The Varangian Guard

Some of the basic facts about the Varangian Guard, Scandinavian bodyguards to the medieval Byzantine emperors.
Jackson Crawford, Ph.D.: Sharing real expertise in Norse language and myth with people hungry to learn, free of both ivory tower elitism and the agendas of self-appointed gurus. Visit jacksonwcrawford.com/ (includes bio and linked list of all videos).
Jackson Crawford’s Patreon page: / norsebysw
Visit Grimfrost at glnk.io/6q1z/jacksoncrawford
Latest FAQs: vimeo.com/375149287 (updated Nov. 2019).
Jackson Crawford’s translation of Hávamál, with complete Old Norse text: www.hackettpublishing.com/the... or www.amazon.com/Wanderers-Hava...
Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Poetic Edda: www.hackettpublishing.com/the... or www.amazon.com/Poetic-Edda-St...
Audiobook: www.audible.com/pd/The-Poetic...
Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Saga of the Volsungs: www.hackettpublishing.com/the... or www.amazon.com/Saga-Volsungs-...
Audiobook: www.audible.com/pd/The-Saga-o...
Music © I See Hawks in L.A., courtesy of the artist. Visit www.iseehawks.com/
Logos by Elizabeth Porter (snowbringer at gmail).

[@toniwilson6210]

The PhD gives him the power to phase into any scenery which could be deemed suitable for a cowboy. A mysterious and learned outlaw he is.

[@anneonymous4884]

He's the cowboy-Viking-histroian-linguist we need.

[@tommyrq180]

He’s serious with a gun. As in, shot in Finnish Brutality 2022 and placed well for beginner. See YT video on same.

[@Zepo94]

I know, right? It's crazy! He materialized himself in front of me yesterday. Nice guy

[@j.s.c.4355]

I once asked him if he was teleporting, rematerializing or if he had just been invisible. So far as I know, he never answered.

[@robotlegs]

I like how the spirit Dr. Crawford manifests before us at the sacred waterfall to impart his ancient wisdom.

[@Paveway-chan]

I was just minding my business, admiring the Wyoming landscape and suddenly this Patron spirit of Linguistics manifested and would not let me leave until they had explained the Varangian guard to me :X

[@mariavarga863]

In Sweden it is still called Väringagardet. And we still use the word Grekland for Greece. The etymology of surnames and place names is always interesting. Thank you!

[@melissahdawn]

I am simply leaving a comment, though I doubt anyone needs to communicate further how thankful we are; nonetheless, thank you. Just wanted to become part of the statistic that finds its way to Google/KZbin to remind them how well-loved these videos are.

[@rbnlenin]

Me too! Great reason to comment. And to Jackson: great stuff as always!

[@k.e.1760]

Great comment!

[@MrClarissacain]

I'll jump on your engagement bandwagon with my thanks

[@dewd9327]

You've unknowingly summoned the Eastern Rome fan club, great video by the way.

[@Hopeofmen]

Hello, I'm here now.

[@swyjix]

I used to be a viking like you, till I took an arrow to the knee.

[@dewd9327]

@@Hopeofmen IC XC NIKA

[@Hioloi]

@@dewd9327 cringe

[@dewd9327]

@@Hioloi Bulgarian spotted

[@jussofdemonland1765]

The thing with the "palace plunderings" is in Heimskringla. Chapter 16 of Haralds saga sigurðarsonar in the Finlay/Faulkes translation ("It is the law there that every time a king of the Greeks dies, then the Væringjar shall hold a palace plundering. They shall then go through all the king’s palaces where his treasuries are, and everyone shall then be free to keep whatever he gets his hands on.")

[@tristanholderness4223]

7:15 I note that the hairstyle described here is remarkably similar to the oseledets' worn by Ukrainian cossacks, which consists of a closely shaven head with a single long lock of hair (although this seems to have mostly been central to the head, either on the top or front, rather than off to the left)

[@kacperwoch4368]

That was my first thought as well. It seems that until 12th century osełedec/czub or similar czupryna were a standard haircut among east and west Slavs. I do sometimes see these styles in the wild and it always makes me smile.

[@command7772]

I crossed my fingers when I saw the title of this video. I wasn’t disappointed, @15:32 it came from Laxdæla Saga, mentioning of Bolli Bollason one of my ancestors (27th. gen.) As the story goes, Bolli was first from here to enter the Varangian Guard and, after a few years, he returned to Iceland full of riches: “He had on the clothes of fur which the Garth-king had given him, he had over all a scarlet cape; and he had Footbiter girt on him, the hilt of which was dight with gold, and the grip woven with gold; he had a gilded helmet on his head and a red shield on his flank, with a knight painted on it in gold. "Wherever he went, women paid heed to nothing but gazing at Bolli and his grandeur." Those were the days!

