Varangian Guard: Dark Age Byzantium's Special Forces | Ancient Black Ops

The Varangian Guard were brutal Viking mercenaries serving the Byzantine Empire. Renowned for their brutality and loyalty, they became the elite fighting unit of the Emperor Basil II, tasked with suppressing revolts and protecting the Emperor. They are the prime example of military brutality in the dark ages.
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#medieval #ancientblackops #chronicle

[@johnmark150]

"Far from being a moribund society..., it (Byzantium) was the greatest, most active and most enduring political organism that the world has yet seen..." - F.M. Powicke, English historian

[@KernowekTim]

"Basil! Basil! Basil, what, do you thing you are doing rubbing shoulders with Vikings and Templar Knights?"......."Just a spot of, um, of...'hunting' Sybil dear".

[@johnmark150]

There was no "Dark Age Byzantium". Read what the famous Medieval French crusader wrote about Byzantium: "One could not believe there was so rich a city in all the world. All those who had never seen Constantinople before gazed with astonishment at the city. They had never imagined that anywhere in the world there could be a city like this. They gazed with wonder at its rich palaces and mighty churches, for it was difficult for them to believe that there were indeed so many of them. As they gazed at the length and breadth of that superb city there was not a man, however brave and daring, who did not feel a shudder down his spine." - Geoffrey de Villehardouin

[@VulcanM61]

Byzantine Dark Ages is a historiographical term for the period in the history of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, during the 7th and 8th centuries, which marks the transition between the late antique early Byzantine period and the "medieval" middle Byzantine era.

[@stanbatakarata6081]

Yep in Bulgaria have Seecor Constantinopol.Bulgarian Empire capitals Great Preslav.Seecond Europe Capital in 9-10 century

[@johnmark150]

Byzantium did not have a Dark Age. As the late Merle E. Severy, Editor, National Geographic, wrote: "The Dark Ages are only dark if you look at Western Europe, for long centuries a back-water: decaying towns, isolated manors, scattered monasteries, squabbling robber barons. In the East blazed the light of Byzantium, studded with cities such as Thessalonica, Antioch, and Alexandria, more cosmopolitan than any Western society before the modern age."

[@VulcanM61]

Byzantine Dark Ages is a historiographical term for the period in the history of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, during the 7th and 8th centuries, which marks the transition between the late antique early Byzantine period and the "medieval" middle Byzantine era.

[@texassteaks6172]

That’s right and true !!

[@stanbatakarata6081]

True Only Bulgarian Empire Capital Great Preslav is Seccond Constantinople

[@texassteaks6172]

@@stanbatakarata6081 were and how you come up with that statement ? Really ??

[@roberttravers5286]

Western Europe suffered the consequences of the Roman Empire and, later, the Catholic Church.

[@ARK-77-u9e]

I like the way you name the Byzantium Empire the dark ages... The East never experienced dark ages like the west... It was only after the fall of Constantinople and the invasion of the "utman Turk" did the East experience dark ages Most of the elite and educated East had escaped to the west and Italy after the fall of Byzantium which began the revival or the renaissance of Europe

[@VulcanM61]

Byzantine Dark Ages is a historiographical term for the period in the history of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, during the 7th and 8th centuries, which marks the transition between the late antique early Byzantine period and the "medieval" middle Byzantine era.

[@maryamkim1281]

It sounds as though you only have contempt for the Turks.

[@twirajuda]

The Varangian Guard was not only the sole unit under the Emperor’s command that he could trust. They also could teach the rest of the Roman (read: ‘Byzantine’) army and establishment a thing or two about professionalism and integrity

[@JulieCaptivatedinFl]

Andrew Gough- The man of a thousand titles.

[@BrianLevine-q7e]

I am a second generation Swedish American. My Mom's parents came from Sweden. I grew up listening to my grandfather tell stories about our ancestors and their travels. I was lucky enough to go to Sweden with my grandfather. Met my relatives in the village thats been home for generations. Got to be tough to survive a place where bears roam around trying to fstten up for winter.

[@benparrish672]

You should leave Merica & visit Sweden permanently. We'd appreciate it.

[@BrianLevine-q7e]

@@benparrish672 Why would you tell me to leave the country I am a citizen of?. I love my heritage. My ancestors traveled through the Russians to the Middle East. Fought in the Crusades. My ancestors raised an army to restore Gustav Vasa as King of Sweden. I've traveled all over Europe several times. I love being an American.

