There are many conceptions about Vikings, some of them possibly true, while others are mere colourful figments of imagination. The one truth we can hold for certain is that the Viking Age and its people, including those we call Vikings, were many different things often at the same time. The result is a multitude of histories rather than one shared history.1 This is perhaps especially apparent when considering the eastern part of the Viking World. The historical narratives of the Vikings are often dominated by actions and events framed by the raids in the North Atlantic and the coasts and rivers of Western Europe. The movement by Scandinavians into the European East, and far beyond, was equally extensive and connected Scandinavia to some of the foremost centres of power of the time. While the western expansion is often characterised by raids, violence and power politics, the eastern counterpart is frequently depicted as more peaceful, with Scandinavians mainly engaging in trade or in agricultural colonialization of sparsely populated regions. But was there really a great discrepancy between the movements, or is this a later construct based on differences in source material and research traditions? Aiming at going beyond the usual preconceptions, this text explores the varieties of roles and identities of the people, hoping to convey some of the richness and complexity that formed the society of the eastern Viking World.