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The Varangian Guard: Viking Warriors in Byzantine Service — Unraveling the Enigma of this Military Formation
To enlist, they had to travel nearly four thousand kilometers separating Scandinavia and Constantinople. They spent an average of 20 years each in the service of the emperor, after which they returned to the north. The Varangian Guard, or Viking-derived warriors proficient with axes and spears, wreaked havoc on the enemies of the Byzantine emperors. They were so powerful that they directly influenced who would sit on the throne of the Eastern Empire.
“The Scandinavians had been visiting Constantinople for a long time, and the riches and wonders of the city made a great impression on them. In their northern habitats they talked about Myclegard, for that is what they called this great city, which they once identified with Asgard, the seat of the gods. As early as 930, the Scandinavians were serving in the Tsar’s army. At the beginning of the 11th century there were so many of them there that a Scandinavian regiment was formed, the famous Dara’a Guard.”
Sir Steven Runciman, “History of the Crusades,” Volume I
The Varangian Guard — the personal protection of the emperor
The year was 987, when the powerful Byzantine Emperor Basil II, made a peculiar deal with Vladimir of Kiev…