[@spacerx]

The Norse Varangians should be seen as part of a spectrum. Later Varangians (after the Norman conquest of England) gradually become more and more Anglo-Saxon until the Byzantines called the Varangians "the English race." And, of course, the Byzantines inherited the concept from before the splitting of the Roman Empire; the Varangians weren't any different from the Cohors Germanorum which Romans had of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Julius Caesar himself had a Germanic bodyguard unit. After they were dissolved (because they had been loyal to Nero) they were reformed almost exactly the same under the name Equites Singulares Augusti, and because they were mostly from the Batavi and other Rhine valley Germanic peoples, they were colloquially called Batavians.

[@user-dl3nc4jx7k]

And the Anglo - Saxons ? The Varangians are a Slavic tribe that lived on the coast of the Baltic Sea, part of modern northern Germany Pomerania and Mecklenburg are Slavic lands before germanization, many tribes of Western Slavs lived there, including the Vagras (union of the Obodrites), their lifestyle was similar to Scandinavian. Actually, the name Varangians came from them. Prince Rurik, who later became the ancestor of the dynasty of rulers of Russia from the union of tribes of Western Slavs from the island of Ryugen (Ruyan)

[@Hatypus]

@@user-dl3nc4jx7k Várangos came from Væringi meaning sworn companion.

[@elfarlaur]

@@user-dl3nc4jx7k Is this one of those nationalistic, nativist pseudo-historical narratives? It sure as hell sounds like it.

[@SirGingrich]

You mean to say that they were autistic? Hmm, an intriguing thought

[@TzunSu]

@@user-dl3nc4jx7k "the varangians" weren't a tribe, it was a military unit. They were mostly, or entirely, vikings from the start. Rurik was most likely Swedish, from the area of Roslagen.

[@steelstanding8005]

I was sure you where in a wood here in Norway filming this, so similar nature

[@rickardlundin5518]

It looks like Norway or Sweden , I was sure it was a Swedish forest :)

[@zoran5076]

Great video! As Ukrainian, I can only make this correction: So, the difference between Ukrainian and Russian pronunciation of "варяги" is not an emphasis (its on second syllable in both) but in pronunciation of "г" and "и": "г" in Ukrainian it is basicaly like voiced english /h/, and in Russian it is /g/; "и" in Ukrainian is the same as Russian "ы" - /ı/, but in Russian "и" is the same as Ukrainian "і", which is close to English "i" in words like "is" or "ink"

[@SviatoslavKaverin]

South Russian (and the old official) "г" = h, gh. That's why Harold was Гарольд etc

[@SviatoslavKaverin]

Linguists wrote that "г" had shifted to h/gh in X-XI cc. in our common South (North Pontic), if I remember right. Somehow that was correlating with the Iranic hydronims distribution in the area.

[@zoran5076]

@@SviatoslavKaverin don't know about iranic hydronims, but it sure shifted somewhere in that period

[@SviatoslavKaverin]

@@zoran5076 Here is some sort of reference: Бернштейн С. Б. Очерк сравнительной грамматики славянских языков. 1961. С. 292-297. Note the isogloss map at 295. (The book is available online.) Although I was reading that in some article by О. Н. Трубачёв most likely (long ago), also with a map provided. Just if you may be interested.

[@zoran5076]

@@SviatoslavKaverin Thanks!

[@aliveTerraN]

Great video! I actually live close to a village in Sweden with traces from the varingar, namely Väring!

[@marcelu.n3180]

Rus derived from the area Roslagen which is a part of Sweden and still called that. The Finn’s calls the Swedes Ruotsi etc.. The main amount of the rune stones that mentions the Varangians are located in Sweden in the aforesaid area, with that said, the Kevian Rus and the Varangian guard where of mainly Swedish decent.

[@Jim-Mc]

Dr. Crawford getting the most out of his old faculty ID !

[@mindyschaper]

Haha, fun to slide by with your old academic logins.

