THE BEAST

Track 6 of 9 from the album “NÍU: Blood of the Amali (Ásaland Metal Cut)”. Across the Varangian Sea is an homage the væringjar — warriors from eastern Sweden and Gotland. The reputation of these men preceded them, and early inhabitants of Russia used the designation Variagi for all tribes of eastern Scandinavia and Gotland. In addition, the first Russians referred to the Baltic Sea as the Varangian Sea. In other East Slavic and Byzantine sources, the Varangians are also associated with the Baltic region, which is called Varangia. In Arabic, the Baltic Sea was called Bahr Varank, also meaning the Varangian Sea. The Varangians became recognized for their determination and military prowess. While serving as mercenaries, the Varangians protected both Scandinavian shippers on the Russian riverways, as well as nobility and merchants in distant lands like Greece, Byzantium, and Armenia. Varangians also plundered surrounding countries and even fought one another for “contracts” to attack a specific land. The Varangians achieved their most lasting fame as the Varangian Guard, an elite military group protecting Roman Emperors in Constantinople, and also as the founders of the Rus kingdoms in present-day Russia and Ukraine (under Varangian rule, Kyiv became the capital of Kievan Rus’.) The term Varangian is derived from Old Norse “væringjar”, a word used by the people of Scandinavia and Gotland who lived in the Viking Age to describe warriors who sold their services to others — those who were paid protectors. Listen now ► https://smarturl.com/Amaling Website ► https://draugablikk.com Twitter ► https://twitter.com/Draugablikk Instagram ► https://instagram.com/draugablikk Vkontakte ► https://vk.com/Draugablikk Facebook ► https://facebook.com/Draugablikk MeWe ► https://mewe.com/p/Draugablikk ℗ & © 2020 Draugablikk. Licensed with honor and signed in blood to Legendo Music. #Draugablikk #Pagan #Metal