[@dinarusso3320]

You're very lucky to visit Sweden, it's probably beautiful. That's amazing your relatives have been in the same village for generations.

[@chuckblackwell3860]

What a jerk

[@auraledgereal]

So The ruling class of the Kievan Rus were actually Vikings? 😮

[@deborahdauray8933]

yes

[@Marcelocostache]

Yes Rurick was a Viking noble called by the Slavic nobility to rule over them hence the formation of the Kievan Rus the ancestors of modern Say Russians and Ukrainians.

[@leonidbochev7122]

@@Marcelocostache Belorussians as well....lol

[@leonidbochev7122]

Did everyone miss the part where he says The Grand Prince of Kiev in WHERE????? Ukraine?????? Hey England PHD and so on.....Stop it with these cheap shots they are quiet sad.......for someone of your status.

[@guycalabrese4040]

This means that the Ucranians should rule russia, right?

[@rickhughesprints]

That one guy seemed a bit happy when he described the torture.

[@Kim-br5yj]

The history is written by the winners, Im not sure I believe my anchestors were that barbaric😂 like more than other people living in Europe at the time. These kind of documentaries always exaggerate stuff. Greatings from Norway

[@mickvonbornemann3824]

“Lush tropical climate” - WTF, it get’s below freezing in Istanbul in winter.

[@sebastienloyer9471]

IT gets in the -40 to -50 In Alberta Canada

[@sebastienloyer9471]

-5°© to -15°© Am still in t-shirt outside.

[@Marcelocostache]

For us Norseman is summertime!. 😂

[@FranciscoHernandez-lt1mo]

Sweden and other counties around can get -40c and lower so yeah it’s tropical for them

[@eddiemartin1671]

Great 👍

[@MrWolftamer]

My ancestors were all vikings!!! It's awesome to have viking blood going thru my veins!

[@Lazyviking82]

Im proud of my scandinavian heritage as well.

[@mk.4x785]

Your ancestors were probably farmers. And that's just cholesterol in your veins.

[@derricklarsen2919]

Sailing around causing mischief in little boats 😊

[@frankezane583]

@@mk.4x785or prescription drugs and alcohol 😂

[@dinarusso3320]

​@@mk.4x785duh, Vikings were farmers! What's your point other than trying to be insulting

[@A.P.1821]

Dark age existed only in western medieval Era. The Greco-roman kingdom falsely called Byzantium had been THE beacon of high culture for 11 centuries!

[@Celtopia]

Fascinating subject,thank you.

[@Cebuano_Edc]

I learned more from the expert historians in the comment section than tha actual documentary itself.

[@SandyRiverBlue]

A Greek emperor called Basil, sounds like a longshoreman from Kent. You'd almost be forgiven for thinking that his real name was Basileus. Also it's Hardrada, not Hadrada.

[@mk.4x785]

The guy playing Harald looks corny as hell lol.

[@destonlee2838]

Special forces, no, skilled pirate goons, yes.

[@urseliusurgel4365]

Known in Byzantium as, 'The Emperor's wine bags'.

[@Valchrist1313]

16:28 lmao, wtf. The Varangian guard were touring around the Red Light district, were they? Apparently they were big fans of the 10th/11th century neon lights!

[@ravenhill-the-hospitaller-1968]

hmm, not keen on the idea of incorporating modern terms like 'black ops' into medieval history videos.

[@RickR69]

Nobody asked. Make your own documentary then.

[@bine35]

its an old show that did same with samurai etc describing the similarities, u've always had mass troops and then individual highly specialized roles

[@thornil2231]

Putting a thumb down is not enough, remember to click "don't recommend channel"

[@SkunkApe407]

Where do you think the concept of black ops units comes from?😂 Modern militaries didn't just magically get inspired to create small groups of highly-skilled, highly trained, covert operatives. Ancient armies had recon scouts, demolitions specialists called sappers, assassins, spies, espionage experts, and even small units.of shovk troops that were the ancient version of SEAL teams. Using modern common parlance to convey a thought or concept isn't new, nor is it inappropriate. It is, however, pretentious as hell, to think you have the authority to judge everyday common vernacular. Hop on out of the saddle, and give the high horse a break.

