Which elite bodyguard unit of the Byzantine emperor was composed of Scandinavians?

The Varangian Guard was the elite Byzantine bodyguard unit primarily composed of Scandinavian warriors.

The guard was formally organized under Emperor Basil II in 988, after Vladimir I of Kievan Rus sent thousands of Varangian soldiers to Constantinople. Byzantine emperors valued these foreign soldiers because they had fewer local political ties and were considered more personally loyal than factions within the imperial court.

Early members came mainly from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Kievan Rus. After the Norman conquest of England in 1066, increasing numbers of Anglo-Saxons also joined, so the guard was no longer exclusively Scandinavian. Its warriors were famous for carrying large axes and for being deployed at crucial moments in battle.

The Varangians were more than ceremonial guards: they accompanied imperial armies, suppressed revolts, protected the emperor, and performed palace security duties. They are sometimes confused with the Roman Praetorian Guard, but that unit served Roman emperors centuries earlier and was not Scandinavian.