The Anthroponym of Prince Oleg Veshchy (The Seer) as a Possible Legacy of the Venetians

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of the origin of the name of Oleg Veshchy (The Seer). On the basis of the data of the historiography of Ancient Rus', historical geography, genogeography and linguistics the possible variants of belonging of the given anthroponym to a concrete ethnos and region are analyzed. Using archaeological data and toponymic markers it was shown that the names of the princes of Varangian Rus can be nicknames-demonyms, locating on the territories adjacent to the lower course of the river Odra, belonging to the tribal alliance of the Slavs-Pomorians. It was shown that the demonim "Oleg" may be derived from the Slavic town of Ologost (Ologoshch) Land, located near the Slavic town of Ologost (Volgoshch), modern Volgast. Also the facts of the existence of the Rokhovskaya Land (Rukhovskaya), located on the southern shore of the Szczecin gulf, which may be associated with the remnants of the Rugi tribe assimilated by the Slavs, including those indicated as "Ruses", were cited. Evidence is given that the toponym Voloshch and, respectively, the anthroponym Oleg may be derived from the name of the chthonic god-patron of Veles (Volos), and the basis of this cult may be pre-Slavonic, possibly Venetian and toponymic markers which can be traced to the northern part of the Asia Minor.