Væringr

Væringr is an Old Norse term used in medieval sources to refer to Varangians, the Norse travelers who moved east to the Rus' and to the Byzantine Empire and served as mercenaries and imperial guards. The singular is væringr and the plural væringar. The exact etymology is debated; most scholars link væringr to the broader ethnonym Varangian used in Byzantine Greek and Slavic sources for Norsemen operating east of the Baltic, though the Norse form may also reflect internal semantic layers related to guard or pledge.

In historical contexts, Varangians connected Norse communities with Kievan Rus' and the Byzantine Empire from the 9th century onward. In Byzantium they formed the elite Varangian Guard by the 10th century, serving as emperor's personal guards and heavy infantry; their presence persisted through the 11th–13th centuries. The pool of volunteers and mercenaries drew from Sweden and Norway, with later participation by Anglo-Saxons after 1066. Harald Hardrada, who later became King of Norway, is often cited as a Varangian Guard member.

In modern scholarship, Væringr is used to discuss Norse eastern expeditions and the cross-cultural exchange along Baltic and Black Sea routes, as well as the persistent influence of Norse mobility on medieval diplomacy, warfare, and trade.