hello all
i want to gather togther a vangarian guard kit but im not sure what direction to go in with it. could anyone help with pictures of it and ideas of what kit they had
thanks
nathan

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Hi Nathan

Try here http://users.bigpond.net.au/quarfwa/miklagard/NVG.htm, some excellent pages by Pete Beatson of Birka Traders.

best
Dave

any ideas what they were looking like during the crusade periods?

Hi Nathan.
David already gave you a very good link. This web site includes very good and valuable information. For example this article:
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~chrisandpeter/...elmets.htm

And a link from my wife: http://www.strangelove.net/~kieser/Russia/

We also recommend a book written by Polish archaeologist.
Władysław Duczko : "Viking Rus. Studies on the Presence of Scandinavians in Eastern Europe.
Maybe you should also search for this article by W. Duczko : "Byzantine Presence in Viking Age Sweden – Archaeological Finds and their Interpretation, [in:] Rom und Byzanz im Norden, Internationale Fachkonferenz, Kiel, 18-25 September 1994, Stuttgart 1997, ss. 291-311)

This subject has been discussed several times already, so maybe you should also search the forum a bit? ;)

A Period picture from the Skylitzes Chronicle (The guys on top are supposed to be Varangian guardsmen):

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Contemporary Greek texts mention that they used axes, which distinguished them from other soldiers. Otherwise it would make sense that they sourced arms and armour locally. So a byzantine top-of-the-line soldiers kit with a dane-axe would in my opinion be very probable.

Then add beard and belly for a true scandinavian feel! They where also called "The emperors winebags" for some reason... :D