[@TheOlgaSasha]

Greets from Kyiv 🇺🇦 (or Konugard for Varangians), ancient capital of Rus (or Gardariki for Varangians). "Rus" (or "Ruth") is a Slavic name for Varangians. Slavs borrowed that name from Finnic tribes who called Vikings as "Routsi" (litterally translated as "rowing a boat"). BTW, there is still Askoldova mogyla (Askold's grave) - an ancient place on the hills of Kyiv where Askold (one of thr first Varangian rulers of Kyiv) was buried after Hoelg (Olg or Oleg in Slavic adoption) from Rurikid dynasty came from Novgorod and killed him (according to Nestor's Chronicles). Slavs in modern-day Ukraine (as well as in Russia and Belarus) adopted a lot of Varangian names which are still preserved: Oleg (from Hoelg or Helgi), Olga (from Helga), Igor (from Ingvar) etc. As well as Rusyny (Ruthens or Ruthenians) is an old name of all Ukrainians which was used almost till 20th cenrury and is still used as selfname in different parts of Ukraine. One more interesting fact is that Varangian settlement in Shestovitsa village near Chernigiv city in Ukraine is the largest one ever found in Eastern and Central Europe (as well as Gnezdovo settlement near Smolensk). BTW, the Coat of Arms of modern Ukraine ("falling golden falcon") was the coat of arms of Rurikid dynasty (this is also an old coat of arms of Ladoga - first capital of Rurik (or Roerik). That coat of arms was used on the Rus coins of X century by Volodimer (Voldemar) the Great - great prince of Kyiv and Rus from Rurikid dynasty (he was the son of Sviatoslav (Sventisleiff) the Conqueror and the grandson of legendary Great Kyiv princess Olga (Helga)).

[@kongswethai3964]

thx for the history lesson, i love history & i know some of what you wrote but i also learned some, i grow up in a Viking landscape in Sweden with viking graves nearby our house & an old river in front of it that took the Vikings from Uppsala to Sigtuna

[@svavars.kjartansson1012]

In modern Icelandic the name Kyiv is used Interchangeably with Kænugarður. In everyday talk between people you would usually, though not always, use Kyiv, but in media, especially in legacy media, they would use Kænugarður when talking about culture or light subjects, such as stories about travel or history. For current affairs, Kyiv would usually be preferred, unless talking about things like when Kænugarður hosted Eurovision or an away match for an Icelandic sports team in Kyiv. Kænugarður literally means: small boat enclosure, or at least I think so, because in modern Icelandic a kæna is a small boat, usually not for many people and not a very good boat. I would not be surprised if the vikings called those smaller boats, that could sail up the river systems and into the Dnieper, kænur, as opposed to the Knörr and longships that they were used to.

[@TheOlgaSasha]

@@svavars.kjartansson1012 Thanx a lot for explanation. Although I heard that Icelandic language was rather archaïc Germanic language, but I am very surprised that Icelanders still use that ancient Varangian name of Kyiv. 👍

[@svavars.kjartansson1012]

@@TheOlgaSasha Icelandic is a very conservative language, on top of the fact that it's insulated from influences from other languages by geography, there has long been an concious effort to preserve the language as much as possible, because we are such a small nation but with a rich literature going back more than a 1000 years. In Icelandic there are many names of cities and even countries that are preserved in the language in close to, if not the same form as in the 10th, 11th, 12th or 13th century. For example: Kaupmannahöfn is what you call Denmarks capital, no exeption. That is what it was called in norse in the 13th century Lundúnir is at least used as much as London, being a norse derivation of some stage of the change from londinium or Lunden to modern London Jórvík is a well known, though little used form of York, same for rúðuborg and Rouen and Mikligarður and Istanbul of course because of the varangian guards.

[@algorismalitia111]

Про этимологию слова "русь" из финского "руотси" - вроде как не доказано ещё, это одна из гипотез пока.

[@corydale1665]

Thank you for still teaching ❤

[@whocares7633]

Woohoo I’ve waited for this for so long! Thank you Dr. Crawford 🥳

[@stoferb876]

Interesting stuff. And very fitting that you have found such a scandinavian looking spot to film this in!

[@InvincibleSummer7]

What a beautiful background and calming waterfall in the background! your voice, nature and humor always keep me coming back

[@beepboop204]

thank you for the consistently fantastic free content

[@andyhx2]

12:45 I think that legend about tradition called "polútasvarf" - looting the Emperor's palace - is mentioned and described by Snorri Sturluson in Heimskringla in saga about Harald Hardrádi. From what I read from some historians it seems to be myth or misunderstanding of some sort and most likely did not take place at least not legally.

[@ignisfatuus07]

There was a monk named Verengarius in Umberto Eco's novel 'Name of the rose'

[@aesir1ases64]

Great stuff, I also would love that you make videos of this tangent subjects relating norse history.

