This is Varangian’s Newsletter, a newsletter about Medieval stories from Europe's eastern frontier. This is %%publication_name%%, a newsletter about Medieval stories from Europe's eastern frontier.
A Desperate Defense of Constantinople Rumors came first. Merchants sailing down the coast from Sinope said they saw hundreds of ships dotting the beaches near Heraclea, smoke rising in the morning sky. Soon boats of all sizes came from Chrysopolis. I could see them on guard duty, thousands of refugees, fleeing the raiders. They crowded into the
The water rippled faintly in the torch-light. The water rippled faintly in the torch-light. Muffled sounds emanated from beyond the end of the tunnel. The noise grew louder and louder. Those of us inside the tunnel sat silent, breathing through our mouths in fear of the faintest whisper. Daggers and chainmail glinted in the soft orange light. After an eternity, a pick sprouted from the clay at the …
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Norse Ambitions in Eastern Europe and Beyond During the Medieval Period (Part 1) When the Norse exploded out of the stygian Scandinavian woods in the 8th century many sought plunder in the comparatively rich lands of England & France. These lands were ideal since undefended monasteries and prosperous towns sat on the coast or the riverine systems that drained into the North Sea. From these “smash & grab” operations and later settlem…
A private space for us to converse and connect Today I’m announcing a brand new addition to my Substack publication: the Varangian’s Newsletter subscriber chat.
The Reign of Saint Princess Olga, “Equal to the Apostles” (East of Sweden, Pt. 2) Igor, Grand Prince of Kiev and ruler of the Rus, was a ruler of indomitable energy. His forces twice sailed on Constantinople and put it under siege, concluding a favorable treaty with his southern neighbor. Igor’s reign saw the horizons of the Rus expand dramatically. Expeditions were launched into the Caspian Sea & control of the local Slavic tribes w…
Sviatoslav's blood-drenched dream of empire Sviatoslav the Brave was cast in the mold of the old warlords; pagan, ruthless, austere, and ambitious. Sitting as he did at the headwaters of Eurasian trade, Sviatoslav dreamed of following the riverine highways south to the heady Orient, his armies sweeping all before him and forging a global superpower in his image, under the watchful eyes of Perun a…
The Byzantines End Rus Dreams of Supremacy Years of war had collapsed the Bulgarian state and Sviatoslav seemed poised to absorb the region. Sviatoslav’s domains briefly stretched from the Adriatic to the Caspian, a juggernaut was forming across Eastern Europe. Emperor John Tzimiskes, responding to Rus attacks & threats, led the Byzantine military in a lightning campaign to neutralize this emerg…
How Anglo-Saxon migration transformed Byzantium & created the first English colony 956 years ago, William of Normandy defeated Harold Godwinson’s army at Hastings and became the King of England. William’s regime was slow to eliminate Anglo-Saxon influence in England, but Anglo-Saxon uprisings in the north of the country drew his wrath. Over the winter of 1069-1070, William prosecuted the “Harrying of the North,” killing his way throug…
As the sultry days of August reached their culmination the capital eased into a drunken stupor. As the sultry days of August reached their culmination the capital eased into a drunken stupor. The feasts and festivals of the preceding months began to exhaust the population of their customary revelry. Parades of strange beasts with their beady eyes, eunuchs with pinched faces, priests swaying to baritone chants, the gold and silk of the imperial cit…
The many roles of the Varangian Guard The Varangian Guard was separated into several different organizations to maximize the impact of their unique attributes. Fiercely loyal, skilled sailors, and expert shock troops, the Varangian Guard filled many roles in the Byzantine Military.
