Everything about The Varangians totally explained
The
Varangians or
Varyags (
Old Norse: Væringjar,
Greek: Βάραγγοι, Βαριάγοι,
Várangi / Varyáyi,
Ukrainian and
Russian: Варяги,
Varyahy / Varyagi ), sometimes referred to as
Variagians, were
Vikings,
Norsemen, mostly
Swedes, who went eastwards and southwards through what is now Russia, Belarus and Ukraine mainly in the 9th and 10th centuries. Engaging in
trade,
piracy and
mercenary activities, they roamed the river systems and portages of
Gardariki, reaching the
Caspian Sea and
Constantinople.
The term Varangian remained in usage in the
Byzantine Empire until the 13th century, largely disconnected from its Scandinavian roots by then.
Etymology
The
Old East Slavic word
varęg is derived from
Proto-Norse *
wāring-, from which
Old Norse væringr also stems. The root is the same as Old Norse
vár which means "pledge". The meaning would have been "sworn person", for example someone who is either promised protection or who has promised to protect.
Western historians tend to agree with the Primary Chronicle that these Scandinavians founded
Kievan Rus' in the 880s and gave their name to the land. Many Slavic scholars are opposed to this theory of Germanic influence on the
Rus' (people) and have suggested alternative scenarios for this part of Eastern European history.
In contrast to the intense Scandinavian influence in
Normandy and the
British Isles, Varangian culture didn't survive to a great extent in the East. Instead, the Varangian ruling classes of the two powerful city-states of
Novgorod and
Kiev were thoroughly Slavicized by the end of the 10th century.
Old Norse was spoken in one district of Novgorod, however, until the
13th century.
Rus' and the Byzantine Empire
The earliest
Byzantine record of the
Rus' is written prior to 842, preserved in the Greek
Life of St. George of Amastris, speaking of a raid that had extended
into Paphlagonia .
In 839, emperor
Theophilus negotiated with the foreigners,
whom he called Rhos, to provide a few mercenaries for his army.
It was in 860, from Kiev, that the Rus under
Askold and Dir launched their
first attack on Constantinople. The result of this initial attack is disputed, but the Varangians continued their efforts as they regularly sailed on their
monoxylae down the Dnieper into the
Black Sea. The Rus'
raids into the Caspian Sea were recorded by Arab authors in the 870s and in 910, 912, 913, 943, and later. Although the Rus had predominantly peaceful trading relations with the Byzantines, the rulers of Kiev launched the relatively successful
naval expedition of 907 and the
abortive campaign of 941 against Constantinople, as well as
Sviatoslav I's large-scale invasion of the Balkans in 968-971.
These raids were successful in the sense of forcing the Byzantines to re-arrange
their trading arrangements; militarily, the Varangians were usually defeated by the superior Byzantine forces, especially in the sea and due to the Byzantines' use of
Greek fire. Many atrocities were reported by (not wholly impartial) Greek historians during such raids: the Rus' were said to have crucified their victims and to have driven nails into their heads .
Varangian Guard
Basil II's distrust of the native Byzantine guardsmen, whose loyalties often shifted with fatal consequences, as well as the proven loyalty of the Varangians led Basil to employ them as his personal bodyguards. This new force became known as the
Varangian Guard (Gr. Tagma ton Varangion,
Τάγμα των Βαραγγίων) Over the years, new recruits from Sweden, Denmark, and Norway kept a predominantly Scandinavian cast to the organization until the late 11th century. So many Scandinavians left to enlist in the guard that a medieval Swedish law stated that no one could inherit while staying in Greece. In the
11th century, there were also two other European courts that recruited Scandinavians:
Novgorod-
Kiev (
Kievan Rus') c. 980-1060 and
London 1018-1066 (the
Þingalið). of the emperor, swearing an oath of loyalty to him; they'd ceremonial duties as retainers and acclaimers and performed some police duties, especially in cases of treason and conspiracy.
The Varangian Guard was only used in battle during critical moments, or where the battle was most fierce. Contemporary Byzantine chroniclers note with a mix of terror and fascination that the "Scandinavians were frightening both in appearance and in equipment, they attacked with reckless rage and neither cared about losing blood nor their wounds". of which many were raised by former members of the Varangian Guard, or in their memory. A smaller group consists of the four
Italy Runestones which are probably raised in memory of members of the Varangian Guard who died in southern Italy.
The oldest of the Greece runestones are six stones in the
style RAK, a style which is dated to the period before 1015 AD. The group consists of
Skepptuna runestone U 358,
Västra Ledinge runestone U 518,
Nälberga runestone Sö 170 and
Eriksstad runestone Sm 46.
One of the more notable of the later runestones in the
style Pr4 is
Ed runestone U 112, a large boulder at the western shore of the lake of Ed. It tells that Ragnvaldr, the captain of the Varangian Guard, had returned home where he'd the inscriptions made in memory of his dead mother. Somewhat ironically, however, it was made by the
Viking Ulf of Borresta who commemorated on the
Orkesta runestone U 344 that he'd taken three
danegelds in
England. Travelling to Constantinople via Denmark, he spent many years in the Varangian Guard; "and was thought to be the most valiant in all deeds that try a man, and always went next to those in the forefront." The saga also records the finery his followers received from the Emperor, and the influence he held after his return to Iceland:
Bolli rode from the ship with twelve men, and all his followers were dressed in scarlet, and rode on gilt saddles, and all were they a trusty band, though Bolli was peerless among them. He had on the clothes of fur which the Garth-king had given him, he'd over all a scarlet cape; and he'd Footbiter girt on him, the hilt of which was dight with gold, and the grip woven with gold, he'd a gilded helmet on his head, and a red shield on his flank, with a knight painted on it in gold. He had a dagger in his hand, as is the custom in foreign lands; and whenever they took quarters the women paid heed to nothing but gazing at Bolli and his grandeur, and that of his followers. |
The Varangian Guard is mentioned also in
Njal's Saga in reference to Kolskegg - an Icelander said to have come first to
Holmgard (Novgorod) and then on to Miklagard (Constantinople), where he entered the Emperor's service. "The last that was heard of him was, that he'd wedded a wife there, and was captain over the Varangians, and stayed there till his death day."
Perhaps the most famous member of the Varangian Guard was the future king
Harald Sigurdsson III of Norway, known as Harald Hardråde ("Hard-ruler"). Having fled his homeland, Harald went first to
Gardariki and then on to Constantinople, where he arrived in 1035. He participated in eighteen battles and during his service
fought against Arabs in Anatolia and Sicily under General
George Maniakes, as well as in southern Italy and Bulgaria.
During his time in the Varangian guard Harald earned the titles of
manglavites and
spatharocandidatos. But his service ended with his imprisonment for misappropriation of imperial plunder taken during his command. He was released upon the dethronement of the Emperor
Michael V, and saga sources suggest he was the one sent to blind the Emperor when he and his uncle fled to the church of
Studion Monastery and clung to the altar.
Harald then sought to leave his post, but was denied this. He eventually escaped and returned home in
1043, eventually dying at the
Battle of Stamford Bridge while invading England in
1066. The exiled English prince
Edgar Ætheling may also have served with the Guard around
1098.
The Vangarian Guard regained some of its old Scandinavian flavour when Harald Hardrade's grandson,
Sigurd I of Norway, went on a crusade to the holy land, After fighting battles against the Muslims, King Sigurd let the rest of his force, who originally numbered 6000 men, join the Vangarian Guard. King Sigurd returned home with less than a hundred of his personal Guard.
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