Varangian
Member of the Byzantine imperial guard founded in 988 by Vladimir of Kiev (955–1015), which lasted until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The name (meaning ‘the sworn’) came to be used for a widespread Swedish Viking people in eastern Europe and the Balkans.
From the late 11th century, the Byzantine guard included English and Norman mercenaries, as well as Scandinavians. It was feared and respected as an elite military force.
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