[@thornil2231]

@@RickR69 How can you tell you are about to watch a stupid useless video about some elite military unit? They use the term "special forces" in the first 2 minutes. Because as we all know "special forces" operate in the palace and charge in the hundreds, riding horses.

[@timtim1650]

Vaeringi old norse means to pledge , or to take an oath , , this is where the word varangian comes from,...

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

I always wondered If their was evil a medieval Black ops type

[@joelamthach5812]

What a good documentary

[@justinleclairabdullahqasim117]

Now come the Ottoman's. The end of varangian guard

[@zimsonh4332]

Pretty sure Halfdan was the first memelord.

[@jacquelinevanderkooij4301]

😂 So who were the inventers of the shieldwall? English or Scandinavians?

[@spacewater7]

Greeks? Romans? Hopelites?

[@jacquelinevanderkooij4301]

@@spacewater7 Round shields?

[@christopherwiles543]

Angle and Saxon origins are Scandinavian

[@SkunkApe407]

​@@christopherwiles543 the Angols, Saxons, Jutes, and Geats(Goths) were Germanic peoples. Scandinavians are also Germanic. They originated from Germania, not Scandinavia.

[@SkunkApe407]

​@@jacquelinevanderkooij4301it depends on the form of shield wall you're referring to. The Greco-Roman Phalanx was created by the Myceneans, was perfected by the Spartan hoplites, and subsequently spread to the rest of the Helenic world, where it was adopted by the Romans. The shield wall you're likely referring to was created by the Jutes and Geats, and perfected by the Norse and Danes. It spread to the British Isles by way of Norse invasion, and was adopted by English armies to combat the invading Norse vikingr. The Norse eventually assimilated into English society, becoming knights and soldiers, meaning their tactics and strategies were folded into the English way of doing battle. It was very much the same everywhere that the Norse landed.

[@jeffhahn2478]

The soundtrack immediately put me off.. The crappy bedroom metal and lame cut away re-enactments. Boo

[@Nimno74]

This is full of cliches and sensationalized crap, with a little real history mixed in. Not all of the Varangian Guard were Scandanavian, some were were actually Saxons.

[@brianperkins4155]

Archetypal Thugs!

[@Proud2bGreek1]

"He sells his sister", and that's supposed to be a historical documentary?

[@mikloslegrady965]

We learned a lot ofthis elsewhere without the fake hysteria.

[@airborneranger-ret]

Ok, lot's of clickbait?

[@Staerkebombe]

*Rus were Norsemen, not slavs, fathers of blonde haired and blue eyed Ukranians and Russuan, slavs, are brown eyed and rough in face complexion, not like the Norsemen and Vikings, pale and white...*

[@SolomonOctober]

The big picture wasn't it the Muslim only who were able to stop the Vikings in their tracks.

[@docstockandbarrel]

👍🏻

[@CharlesGrays]

Just repeating saying the same thing.

[@nickferguson7722]

But there was no ukraine back then

[@ycanimedia9320]

there was Kyiv

[@kevinmurphy5878]

​@@ycanimedia9320 "Im batu khan." - Batu Khan

[@RobertBrown-uy8wx]

Do not show this again ever

[@thornil2231]

Putting a thumb down is not enough, remember to click "don't recommend channel"

[@elvenkind6072]

It's getting a really nasty habit of English speaking documentaries to call Harald III Hardråde: "Hardrada". If you can't pronounce the Å, just translate it into Harald Hardruler. It's almost as annoying as "ASSgard" in the Marvel movies, instead of Åsgard, or calling Mjølnir, Tors hammer "meow meow". 😖 I mean English speakers are quick enough to turn into grammar-Nazi's anytime anyone mix up "your" and "you're", and still have gotten bad habits with their own language, like the pollution of both writing and saying "Y'all", to look "cool". 😡🤬

[@Thedoggieshow19068]

There were no Ukraine when vikings existed do some homework. Varangians were Russians with some mix blood of viking that came to east 200 years earlier.

[@thornil2231]

Putting a thumb down is not enough, remember to click "don't recommend channel"

[@davidmoore1248]

There was no "Russia" either. The Kingdom of the Rus did not refer to itself or it's people that way. Kiev is in Ukraine whether the current idiot in Moscow likes it or not. The video narration is not inaccurate.