[@adrenalinepunk88]

Thanks so much for sharing! Much love to you.

[@SviraSvi]

That lovely background looks sooo Scandinavian :) Possibly Sweden or Norway...

[@realvikingqueen7967]

Wyoming, he said in the end of video. 🍃 🍂🍁

[@SviraSvi]

@@realvikingqueen7967 Oh, my bad. I commented before I finished the video. I thought he was filming this video whilst in Scandinavia :) He was just in Sweden :D My neighboring country!

[@realvikingqueen7967]

Ingen skada har skett... Kära granne! 😉 🍻 🍃

[@SviraSvi]

@@realvikingqueen7967 Real Viking är du :D

[@paulaunger3061]

@@SviraSvi But even when you know it's Wyoming, it still looks very Scandinavian! (y)

[@haraldwerner9778]

I really like the background! The sound of the running water in the background is great 😌

[@eajm90]

I was having a stressful day, but then I put on your videos and felt my mood immediately improve. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge, and for taking us to beautiful places every week.

[@rebeccaketner816]

Fascinating topic, beautiful setting!

[@Son-of-Tyr]

Great video! I, personally, would definitely enjoy more videos of the historical type. Torf-Einar and his ruling descendants on the Orkneys would be terrific.

[@Darkurge666]

I didn't know Byzantine Empire was called Grekland in old norse. It is the modern Swedish name for Greece. :D

[@paulaunger3061]

Great video, it's very interesting to learn of connected areas of knowledge to the old Norse language :) Hope the travelling is going well :)

[@rocklee775]

Maybe the Varangians looted the emperor's palace after he died then simply said "what? He said we could, honest!"

[@dewd9327]

I think the Romans would have documented any lootings of the emperor's palace, what most likely happened was the Emperor bequeathed some of his fortune to pay the Varangians because they worked as paid mercenaries.

[@andyhx2]

@@dewd9327 To be honest. During deposing of emperor Michael V which happened during Harald's service. I believe mob allegedly stormed and entered a palace in hopes to find emperor there, but he fled to nearby church or monastery in hopes to seek forgivness. So I'd guess it may have been robbed during the civil unrest that happened during deposition of Michael V, but historians consider it misinterpretation of other tradition that was done in Rus'.

[@highborn18]

That location you are at is rather breathtaking!

[@Hopeofmen]

Beautiful little spot.

[@franciscocastrovidela9007]

Well, I really have to pee now

[@realvikingqueen7967]

Lol. 🌊

[@carisballing]

I just peed.

[@Paveway-chan]

14:24 "...He was in Grekland" Me, a Swede, for whom Greece is still "Grekland" and being momentarily very confused xP

[@michaelwhite8031]

Please do another video on this subject.

[@stolman2197]

I loved seeing you in the photos of Finnish Brutality. I hope while buying things a @Varusteleka you bought one their fabulous @terava knives. One is riding my hip at this moment. Great steel

[@danahegna4442]

Thank you for taking reasoned action on your desire to contribute to humanity, and to the future. The future may not know your name, but there will be some who know that someone like you existed. An individual like yourself with higher intelligence and ability isn't necessarily rare, but for certain, is not common!

[@stephikarolyi8706]

Top quality content and comment section!

[@Imperiused]

What an excellent location for the video.

[@alexandersavic6885]

@Jackson Crawford The U112 Runestone is amazing! It's carved on two sides of a massive "flyttblock" i.e. huge rock transported by melting ice. I am 191cm tall and it dwarfs me completely. I show it to everyone that visits me as I live nearby, its quite different compared to most other runstones.

[@schmidt8224]

There's also Nordic Runes carved into the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople/Istanbul/Big City! Maybe they got carved on one of those palace plunderings? :P

[@libertycowboy2495]

I have a small library of books on old Norse as well as the history of the North. I've learned more from watching your videos...and am trying to learn younger futhark as well! 🙂

[@OmnivorousReader]

Thanks for this one! Really interesting. I just finished Don Hollway's The Last Viking and it seems like Hardrada was also rescued from imprisonment by a beautiful (and possibly noble) lady.

[@charlesedwardandrewlincoln8181]

I’d be curious about more videos on the Varangian Guards.

[@shleemie2234]

dang, thanks for the info. but now you need to do the Jomsvikings

[@asonofagunder]

What a beautiful scene. Lucky.

