Following the Raven Banner

This project focuses on Scandinavian mercenaries during the Viking Age. The inspiration to study these Viking swords-for-hire arose after reading about Harald inn Hardradi, a famous Norwegian king who lived a life so exciting that it is undoubtedly worthy of cinematic recreation. Following the death of his elder brother, King Olaf, the teenage Harald was forced into exile and had to seek shelter with Yaroslav the Wise, King of the Kievan-Rus. After a few years, Harald eventually became a member of the Varangian Guard, the legendary force of mercenaries used by the Byzantine emperors of Constantinople as their own personal bodyguards.

During his time as a mercenary, Harald traveled across the world, fighting pirates off the coast of North Africa, beating back Normans in Sicily, and protecting artisans as they traveled to Jerusalem. For all this, he was richly rewarded, both in coin and fame. If the story were to end here, it would already be an amazing one, filled with adventure, toppled castles and scorned lovers. However, academically, it is not complete. Instead, the most intriguing aspect of Harald’s life is that the vast amounts of wealth and prestige he accumulated as a mercenary eventually enabled him to return once again to Norway. Upon his arrival, Harald was so powerful and well-known that he bullied his nephew into giving him half the kingdom. Harald went from being an exiled prince with nothing more than a few loyal retainers, into a king. Not just any king at that: he was so strong that he struck fear into the heart of his nephew, a Scandinavian noble with vast pools of resources at his disposal, and forced his way back into lordship.

That a career as a mercenary could spark such advancement was amazing, but surely this was a singular event. After all, mercenaries are some of the most despised, corrupt and despicable troops in history according to most sources. The famous political theorist, Niccolo Machiavelli claimed “mercenary captains are either capable men or they are not; if they are, you cannot trust them, because they always aspire to their own greatness, either by oppressing you, who are their master, or others contrary to your intentions; but if the captain is not skilful, you are ruined in the usual way” (Marriott 2006). While Machiavelli here is talking specifically about the multi-national bands of mercenaries who roved across the Italian peninsula during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, rest assured that Scandinavian mercenaries were treated just as unkindly by medieval primary sources. Despite the derision, however, research revealed that Harald was not alone in his good fortune.

From Byzantium to Iceland and everywhere in between, it seemed that no matter where one went in the Viking Age, there were Scandinavian sellswords, making massive amounts of money and then using that wealth to further their political, social, and economic careers. Godred Crovan, a man whose story lies slightly beyond our scope, served under Harald inn Hardradi during his failed 1066 invasion of England and used the money he made as a sellsword to jumpstart his Manx invasions. The Icelandic Bolli Bollasson, after spending a tour of duty in the Varangian Guard, came back from the east so wealthy that the Laxdaela Saga refers to him as “Bolli the Grand.” These are just a few examples, but they help to illustrate how mercenary work could be so profitable that the funds earned during only a few years of work were enough to change the course of one’s entire life.

After reading these intriguing primary sources, the study turned to secondary ones hoping the masters of medieval history could help explain why it was rare to hear about these men. Surprisingly, despite Scandinavian mercenaries appearing in a diverse cast of primary sources, and despite some mercenaries accumulating so much wealth and power they became kings, there was little to no secondary scholarship on the Nordic mercenary. Instead of being a center of scholarly investigation, the Scandinavian mercenary exists in a historical Twilight Zone where they are referenced but never examined. This created an environment in which the mercenary was no longer an active participant in the historical narrative and instead is more like a passive tool which is only important in the context of their employer. In conclusion, this project aims to correct these appalling blind spots by refocusing the historical discussion so Scandinavian mercenaries can step out of the shadows and finally receive the academic attention that they deserve.

Before we begin, however, this website is designed with a certain flow in mind despite the certainty that the vast majority of people who read from this project will do so randomly, picking and choosing random subjects which fit their own particular interests without ever reading the entire website. Much like one of the old Icelandic Sagas, this project has a beginning, middle, and end which can all be read independently. Yet, while these lonely pieces may provide interesting tidbits, they form a much more cohesive narrative when taken and examined together. With that in mind, there will also be a select few individuals interested in this project for the sum of its parts and for them, here is a guide on how to properly consume this digital thesis:

• The first place that one should visit in this website is hopefully this page, the Introduction. In this part of the website, I provided some helpful tips on how to get the most out of the thesis.
• Afterward, one should visit the various ArcGIS maps. In this section, I present the bulk of the findings and arguments of the project.
• Next, there is the Conclusion where the findings are summarized and there is some speculation on where the study of Scandinavian mercenaries might develop.
• Then there is the About section where you can learn a little more about the author.
• Finally, if your thirst for scholarly knowledge still isn’t quenched, then the Bibliography page is for you. In this section, I have created an annotated bibliography for each secondary source cited in this project.