[@che71che]

Ukraine means borderlands in Russian Z

[@Milovan-c9x]

The Varangian Guard is the Byzantine Emperor's delete button.

[@ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣΤΣΑΝΤΑΚΗΣ]

dark age Byzantium ? lol !!!!! the only civilised part of the globe was Byzantium , all the others were in dark age

[@bo-dine7971]

Bruh... There was no Ukraine then, at all, it was literally the face of Russia. C'mon you can't do historic content and base locations on modern geography!

[@auraledgereal]

Kiev situated in modern day Ukraine. Technically that's true what he said.

[@EstbXCIII]

Ya know.. there is always alot of harsh and even obnoxious perspectives of European powers who would come into black or brown native lands and colonize them.. Some that are justified amd some unfair.. but when it comes to the Vikings and there bullying of native people in their native lands you have to give them some credit. They didn't just target the Non-Europeans and the wesk.. but they be a menace to ALL different kinds oflamds, kingdoms and peoples and didn't discriminate. They didn't care if you were Anglo-Saxon, Irish, Frankish, Roman or Turkish, Israel, othets.throughout the ME and North Africa. You could call them violent, barbaric maniacs but you can't say they were bigots and racists lol

[@bitcoincustomerservice2770]

Okay...so were just pretending Ukraine is a county? Ukraine was definitely a region... Don't talk shit, this is provable.

[@youtubeistryingtocensorme]

Actually the right term is Dark age Eastern Roman Empire

[@johnmark150]

“For nine centuries the great City (Byzantium/Constantinople) had been the capital of Christian civilization. It was filled with works of art that had survived from Ancient Greece and with the masterpieces of its own exquisite craftsmen.” - Sir Steven Runciman, pre-eminent British historian and author

[@geoffreyrosadocertifiedbos3385]

Yeah but what if I were to say constinapole wasn't truly Christian??

[@texassteaks6172]

@@geoffreyrosadocertifiedbos3385 it was most Christian then other claim to be Christian in Western Europe such as Paul the Apostle visit Athens and preach the gospel and on and on !! At the 4th crusade which it sacked Constantinople the barbarian uneducated European crusaders such as the Franks and their cousins the Germanic tribes. We’re looking for the true Christianity ✝️ in the Constantinople the Queen of cities and much more all their treasures and lute was carried away and scattered and it can found in private collections or in Rome which are plenty of stolen lute over there !! Nothing personal just the facts !!

[@jonomasonILoveU]

I`ve heard of flaming arrows but not flaming sparrows -brilliant-, my neighbours better be nice I got seagulls🤣.

[@fredrikdahllof2636]

In what is now Sweden there was a law in the late viking Age made to prevent that to many of the young men went to Mikklagård and joined the Vangarian Guard. It was so popular to join that force for a while that the Swedish king had to do something to keep the best warriors for him self.

[@elvenkind6072]

A fun fact is that the ones that finally defeated the Varangian Guard in open battle was the Normans, themselves of the militaristic, Norse origin.

[@rebellefleur2993]

Normans have jewish ancestors. They changed everything

[@Mjdeben]

I'm pretty sure Andrew Gough just pre-records a bunch of vauge commentary in a room somewhere and then the editors compile it to match whatever the topic is.

[@smurfy181]

haha thank you - I'm 15 minutes in and it's just a bunch of random clips of violence and 100 different ways of saying, "The Varangians liked fighting". Wow. Thanks. I've learned so much.

[@Gspawt76]

Yeah agreed. He's terribly off-putting.

[@EstbXCIII]

I came to the comment section first about 3 seconds in the video. Ill pay attention to this and return with my own remarks lol..

[@gregkientop559]

Clearly, Harald Hardrada was an out-of-the-box thinker and charismatic leader. He believed in the power of the Skald, the Norse record-keeper/storytellers very much. Probably the main reason we have these tales. It is ironic though that after roaming the eastern Med, that his eventual undoing likely involved inclemently warm weather, former Roman roads (and the English longbow) at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. His force at Stamford Bridge in 1066 had left much of their armor at the boats due to the heat, and had underestimated the speed in which Harald Godwinson's army would arrive from the south via Roman-built roads. Even though Harald H. caught an arrow to the neck and perished with his army, they damaged Harald G.'s army bad enough that they lost their next crucial battle for control of England at Hastings. Even in death, Harald Hardrada's impacts on the western world are felt yet today via the Normans, another Norse-derived culture. The arrival of Haley's Comet in early 1066 was to portent a very eventful year-and did not disappoint.