[@carisballing]

Anybody have any more info on this particular Varangian? I while back I was going through a line on online genealogy and bumped into an interesting name - Inger Varyagi Martinakios of the Varangian Guard. Apparently married into the Martinakios family, daughter of some Byzantine emperor. Anyone ever heard of this or have any more info on it?

[@super_tomicom]

I would love to see a video discussion with Lars Brownsworth.

[@justincheech3429]

Awesome!

[@Pastor24u]

Väringi - Sväringi - "svär" (svära en ed) is to "make an oath" (Swedish) and I guess the english "Swear" is from the same root?

[@JonSeverinsson]

Unfortunately SV "svära" has nothing to do ON "væringi": SV svära is from ON sverja, from PG swarjaną (and EN swear is form OE swerian, also from PG swarjaną). OE wær / ON værr can derive either: 1. from PG waraz (attentive/watchful; compare EN wary and SV varsam) 2. from PG warjaną (defend/guard; compare EN ward and SV värja) 3. (OE wær only) from PG wērō (truth/fidelity/promise; no modern cognates) In the case of Væringi it is most likely from PG warjaną. N.B. SV värn is from ON vǫrn, from PG warīniz, which derives from PG warjaną + -īniz, so if you want a modern Swedish etymological simile to ON "væringi", the closest you can come is probably "värnare", though a hypothetical "värjgångare" would be closer...

[@Pastor24u]

@@JonSeverinsson Nice. You might be very correct according to dictionary's and books. And just as our friend mr Jacksson has his view on the colour black/blue I enjoy challenging things and other peoples conclutions. I am wrong most of the times, but thats part of the charm :)

[@chadmcclung4418]

During the discussion of the Ed church path runestone (U 112), there is a runic font used that is very pretty. What font is that?

[@elfarlaur]

15:36 there's something very satisfying about calling Constantinople "Bigtown"

[@christopherstorey1125]

Thanks!

[@ericraymond3734]

You got the word "warlock" backwards. It's from "waerlocca" and translates as "oathbreaker".

[@ericraymond3734]

@@samsonsoturian6013In pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon culture oathbreaking was considered very wrong even if it was not an oath sworn to a god. Later I think "waerlocca" probably did acquire some religious force.

[@ericraymond3734]

@@samsonsoturian6013 I don't know the exact historical process, but given the Christians considered magic a transgression against the order of God it doesn't seem like much of a distance for the word to jump.

[@beam3819]

It is strange how our history has been forgotten. Or wre written. Thanks for explaining. I learned old norse in school and know the streangth of norse men, very good war ship and superior steal was some reasons to their sucsess.

[@jerekorva]

Not bringing any kind of scholarly stuff in to play here, but have you heard the turisas album called the varangian way? While feeling like im the tenth or fifth to mention this.

[@RomeoGrrl]

This may have been the first time for me when the background was so beautiful l was actually a little too distracted to focus on what you were saying.

[@peachesdonegan2242]

How do you say, "that scurrying squirrel cracks me up everytime" in old norse? 🙃

[@woutergijs5246]

This was so frustrating to John in the background. He wanted to scratch his nose, almost sneezed but had to stay still. Watch closely at the bottom of the waterfall. John, you know, John Rambo in camouflage.

[@Sledgehammer1066]

Always so informative Dr. Crawford! Is there a translation for the Heimskringla you would recommend, or is that something you have in the works?

[@Panzeresq]

Could the later military term Hussar be similar to the norse term huscarl?

[@peterhenryzepeda3484]

The Irish used Norse mercenaries as well. They were called Galloglass which means foreign henchmen.

[@irishpsalteri]

As a member of the Orthodox clergy, thanks for this, interesting.

[@redpillsatori3020]

Thanks for all the work you do despite being an unpaid professor at this point.

[@boreanknight]

I worked with lots of Danish bodyguards throughout the world, they still got it.

[@anneonymous4884]

@7:30 Didn't Norman nobles use a similar hairstyle in the 11th century?

[@paulpenfold867]

I had no idea that Harald Hardrada had been to Byzantium. What a career!

