The Origin Of Belarus' Name: White Russia Explained

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. The name Belarus is closely related to the term Belaya Rus', which translates to White Rus' or White Ruthenia. There are several theories on the origin of the name White Rus'. One theory suggests that the name described the part of old Ruthenian lands within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that had been populated mostly by early Christianized Slavs, as opposed to Black Ruthenia, which was predominantly inhabited by pagan Balts. Another theory attributes the name to the white clothing worn by the local Slavic population. A third theory suggests that the old Rus' lands that were not conquered by the Tatars (Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Mogilev) were referred to as White Rus'. Other explanations include associations with the compass points, with white representing the west, and pagan worship, with the god Belobog being referred to as the white god. The term White Russia has been used historically in various contexts and continues to be used in some languages and countries, although a shift towards the name Belarus has been observed in recent years.

The term 'White Russia' is a literal translation of the word 'Belarus'

The term "White Russia" is a literal translation of the word "Belarus". The word Belarus means white Russians. The Scandinavians who moved to the east were called Rus, and from them came the word Russia. During the Mongol era, the Russians were classified into three different groups: Belarussians (white Russians), Little Russians, and Great Russians. The name "Belarus" and the country evolved from "Belarussians".

In earlier times, the countries belonging to the Rus were given many epithets or qualifying adjectives. For example, the different regions were called Red Rus, Galician Rus, Black Rus, White Rus, Great Rus, or Little Rus. White Rus proved to be the most viable name, and over the centuries, this became the name of the sovereign state.

The name Rus is often conflated with its Latin forms "Russia" and "Ruthenia", thus Belarus is often referred to as White Russia or White Ruthenia. The name first appeared in German and Latin medieval literature; the chronicles of Jan of Czarnków mention the imprisonment of Lithuanian Grand Duke Jogaila and his mother at "Albae Russiae, Poloczk dicto" in 1381.

The Latin term "Alba Russia" was used again by Pope Pius VI in 1783 to recognize the Society of Jesus there. The first known use of White Russia to refer to Belarus was in the late 16th century by Englishman Sir Jerome Horsey, who was known for his close contacts with the Russian royal court.

Since the end of the 18th century, "White Russia" has been the generally accepted name for all the territories that, from an ethnical point of view, are considered White Russian. The term "Belarus" is a national designation introduced by ideologists of the Belarusian nationalist movement at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.

The national territory covers the historic regions of White Rus (White Russian Podvinje and Podneprovje), Black Rus, and Polessje (Gomel and surroundings). The country, which has been independent since 1991, bears the official name of the Republic of Belarus.

'White Russia' is derived from the white clothing worn by the local population

The name Belarus is closely related to the term Belaya Rus', or White Rus. One of several theories on the origin of the name points to the white clothing worn by the local population. This theory is considered dubious by modern researchers.

In earlier times, countries belonging to the Rus were given many epithets or qualifying adjectives. For example, different regions were called Red Rus, Galician Rus, Black Rus, Great Rus or Little Rus. White Rus proved to be the most viable name and, over the centuries, this became the name of the sovereign state.

According to the theory, the name comes from the white hair or colour of the clothing worn by the indigenous peoples in the respective area. The white clothing theory is one of five possible versions that are most commonly cited. The other theories are as follows:

• The territory that was not overcome by the Mongolian khans in the 13th century was called white. Genghis Khan and his descendants conquered the territory from China to the Volga between 1237 and 1242 and controlled this until 1480. However, the princes of Polotsk and their neighbours resisted successfully and remained independent. So, in this case, white meant independent or free.
• The White Rus were Christian, whereas the Black Rus remained pagans for quite some time. In the 13th to 14th century, the Black Rus inhabited the catchment area of the River Neman (Memel), with the main settlements between the actual Belarusian towns of Lida and Novogrudok.
• The points of the compass were implied as follows: white – west, blue – east, black – north, red – south. As the territory of modern Belarus lay in the western part of Rus between the 9th and 13th centuries, it was therefore called white.
• The fifth variant is headed by the White Russian historian Vaclau Lastouski, who sees a link to paganism. According to him, in the 12th century, Baltic and Slavic peoples worshipped the god Belobog (Russian: white god).

There is no documentary evidence beyond doubt on which to base any of these interpretations. However, White Russia (Belarus) is a very old term. The Russian scholar, Vladimir Lamanski, refers to the Austrian poet Peter Suchenwirt (14th century) who mentions the "White Rus" in his poems and calls the inhabitants "Di Weissen Reuzzen" (the White Russians).