[@howwwwwyyyyy]

He was quite a boy wasn't he, fighting for his half brother at 15& escaping afterwards,shows how rich Constantinople must have been that he used his loot to become king of Norway, love his escape from there too, just read a book about him but you get the feeling that there was so much more to tell

[@howwwwwyyyyy]

Whoops, I really should watch until I comment

[@BlackQback]

Not only did Harald Hardrada believe in the power of the Skald, but was reportedly a poet himself, and according to saga was making up poetry while fighting at Stamford Bridge. Tom Shippey in his book "Laughing shall I die" writes about that.

[@kennethquinnies6023]

I like when Harald Hardraad had enough of the empress and took the Varangian gurd to the port, having to fight through several legions to do it, then took the ships necessary and sailed to norway. He then built an army large enough to invade england.

[@laifnow]

I’m pretty sure Halfdan would’ve graffitied several different places, but none of the other buildings are still standing to this day.

[@tomasabrahamsson]

Constantinople was called Miklagard by the Varangians and Vikings.

[@roryhayes9756]

Vlad was Kievan Rus not Ukrainian

[@CA-jz9bm]

Not even Kievan It was called just Rus

[@tadficuscactus]

Europeans, we need the Varangian Guard once again, but this time to defend our homelands, Europa.

[@trondeaf]

Watch Europa the last battle and awaken your mind my friend

[@dinarusso3320]

Exactly, I'm American and I know Europe needs to defend your culture and countries! It's ridiculous what's going on!

[@rebellefleur2993]

J*ws replaced you. It's too late lol

[@chehughes13]

​@dinarusso3320 Your a European too.😅😅😅

[@blasterofmuppets4754]

How old are you? Twelve?

[@Marcelocostache]

Vikings/norseman+Roman training and equipment = Varangian Guard.

[@64fairlane305]

Hardraade = strongheaded. Brits has never ever understood or known much about their northern neighbours. They have their own silly version of history. The illustrations here is wery naive, wery few are capable of recreating the vikings skill level. But if you want to get a glimse, take a closer look at Gannicus in "Spartacus" (2010). Notice how this skilled fighter prefer to move light carrying one sword in each hand, fighting bare wearing no armour or "serk". This fearless fighting-style was later known as "going berserk". Even the "story" about the battle at stamford bridge in 1066 is not correct. the norwegians met an army of normanners first and won the battle. Then when they were on their way back to they`re ships, tired and unprepeared the english king saw his chanse and attacked them when they were tired and not wearing their armour.

[@peterlandbo2726]

Hårderåde "ruthless ruler" or "tough ruler". Take it from a Dane

[@64fairlane305]

@@peterlandbo2726 wrong, from a norwegian

[@adventussaxonum448]

300 ships invaded and 24 went home...😅 I bet they weren't as tired as the English were at Hastings, having marched the length of England in a couple of weeks, after Stamford Bridge.

[@zoetropo1]

In 1081 at Dyrrhachium, the Varangian Guard faced the same person whose feint and charge broke the English shield wall in the Battle of Hastings: Brian of Brittany. The result was very much the same. Although Brian was instrumental in that defeat of Alexios Comnenos, the Emperor's daughter Anna Comnene described Brian as "the most courageous and most honourable of all the Gauls".

[@ilijas3041]

Wasnt that her impression of Bohemond?

[@howwwwwyyyyy]

Where did you find out about that?-I always thought that the main information about Hastings was from the tapestry.

[@zoetropo1]

@@ilijas3041 No, her impression of Bohemond was that he was handsome, not that he was a decent human being.

[@zoetropo1]

@@howwwwwyyyyy The BT is a primary source, and its principal narrator was Brian's brother Alan Rufus, captain of Duke/King William's household knights. The longest scene on the BT shows the Breton second-in-command (presumably Brian) assailing the English frontlines (led by Earls Leofwine and Gyrth) from the left (West) while Alan led an assault from the right (East) over water traps.

