Ibn fadlan vikings. Discover the cultural and historical context of his travelogue, the Risala, and its influence on medieval literature. The mission itself was something of a bust. Ibn Fadlan wrote an account of his journeys with the embassy, called a Risala. He described the Volga Vikings, their culture, religion, and burial customs, as well as other Turkic and Khazar peoples. This Risala is of great value Oct 11, 2021 · But Ahmed Ibn Fadlan was only one of many Arabs who wrote about Vikings. He observed their physical features, customs, beliefs, and practices, and reported their interactions with Muslims and Christians. Mar 7, 2022 · Abbasid chroniclers like Ibn Fadlan visited the region in the hope of spreading Islam and establishing trade routes, leaving detailed descriptions of the people living there Ibn Fadlan's Account of the Rus Ibn Fadlan was an Arab chronicler. Suitable for ancient civilization survey and courses on medieval history,… Aug 27, 2025 · 13th-century Arabic manuscript showing a caravan of travellers with camels and horses Ibn Fadlan’s enthralling chronicle of his mission from Baghdad to the Volga River during 921 CE and his May 19, 2023 · Ibn Fadlan, a 9th century Muslim ambassador, wrote the earliest known description of the Vikings. Ibn Fadlan was a Baghdad scholar who wrote an account of his embassy to the Volga Bulgaria in 921. , the Caliph of Baghdad sent Ibn Fadlan with an embassy to the King of the Bulgars of the Middle Volga. (source: Wikimedia) As are many when discussing Ibn Faḍlān, I was concerned as to whether his accounts can be interpreted as referring to Vikings. E. He described their appearance, customs, and beliefs, some of which are similar to the Vikings. Other Arabic Viking accounts came from travelers, diplomats, soldiers and administrators. In 921 C. In 921 CE Arab Muslim writer and traveler Ibn Fadhlan was sent as the secretary to an ambassador from the Abbasid Caliph al-Muqtadir from Baghdad to the Volga Bulgars by the Black Sea and the Caspian. In his subsequent report on his mission he gave a meticulous and astonishingly objective description of Viking customs, dress, table manners, religion and sexual practices, as well as the only eyewitness account ever written of a Ibn Fadlan’s Risala. Oct 13, 2023 · Learn about the 10th-century Islamic scholar and traveler who recorded his encounters with the Rus, a Viking people, on his journey to the Volga River. Jan 31, 2023 · xxxvii, 239 pages : 20 cm "In 922 AD, an Arab envoy from Baghdad named Ibn Fadlan encountered a party of Viking traders on the upper reaches of the Volga River. A concise introduction to and selection from Ahmad ibn Fadlan's description of his encounters with the Rus on the Volga river. com Ibn Fadlan was an Arab chronicler who wrote about his journey to the Bulgars and the Rus, a group of Swedish traders, in 921 C. See full list on encyclopedia. But while Apr 11, 2024 · Ibn Fadlan’s first-hand account of the Rus and their funerary rituals has secured his reputation as an important source for the study of ritual and belief across the Viking world. Ridawiya MS 5229 fol. . 196v. Rūs, in medieval Arabic, was often used very broadly and Ibn Faḍlān’s Risāla discussion of the Volga encompasses a multiplicity of ethnic Apr 3, 2008 · One of the earliest detailed descriptions of the Vikings is reported in the account Ibn Fadhlan wrote after his travels in Northern Europe. 6sfrf xcnj eikb pkg1 gf2tl 7uwev3y turhey zsag hqkzp vb0