[@avanikavatar2682]

Great, just in the last part of Grettis saga, after they lived in Norway, and wanted to leave, about Þorsteinn drómundur og Spes: "Þorsteinn og þau Spes skiptu í sundur sínum hlut fjárins og gáfu sumt til kirkna fyrir sál sinni en sumt höfðu þau með sér. Réðust þau nú til Rómferðar og báðu margir vel fyrir þeim. ...... Nú lét Þorsteinn lagða verða peninga til steinsmíðar báðum þeim og þvílíks annars sem þau þurftu og þau máttu eigi missa til viðurlífis. Og að lyktaðri þessari smíð og á viðurkvæmilegum tíma og öllum hlutum tilbúnum skildu þau sína stundlega samvist að sjálfráði sínu að þau mættu því heldur njótandi verða heilagrar samvistu annars heims. Settist þá í sinn stein hvort þeirra og lifðu svo langan tíma sem guð vildi skipa (...they lived happily ever after...) og entu svo sína ævi. Hafa það flestir menn sagt að Þorsteinn drómundur og hans kona Spes þykja verið hafa hinir mestu gæfumenn úr því sem ráða var. En ekki hafa börn hans né afkvæmi til Íslands komið svo að saga sé frá ger."

[@stevenv6463]

I learned about the Varangian Guard when I studied the fourth crusade. Fun time of history when Latins fought Greeks, barbarians were in the military and Islam and Christianity were motivating people. It's like being in an airport.

[@matthewsierleja2193]

"Bosse" or something similar but with an umlaut means black or dark. Not the color but like evil, foreboding, gloomy, cursed things like that. English examples would be "black magic" or "a dark day" So, since this is not describing the literal color of something but instead more of a feeling, mood, tone, state of being kind of color.... aaaaaand "blue" is both a color and a negative state of being and often is interchangeable with "dark" or "black" so your are probably some kind of correct in regards to translating black as blue. Right?

Your "russian" version was perfect Latvian :D But yeah, in russian its a bit different

[@ted_splitter]

Interesting to hear the tale of Torsten being bailed out by a beautiful woman who returns to Scandinavia with him... this is very much like the plot of the very old English/Scottish ballad 'Lord Bateman', which has been connected to Gilbert Beket, the father of Thomas Beckett, though the evidence for this is pretty flimsy. I wonder if there could be a Norse connection in the ballad's ancestry.

[@ellieliebefrei3862]

for those who're into modern Slavic languages: the word варяг retains a colloquial usage in Russian, meaning someone who is somehow "foreign" to the team they're working in. You can think of it as an extra worker from outsiide the organisiation that you call for a specific project, or an extra player that you invite for a game, or in some contexts it's an appointeed leader from somewhere else! e.g. a couple years ago, the Ministry of Education replaced the entire leadership of the university where I used to study with "Varangians" i.e. administrators and professors who had had no previous connections whatsoever to this univesity

[@sickturret3587]

are we sure there was "a princehood of kyiv" or a "knezdom of kiev" it differs in this last 5 years profoundly, i'm just asking.

[@chryssitsirogianni2586]

Could you please write in a comment the title/author of the book? Thanks so much ?

[@e-naa4118]

The Virginians - In God's Holy Fire by Sverrir Jakobsson

[@chryssitsirogianni2586]

@@e-naa4118many thanks

[@leviginsberg3022]

7:15 I wonder if this is describing a khahol style haircut

[@faramund9865]

Your crusade for blár being blue rather than black, reminds me of my crusade telling people Latin rutilus is not red but flaxen color. This word is often used to refer to the hair color of barbarian people and it is QUITE significant to make this distinction. As assuming they were all red haired would indicate there has been some sort of massive genetic shift from red hair to blond hair in the past 1500 years or so, whereas the reality is that rutilus is the Latin word to indicate blond hair.

[@jimis484]

Береги (Beregi) means protect, the veregians was the bodyguards of the emperor.

[@DNA350ppm]

Interesting connection between the Norse, Rus, and Bysantine! Even today we have the remants of the connections in the languages, the Rus being the red ones, which might have been more like brown-red ones (in their clothing). The Finns in between, still call brown "ruskea", though not an Indo-European language, but sometimes a good source of old loan-words. In Swedish we have the word "beväring" which today means somebody who makes compulsivary military training in the army (Sweden, Finland). The root is here Germanic (wehren, bevara, värn, often as värn- in compound words and placenames) and has to do with protecting and defense and warning. And the root can well be very old Indo-European, as both Germanic and Slavic words can be age-old. So I'm inclined to think it is not about an ethnic group called Varangi, but about which kind of relationship there is between the one who rules and pays, and the one who does the bidding and fights, against some payment of sorts. So in a way a translation of "soldier" who fights because he gets a "sold" (from Latin) - a payment for the service as a soldier. But in the minds of contemporaries the word could have had a dubble meaning. (Like we in the Nordic countries think "cowboy" and American are almost synonymous.) If you want to feel the frissons of adventure today, google the Finnish project "Rus" - a flat-keeled boat made as an exact copy of a Viking-age boat, which was rowed and sailed by a group of men both to today's Scotland and Paris, and to the Baltic sea shores in the east.