[@nem447]

so they were a gay club?

[@userer4579]

Very, ... _Discovery Channel,_ by which I mean complete shite.

[@thornil2231]

Putting a thumb down is not enough, remember to click "don't recommend channel"

[@AlphaSniperAcademy]

I would like to mention that Amon Amarth even has a song about them. "Varyags of Miklagaard." "Miklagaard has been our home for 20 years or more We've lent our axes, spears, and swords In service of the emperor We are loyal warriors That's the oath we gave To protect the emperor even to a violent grave"

[@adamwee382]

12:55 There actually weren't that many Byzantine Emperors who were assassinated, The main purpose of an emperors "bodyguard' was not to prevent him from being assassinated, it was his private military force paid directly by himself, the emperor. If one of the emperor's vassals rebelled then that vassals soldiers would almost certainly remain loyal to him rather than the emperor. So the Varangian Guard did whatever the emperor required them to do, they did act as a literal bodyguard, even being trusted with the keys to the city while the emperor was away, but they also acted as law enforcement as well, but the main purpose was to act as loyal retainers ready to defend the emperor in case of rebellion which was incredibly common in the Eastern Roman Empire. They were his insurance against the scheming nobility, so they were very well paid and had their own special privileges. So while assassination was a threat, more emperors were deposed through military coups than assassination. That's the purpose of having a private army rather than lets say Game of Thrones Kings Guard.

[@nebojsanesic5326]

Westerners and their "Academia" are trying to represent Orthodox leaders as they are Vatican leaders. Not a word about them destroying, or directly helping destruction of all 3 Orthodox Tzars.

[@Valchrist1313]

There are suspicions that Basil II's father was assassinated, having died at age 26. His father ruled for only 4 years. His father, Basil II's grandfather is suspected of having been assassinated. Basil was made co-emperor with his brother, both children. As such, their regent Nicephorus Phocas became emperor. He was assassinated. He was followed by John Tzimiskes, who was suspected of having been assassinated. Not to mention the civil war led by Phocas's relatives. After Basil II and his brother died, the next emperor was Romanos III..... who was assassinated after ruling for 6 years. So if assassinations of Byzantine Emperors was rare... it certainly wasn't in the time-period!

[@adamwee382]

@@Valchrist1313 in that time frame how many disloyal vassals tried to rebel? Read what i said more carefully. i didn't say that emperors weren't assassinated, I said that the point of the varangians was not primarily as a literal bodyguard, but his personal private army. So whats your point? An emperor didnt employ as many Varangians as he possibly could to stand outside his chambers. What about the Varangians of the sea? were they standing guard at night? Calling them "bodyguards" is not a great description. It may have been more prestigious than referring to them as retainers, but that's what they were. The elite standing/professional troops of the Byzantine Army, paid directly by the emperor, and recruited from outside the empire in order to ensure loyalty to the emperor rather than a noble family.

[@Valchrist1313]

@@adamwee382 You said 'there weren't that many' implying it was uncommon. Yet, the two predecessors and two successors were likely assassinated. The video actually does go over the other stuff too!

[@adamwee382]

​@@Valchrist1313 No, you're making the assumption and you're imposing it onto me. Read carefully the context of what i've said. I implied that rebellious factions leading armies were statistically more dangerous than assassinations. That does not mean that I said or even implied that assassinations didn't occur, or were even rare. I was merely stating that calling the Varangians "bodyguards" is misleading, even if that's how they were referred to at the time. No eastern Roman Emperor retained hundreds of Varangians to act as his literal bodyguard. Nothing you've said contradicts my original argument, which was "The main purpose of an emperors "bodyguard' was not to prevent him from being assassinated, it was his private military force paid directly by himself, the Emperor" So again, and for the last time, i really don't understand your point.

[@philippekogler]

The vikings called Konstantinopel "Mikklegard" (the Big City)

[@dis_f30]

It's Miklagard = Great City

[@AlphaSniperAcademy]

There's a song by a band called Amon Amarth, titled "Varyags of Miklagaard" thats about them haha

[@johnking6252]

Just a bunch of good ole boys out looking for fun . Ya gotta luv the Vikings. 👍

[@sebastienloyer9471]

And theyr woman's 😊

[@SIBquake]

Yeah they were Vikings but they were Russian

[@aephos.overwatch]

Except when they pillage

[@sunlightpictures8367]

Great documentary. Harold was a very interesting person.