'White Russia' was used to describe lands not conquered by the Tatars

The name "White Russia" is the literal translation of the word "Belarus" (Russian: белый – white, Русь – the Rus). In earlier times, the countries belonging to the Rus were given many epithets or qualifying adjectives. For example, the different regions were called Red Rus, Galician Rus, Black Rus, Great Rus, or Little Rus.

One theory suggests that the old Rus' lands that were not conquered by the Tatars (i.e., Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Mogilev) were referred to as White Rus'. Genghis Khan and his descendants conquered the territory from China to the Volga between 1237 and 1242 and controlled it until 1480. However, the princes of Polotsk and their neighbours resisted successfully and remained independent. So, in this case, "white" meant independent or free.

The term "White Russia" seems to have been widely used in Moscow in the 17th century, where the inhabitants of White Rus were called "Belorusszy". This is proved by various charters of the time. In Moscow, the term "White Russia" was appropriated from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The word "Belorusszy" occurs frequently in documents from the 17th century.

Since the end of the 18th century, "White Russia" has been the generally accepted name for all the territories that, from an ethnical point of view, are considered to be White Russian. The term "Belarus" is a national designation introduced by ideologists of the Belarusian nationalist movement at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.

The colour white was associated with the west, and Belarus was the western part of Rus' in the 9th to 13th centuries

The colour white was associated with the west, and Belarus was the western part of Rus in the 9th to 13th centuries. This is one of several theories as to why Belarus is called White Russia. Rus, also known as Ruthenia, refers to the Eastern Slavic territories of the medieval era, which now mostly belong to Belarus and Ukraine. The term Rus is often conflated with its Latin forms Russia and Ruthenia, hence Belarus is often referred to as White Russia or White Ruthenia.

In the 9th century, the territory of modern-day Belarus became part of Kievan Rus, a vast East Slavic state ruled by the Rurikids. Belarus was the western part of Rus between the 9th and 13th centuries, and so it was called white, as white represented the west. This is in contrast to other colours used to describe other parts of Rus, such as red, blue, and black.

The term Belarus is closely related to Belaya Rus, which translates to White Rus in Russian. Belarus was known as Belorussia or Byelorussia during the days of the Russian monarchy, headed by tsars, to underscore the extent of their empire. The term White Russia was also used by the Russian tsars in the 17th century to describe the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

The name White Russia is not without controversy, however. In the lead-up to and following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the term caused some confusion as it was also the name of the military force that opposed the red Bolsheviks.

Since Belarus gained independence in 1991, its international name in English and French has been adjusted to be closer to the Belarusian language. The official name of the country is now the Republic of Belarus.

'White Russia' is linked to the pagan worship of the god Belobog

The name "White Russia" is closely related to the term "Belaya Rus", which translates to "White Rus". While there are several theories as to the origin of the name, one theory suggests that it is linked to pagan worship.

According to the fifth theory of the origin of the name "White Russia", proposed by the White Russian historian Vaclau Lastouski, the name is linked to the pagan worship of the god Belobog, or the "White God". Belobog is a Slavic deity of light and the sun and is often represented as an old man with a long white beard, dressed in white attire. In Slavic mythology, Belobog is considered the opposite of Crnobog, or the "Black God", representing the eternal battle between light and darkness, good and evil.

While there is no definitive documentary evidence to support this theory, it is mentioned in medieval poems and notes by the Austrian poet Peter Suchenwirt and the Polish author Yan Charnkovski in the 14th century. They refer to the inhabitants of White Russia as "Di Weissen Reuzzen" (the White Russians) and mention the imprisonment of the Polish King Jogaila and his mother in a castle in White Russia. Similar references to the term Belarus or White Russia can also be found in letters by Vytautas, the Grand Duke of Lithuania in the 14th and 15th centuries. These sources indicate that the term "White Russia" was widely understood and used during this period.

In addition to the pagan worship theory, there are four other commonly cited theories for the origin of the name "White Russia". One theory suggests that the name refers to the territory that was not conquered by the Mongolian khans in the 13th century and thus represented independence and freedom. Another theory proposes that the name derives from the white hair or clothing of the indigenous peoples of the region. A third theory suggests that "White Rus" refers to the Christian population, in contrast to the "Black Rus", who remained pagan for a longer period. Finally, the fourth theory posits that the name is related to the points of the compass, with white representing the west, as the territory of modern-day Belarus was located in the western part of Rus during the 9th to 13th centuries.

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