Araltes: The Evolution of a Varangian Stereotype

In Old Norse texts, the legend of the Varangian is part of a larger trend in a positive textual relationship between the Nordic world and the Byzantine Empire. In this article, the subject of analysis is the evolution of the Varangian legend through the character of one of the best known Varangians, King Haraldr of Norway. The development of the narrative of Haraldr, from the earliest near-contemporary narratives to high medieval and late medieval romances, will be traced and used to highlight the evolution of the discourse on the Varangians and the development of certain narrative stereotypes.