[@boychoboychev67]

grand prince of Kiev in ukraine.......I never knew ukraine was so old country indeed.....I tought it emerge on the map after the bolsheviks made it up. to be fare I've heard many times about rewriting the hostory. but see something like this first time ever. autors of the video, I can't believe you didn't know to how was called the country which capital Kiev was at the time. by the way it's a bit strange tah you have made such a silly mistake - in today's ukrainian language it not Kiev. it's Kiiv

[@na7973]

I'm warrior and soldier boy 😎 I'm strong 😂 we will stan and battle fight and death and honour

[@paulsmyth3580]

we need them on the coasts now

[@aephos.overwatch]

to do, what?

[@dinarusso3320]

Scandanavia needs them on the coast now!!

[@AmbroseBurnside1824]

the varyags of miklagaard!!!

[@kristiangustafson4130]

"Dark Age"... sigh. Lazy. Incorrect. I can walk past "Byzantine" with gritted teeth, but "Dark Age" tells me you're not being serious.

[@ragnarok6521]

The ploy of faking death was not an homage to the Greek Trojan horse. It is far more likely that he remembered one of many famed tales of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons, as Ragnar did the exact same ploy many years prior to this. Even Netflix managed to put this ploy into the show before leaving the source material very early on and goes full Hollywood. To bad we never got to see any of the very clever ploys of Ivar the boneless in the show. Interesting how he used the ploy of setting birds on fire several hundred years before Ghengis Khan got the same idea, which might indicate that it probably happened more often than its written down.

[@dinarusso3320]

😊 that's exactly what I thought, he probably heard about Ragnar doing the same thing!

[@havareriksen3395]

Using the local birds to burn down the city was a ploy used by St. Olga of Kyiv to finish off the drevlinians. It is most likely while Harald stayed in Kyiv he heard that story and later used the same tactic. Though with any of these tales we can never be certain of what really happened.

[@Gulit99]

Stop using the “Dark age” term

[@jeangove01]

It's not necessarily incorrect. Historians tend to use it for the few hundred years between the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Carolingians.

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

Funny enough I've been watching Vikings Valhalla, I think Harald is well portrayed

[@poohtisdispenser7106]

The real Harald journey was much more insane. He began his lifelong journey to avenge his brother and reclaim the throne of Norway since he was only 15 years old. His journey was filled with war and battle in many foreign lands. His life was literally one of those protagonist story you would only think existed in movies. He began as a young inexperienced second son return to where his journey began as one of the most battle hardened warriors with cunning political skills.

[@domsmithsen]

The last kingdom as well lol

[@karlgimmedatforfreemarx]

I won’t have some metropolitan effeminate historian tell me how to judge Vladimir the Great for his day.

[@rebellefleur2993]

They're not ukranian. Vikings were not Indo European

[@xSAINTPERKx]

The Roman vikings aptly describe them. God bless all the northmen who converted and protected our blessed emperors. ☦️

[@danichicago9140]

Their cousins the Normans ran them out.

[@gman509]

Fun fact after the Norman invasion of Anglo Saxons England 300 ships fled from the country and headed to join byzantines vrangian guard. It is said that after this soon the majority of their men were Anglo Saxons. Unfortunately thjs is undermined and not acknowledged to the same extent as the viking culture despite contributing just as much.

[@pappelg2639]

Stereotypical regurgitation

[@morganfreeaimthebountyhunt7682]

"The Brutal Special Forces of Early Medieval Eastern Rome" Fixed.

[@integralmath]

It's really creepy and weird that one of the 'experts' in this video becomes super amused by talk of torture and appears to become especially aroused when discussing castration. Historian or sicko, you decide.

[@antonkwanton5620]

dark age byzantium - macedonian reneissance 😐

[@Marcelocostache]

Best Roman recovery in over 500 years The Macedonian Dinasty manage to double the size of the Eastern Roman Empire, at that time the Empire was at its peak an army of over 125000 strong powerful economy and stretching from Italy to Syria!.

[@karlheinzvonkroemann2217]

How can this man be so certain that the Vikings were Tatooed? There very little to no proof that they all had tatoos. It makes good TV that's all.