[@ericraymond3734]

Rus is only accidentally similar to the color word for "red" though. It actually seems to have meant "rower", in the sense of an oarsman.

[@DNA350ppm]

@@ericraymond3734 The stem "ro" in the compound word Roslagen is connected to rowing - and "lagen" means "the teams" which together as the whole word "Roslagen" is the expression for those rowing-teams that rowed boats from the Swedish archipelago NW of today's Stockholm. They were widely known (and perhaps feared). Swedish needs three distinct letters to express the at least three sounds - u, o, å - which carry meaning for Swedes, wheras most other labguages I know about need only two of these sounds, for Swedes they sound like o and å, so there are two sounds in Latin, Italian, German, Finnish, many English dialects, French, Spanish, Russian, these two sounds have a varying spelling, though, neither is the spelling totally consistent in Swedish, either. But there is some system in the pronunciation of vowel-sounds and how they are produced in the mouth. The logic isn't absolute. Think of the hue of the colour red and the flower rose. There are roses of many colours. I add this entangled and contested Wikipedia-information "Ryssar kallar sig själva russkije (русские). Namnet är känt åtminstone sedan tusen år. Ordet har sitt ursprung i ruser, det folkslag som grundade Kievrus. Det namnet kommer från Ruotsi, det finska ordet för Sverige, i sin tur från fornnordiskans Roþrslandi, det gamla namnet för Roslagen.[2][3]." It is not all that straightforward, but there are connections.

[@coldsteelprogressive]

@@DNA350ppm Yes, it's a very good point that Swedish, probably more than any other Northern language, preserves subtle vowel distinctions that have ancient origin. It's a pity that most Old Norse specialists aren't themselves fluent speakers of a Scandinavian language as that would open a lot of doors and insights. Nearly all spoken examples of Old Norse sound very awkward and clunky to my ears because the speakers just don't quite understand how the sonics work at a natural level. In addition to u, o, å there is also ö and y in Swedish to consider. So rus, rös, ros, rys and even rurs, rörs, rors and ryrs should be considered as potential roots. For many centuries, probably even thousands of years, Swedes or Nordics were dominant in Finland. So an apparent Finnish name is not necessarily proper evidence of origin (in lack of other information).

[@DNA350ppm]

@@coldsteelprogressive For those old times there is no proof of much anything when it comes to non-material things, and then interpretation is needed, so one can only consider if there is something that goes well with a set of other bits and pieces. There are great museums in Sweden. Many folks/peoples/tribes are calling themselves similar concepts to "humans", "we who live here", or the folks of a named Goddess, and only later adopt the names that others "outsiders" give them. There are many scholars of Norse at the Swedish universities, but they might not make you-tube videos. I have seen examples, but I think it was in Utbildningsradion or similar.

[@coldsteelprogressive]

@@DNA350ppm Intriguing... will have to look around for those. It feels like some in depth investigations and of course videos would be well received by the public, even outside of the countries where they come from. Even unverifiable legends can be fascinating and just might contain a lot more reality than one might first imagine.

[@trabantdelux]

In Bulgarian language WYARA/VYARA means Faith. WEREN/VEREN means Faithful.

[@brextek120]

Well, i don't think there is correlation between wyara and varangian.

[@trabantdelux]

@@brextek120 in some regions of Bulgaria they use Vera/Wera instead of vyara. I saw another etymologically close word. BRONYA - Armor BIT - To beat, Beaten BOY (same pronunciation as in english) - Fight. BRONEBOYNI - Armor piercing. Similar to the name of the sword used in the video. In Bulgaria there are bunch of Viking era swords. And even some settlements. For archeological information you can check - Valeri Yotov - Vikings in the Balkans.

[@johny16G]

@@trabantdelux In czech "víra" is faith. So some common slavic ancestry of that word there for sure, got no idea about its connection to Varangians.

[@brextek120]

@@trabantdelux In polish: Wiara - Faith Wierny - Faithful Wierzyć - to believe Broń - Weapon Bić - to beat Bój - Fight (archaic) Definitely Slavic origin.

[@trabantdelux]

@@brextek120 I think Varangian is name given to vikings for hire with slavic origin. Later they used it. Or there is old indo-european link between the scandinavian and slavic.

[@robertcaseydavis]

I've always said and heard it with a soft g.

