Enormous walls on both the land and sea, met with the Vikings as they sailed towards Constantinople. The city was the largest known to the Vikings and they called it Miklagard. The great wealth was perhaps tempting prey, but size did the Vikings soon either went in the service of the emperor. He created a special Viking Guard - known as Væringene or Varjagerne. The most famous ruler of this garden was Harald Hardrada.

The emperor incorporated them into his army as a separate department. It was known as "the ax-bearing garde" - after the huge tobladede axes they used in battle. This unit knows the time Væringene - the sworn. They were the best paid of the imperial troops. So well paid that they had to bribe the right people to come up with.

Already here is the time and say that all text is taken from www.viking.no

Varangians got even keep the prey they were able to raid with them from the battlefield and the cities they conquered, and every time an emperor died, they claim "polutasvarv" (palace plunder). As for the palaces in the capital and seized all the treasures and valuables they could carry. After 1066 ended many saxere from England to farm. North Boer was in imperial service in over 300 years.

Harald Hardrada in Miklagard
Perhaps the most famous of Varangians was Harald Sigurdsson (1015 - 1066), who later became king of Norway who is called Hardrada. He was chief of Varangians, the emperor's guard, for many years. He led væringgarden in combat, both in North Africa, Syria, Palestine and in Sicily. All the property Harald got in, he sent for storage north of Holm Farm in Russia, for its upcoming in-law of King Yaroslav the Wise. "There was so much cargo that no man from the north had seen such things in one man's possession," said Snorri.

Harald solo home:
When Harald after many years of service planned to return to Norway he wanted to be with him Mary, who was keiserinnens niece, but the Empress said no. Varangians said there was a rumor that the empress Zoe even wanted Harald. Constantine did Harald jail, but Harald was helped to escape. He brought Mary with the power, got hold of a ship and rowed out from the harbor. When he approached the chain that blocked the sound, he commanded all who rowed, back in the boat. So rowed the other for dear life and ran the boat up on the iron chain. As soon as they stood firm, asked Harald every man to run requires. When tilted the boat forward and slipped the iron chain. They could continue over the Black Sea to Russia. But before he went on from there further to Norway, he sent magnanimous Mary with the result back to Miklagard and married Yaroslav's daughter Ellisif. They traveled to Norway in 1045.

I'm back in 2009. In peace...

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