Varangian Guard: Brothers of the North Sea [Old English/Old Norse/Medieval Greek] | The Skaldic Bard

Here is another song I wrote and performed (with my wife), this time in Old English, Old Norse and Mediaeval/Byzantine Greek. The use of Old English in conjunction with Old Norse is to illustrate the fact that at this point in history, the Varangian Guard was primarily made up of Anglo-Saxon warriors who fled England after the Norman Conquest, as well as Scandinavians. The Greek is adapted from Anna Komneni’s Alexiad in which she discusses the Varangians who were in her father Alexios’s service. The song details the events of the Battle of Beroia fought by Byzantine Emperor John II Komnenos against the Pechenegs in 1122. The Emperor was forced to cut an expedition east short when the Pechenegs attacked in the north of the empire from beyond the Danube. The Pechenegs camped in a deep depression near Beroia (modern Stara Zagora), and their defence proved very hard to break down. Their horseback archers proved too effective against the Emperor’s men - until he called upon the elite and heavily armed Varangian Guard, who, in a mighty push, broke down the defences and forced the Pechenegs to flee. I hope you enjoy. Follow me on Spotify (The Skaldic Bard): If you’d like to support my work, you can do so here: Thank you for your kindness. Lyrics: [Old Norse] Norðr handan um Duná þaðan ríðr lið Tyrkja. Jóann garðkonungr várr óttask hvárki ǫr né sár. [Old English] On fǣrsēaþe wīciaþ hīe, on Iōhannes landum pīe! Sē Cāsere mid searwe þæt fæsten ārāfian wile. [Old Norse] Garðkonungr ofrar ljúgsátt þá biðr herinn sǿkja at. Tók þá til orrosta hǫrð ok blóð helltisk út á jǫrð. [Old English] Fela forwearþ Rōmāna flānum rīdendra sċyttena. Ofercumne sind eallenga ōþ Iōhannes ċīeġþ Wærgengan! [Mediaeval Greek] Οἱ ἐκ τῆς Θούλης Βάραγγοι ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων τὰ ξίφη κραδαίνοντες οὐδὲ ψιλὸν πάντως ἀνέξονται περὶ προδοσίας λόγον [Old English] Sunne ofer þone wang rīst. Þā Wærgengan, on beadwe þrīst, cweċċende brādæxa siġe nōmon æt Beroia! [Old Norse] Sǿkja þeir at fjándunum Guðr á sinnum Væringjum Keisaranum eiðinn efna sigrsælir við Beroia! [Old English] Sē hildewōma cwōm. On heortan nis nān swicdōm. Mid sīdrandum ġehæfnum āsċūfaþ wē hīe eallum mihtum. [Old Norse] Á hlið Jóani í svarfi vegum vér sem berserkir. Leggjum bogmenn at velli ok á Tyrkjum áfelli. [Old English] Ēalā! Hū hīe wyrċaþ flēam! On heallum biþ medudrēam! Forþ, Wærgengan, on siġewang! Unfordyt is ūre forþgang! [Old Norse] Brǿðr erum norðrsjóvar einskonar eiðs, blóðs ok trúar. Fyrir sakir Miklagarðs lifa ok deyja Væringjar! [Mediaeval Greek] …πάτριον παράδοσιν καὶ οἷον παρακαταθήκην.. …καὶ κλῆρον τὴν εἰς τοὺς αὐτοκράτορας πίστιν… …ἄλλος ἐξ ἄλλου διαδεχόμενοι… [Old English] Sunne ofer þone wang rīst. Þā Wærgengan, on beadwe þrīst, cweċċende brādæxa siġe nōmon æt Beroia! [Old Norse] Sǿkja þeir at fjándunum Guðr á sinnum Væringjum Keisaranum eiðinn efna sigrsælir við Beroia! [Old English] Sunne ofer þone wang rīst. Þā Wærgengan, on beadwe þrīst, cweċċende brādæxa siġe nōmon æt Beroia! [Old Norse] Sǿkja þeir at fjándunum Guðr á sinnum Væringjum Keisaranum eiðinn efna sigrsælir við Beroia! [Mediaeval Greek] …Κλῆρος… …Πῐ́στῐς… Please do not redistribute my work without permission. Feel free to email me with any inquiries!