The Varangian Guard were the best, most loyal members of the Byzantine Army. The unit was first employed by Emperor Basil II in the year 988. The first iteration of the group was made up of Rus’ people (an early group of vikings who ultimately gave their name to Russia and Belarus) afer Basil lost trust in native guardsmen. Over time other groups of people such as Norsemen and Anglo-Saxons became associated with this elite fighting force.
They were deployed at strategic times in war when the tide needed to be shifted or fighting was particularly heavy. Their weapon of choice was a heavy axe with which they would pummel the opposing force. There are records of members of the guard entering a trance and becoming berserkers, a state when they no longer cared about their wounds or their lives. The reputation of the guard, promoted by Byzantine authors, instilled fear in the hearts of the enemy, no doubt an attempt to weaken the will of opposing forces.