[@thomasfloyd3146]

I would like your opinion.the rurikid family d.n.a project plainly shows that the rurikids were finno ugric on from thier male lineage.being a prince of the rus don't u think the rus themselves could be finno ugric. Scandinavianized for sure and from what is now Sweden but this in my mind changes history a little bit

[@harambe8372]

That background looks so swedish

[@spirosvelliniatis2165]

Also when viking call Roman/Byzantines Greek means they are under Frankish perception of the world!

[@JessTheory]

Erm Prof. Crawford, you forgot to add Cowbabe to your on-screen CV

[@JessTheory]

Signed, another rogue academic

[@realvikingqueen7967]

That word "cowbabe" doesn't sound right in swedish and english ears... Lol, to name someone a cow is an insult even with babe after. Hahaha... 😉 🐮👶

[@waynemcauliffe2362]

Hope us Irish kept out of itThanks mate that was good

[@blueunicornhere]

Colorado. Used to be great but now.... It's overrun.

[@maxless6655]

Why we use language gimnastics when we have genetics?

[@roller_skaters]

😂

[@TheGrinningViking]

The Rus are far more fascinating to me than mercenaries from a warrior culture. They sat at the junction between European war captives taken as slaves and the silver mines of what we now consider the middle east. With so many silver coins inscribed with middle eastern text found in Viking hordes I really feel their influence has been understated, perhaps largely due to Russian intellectual establishments rejecting and censuring any suggestion they were related to "Savage Vikings" until the 1900s.

[@letsgoraiding]

Now you need to talk about the medieval New England formed by English Varangians according to a French source and an Icelandic source!

[@TheMidgardViking]

You mentioned the city of Byzantium. While this is its ancient name, in 330 AD, the Roman's conquered the city and changed its name to Constantinople. In 400, the Byzantines retook the city, but did not change the name, so it remained Constantinople until 1453 when it was conquered by Mehmet II of the Ottoman empire, which he renamed the city to Instanbul. So technically, during the middle ages when the Vikings were there, it would have been called Constantinople, but under Byzantine rule at the time. Many do call it Byzantium since was under Byzantine rule, but officially, it's name was Constantinople.

[@TheOlgaSasha]

Nevertheless, Varangians had its own name for Constantinople - Miklagard ("great city")...

[@neilog747]

I'm sure the English varangians, perhaps with the Danes who also served in Constantinople, built a colony in the Crimea. The sea around there was called the Varangian Sea for a while. Centuries later, a British visitor to the Crimea thought that the Crimeans still spoke a few words of Gothic, so ignorant was he of the local history. English and Danish culture became entwined to a degree at least in England under Cnut, and it is only the Norman Conquest that seems to have severed a strengthening Anglo-Scandinavian connection with the destruction of the house of Godwin.

[@VenturaIT]

The Varangian Guard are who finally defeated Sviatoslav I of Kievan Russ... Sviatoslav I is said to have been a viking noble and one of the first known cossacks, shedding light on the connection between slavs and vikings. Nobody could beat Sviatoslav I in battle, as he had conquered most of the area around Kiev at the time, and was undefeated until someone decided to hire the Varangian guard (who were trained in Svitatoslav's own tactics) who eventually killed him. The Varangian guard were the best fighters/armies known in the world at the time. His skull was made into a cup by one of the local warlords near Odessa. It's said that the Scandinavians came from the Kievan Russ people... also Ukranian/Russian speakers can understand Sanskrit perfectly.... these people are all the Scythians (Scotti) and the Biblical Tribe of Dan! ... ScanDINavia DANmark LonDON DANube SweDAN ... Even the words Donald and Don... Language tells a lot. All the Tribe of Dan.... Scythians... offspring of Hercules. Scotland means Scythia Land etymologically. German is a created language by Lutherans and there are many German words in Russian/Ukrainian and Sanskrit... German/Ukrainian-Russian-Slavic/Sanskrit are all related strongly somehow. Also thousands of Algonquin (American Indian) words are identical to Old Norse words.

[@Ivftinianvs]

Glad to see you have dropped the conspicuous lack of dr in your name. Less pretentious to include dr than to exclude it.

[@romans883]

Why do we think of Vikings as only Sweden, Denmark Finland area warriors when in reality Viking mean SEA WARRIOR and Goplan slavic tribes living in today Pomerania - Poland teritory had one of the biggest SLAVIC VIKING town and successfully war against Scandinavian vikings in many wars . Also many slavic noble woman become wifes of north viking kings . I think its time to discuss the topic of VIKING as not only Scandinavian phenomenal but simply BALTIC Sea reality of the period !