[@RyanBright-wg1yk]

This is probably one of the more inaccurate “factual” documentaries I’ve watched in a while.

[@NiclasHorn]

40:00 Only a Scandinavian Viking would come up with that brave plan 😄

[@QuixoticEnt]

Rather sensationalist.

[@thornil2231]

Putting a thumb down is not enough, remember to click "don't recommend channel"

[@Старийкінь]

There is no significant evidence of the origin of the Kievan princes from the Scandinavian dynasties. The name of the first historically known ancestor of Vladimir is Igor. Some claim that this name comes from the Scandinavian Ingvar but maybe also from the West Slavic Igar/Jegar, which translates as hunter. The name of the next prince Svyatoslav has no analogues among the Scandinavians at all. You will agree that there is no such precedent in the world for conquerors to call their royal descendants in the second generation by the names of the conquered peoples. And the name Vladimir itself is of Gothic origin. Among the Scandinavians, the name Vladimir would appear many centuries later. The myth of the Danish origin of the Kievan princes was created by the princes of Moscow in order to correct their genealogy and separate from the Tatar origin. And then in Europe, Moscow grants were used to create myths, distorting the history of Eastern Europe.

[@Старийкінь]

PS: The second historical absurdity is that the number of soldiers sent by Vladimir to Constantinople was 6000 men. Think about it, SIX thousand without much damage to his own safety. For the Scandinavian peoples of the IX-X centuries, this is an unthinkable number. And this was at a time when the Vikings did not have enough strength to cope with England where were rich, but weak Christian states. Almost a century later, Norman's army, reinforced by the French and Britons in the number of 7,500 to 10,000, defeated 8,000 English troops of Harold II. This is, so, for a comparison of forces. By the way, Harold's II daughter, Gytha of Wessex, became the wife of Vladimir's great-grandson

[@Старийкінь]

Another myth about the path of the "Varangians to the Greeks" does not stand up to criticism. From the nearest river of the Baltic water basin to the Dnieper is about 40 kilometers.I would like to look at the fools driving sea drakars FORTY kilometers through swamps and forest thickets

[@Старийкінь]

I am not trying to prove that the Scandinavian warriors did not serve in the imperial guard. At different times, representatives of different peoples served there. But, has anyone wondered about the origin of the word varang? Var in one of the dialects of the ancient Slavic meant a blade, and varang meant a swordsman

[@Gspawt76]

The American sharing his opinions seems very out of place in this otherwise interesting video. This gentleman seems to get his knowledge of Vikings from comic books or hundred year old outdated debunked research. He probably still thinks Vikings wore horned helmets.

[@cadderley100]

Basil? Basil Fawlty? The name Harald Hardrada rings a bell. Didn't we defeat him at the Battle of Stamford Bridge (1066)? No Sparrows (or Magpies) were harmed in the making of this video.

[@KushKing42O]

16:29 😂😂😂😂 hold on what🤯🤯 no you lost me after that. I know for a fact they didn’t have electricity let alone neon signs and tv🤔🤨🤨

[@Theodoros_Kolokotronis]

Some monumental works regarding the Greek Byzantine Empire by two experts of Byzantine History, include; Warren Treadgold “A Concise History of Byzantium”, “A History of the Byzantine State and Society”, “Byzantium and Its Army, 284-1081”, “The Byzantine Revival, 780-842”. Sir Steven Runciman “Byzantine Civilization”, “The Fall of Constantinople 1453”, “The Great Church in Captivity: A Study of the Patriarchate of Constantinople from the Eve of the Turkish Conquest to the Greek War of Independence”, “Byzantine Style and Civilization”, “The Last Byzantine Renaissance”. All epic. Truly, an academic treasure.

[@ScentsOfSouthJersey]

Sooooo you mean the Roman Empire ? Lol

[@hannibalbarca4372]

His fortune left him when he tried to invade England, he was defeated and killed by the Anglo-Saxon in the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066, the Englo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson was defeated and killed by the Duc of Normandy William the conqueror in the battle of Hastings ....

[@enriquehartmann8642]

I think if I was a Veringian , id use my earnings to build a city and make myself nobility

[@howwwwwyyyyy]

Or king like Hardrada did

[@richardparnell992]

the birds were like modern day missiles