According to this site, the term "Rus" is a contraction of the Nordic term "Rothsmenn", meaning "seafarer". In our displays, we have always referred to the word "Rus" as being a Slavic word meaning "blonde". Does anyone have any references for either claim?

I've got the reference somewhere at home. I'll look it up at some point an get back to you. It's one of those things that there are several interpretations several of them based on the Russian dismissal of their viking heritage. I'll find the article and forward it on.

More notes -

Discussion on root of work -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus%27_%28ethnonym%29

this isn't the reference I've used but it's a start.

Using Rus as a name for a peoples is really no different to using Viking. Neither are name the people were likely to have refereed to themselves as but a name used later in history as a generalisation. Without finding a period source it is difficult to know by what name they were referred to by their contemporaries.

the Ibn Fadlan accounts refer to them as Rūsiyyah which is often translated to Rus.

Any help?

Interesting reading. There certainly seems to me more support here for "Rus" meaning "blonde" or "ruddy" with connotations towards "readhead" than there is for the artile linked above.

The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings has two explanations for the term. Not surprising as the book is a series of essays.

Peter Sawyer states that Rus is a Slav word derived from the Finnish name for the Svear (a tribe from Sweden). Svear comes from a word meaning 'rowers' or 'crew of oarsmen'. Interesting Beowulf's Geats are the tribe next door.

Thomas S. Noonan writes that the most popular argument is that it derives from the west Finnic name for Sweden; Ruotsi.

Previously Sarah Murray wrote:

More notes -

Using Rus as a name for a peoples is really no different to using Viking. Neither are name the people were likely to have refereed to themselves as but a name used later in history as a generalisation.

Not entirely true.
There were certain groups who used the name Viking to tag themselves, and with pride.
as an Example, the brotherhood of Jomsborg, refered to themselves as the Jomms Vikings on more than one occasion.

we do refer to all Scandahooligans as Vikings these days, due to Neo-romantic Victorian hype, same reason why people still propagate various other falsehoods as truths from the Viking age.

And regards to the Rus term, that does entirely depend on whether you subscribe to the western 'anything good from eastern Europe must have come from us supermen' theory or the eastern 'Rusians have always been superior than the decadent westerners' theory. both of which originate during the cold war and nazi vs Commie europe of between the world wars.