Trad West: ‘Now you understand why the Byzantine Varangian Guard was almost entirely composed of Norsemen.’
Top left: A modern Norwegian rugby player built like a Viking.
Top right: Byzantine art showing armored Norsemen.
Bottom left: A Norse warrior in battle.
Bottom right: A bearded Norseman looking exactly like you’d expect.
The Varangian Guard served as the Byzantine Emperor’s personal bodyguards from the 10th to 14th centuries. The Byzantines knew what they were doing when they recruited Scandinavians — big, loyal, and terrifying.
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