

Notably one of the Ingvar Runestones, the Gripsholm Runestone, raised circa 1040 at Gripsholm, commemorates a Varangian loss during an ill-fated raid in Serkland. The other remaining runestones that talk of Serkland are Sö 131, Sö 279, Sö 281, the Tillinge Runestone (U 785) and probably the lost runestone U 439. For a detailed account of such raids, see Caspian expeditions of the Rus.

The sagas that mention Serkland are "Ynglinga saga", "Sörla saga sterka", "Sörla þáttr", "Saga Sigurðar Jórsalafara" and "Hjálmþés saga ok Ölvis". It is also mentioned by the 11th century skald Þórgils fiskimaðr [http://skaldic.arts.usyd.edu.au/db.php?table=verses&id=4301] , and the 12th century skald Þórarinn stuttfeldr [http://skaldic.arts.usyd.edu.au/db.php?table=verses&id=4627] .

References