Harald Hardradi 247 



Guard ; for the Greeks called all these men from the 

 north Yaringi or Varaugi (Pharangi) a name which may 

 perhaps be a corruption of Franks. We are told that 

 this Varinfrian Guard, which formed a distinct division 

 of the Greek army, often retrieved the day of battle 

 when the rest of the army had been put to flight. 



The licentious and cruel Empress Zoe was on the 

 Byzantine throne when Harald came to Constantinople. 

 By her he was appointed to the command of the 

 Varangi. Many are the stories which the Sagas relate 

 of Harald's battles with the Saracens, who were now a 

 great and ever-growing danger to the Greek Empire, 

 and of his wonderful quickness in counsel and readiness 

 of resource. Some of these stories are told of earlier 

 northern heroes of the Viking age. One in particular 

 of Harald's achievements is ascribed likewise to Hasting, 

 a famous Viking of the ninth century. The following 

 story is told also of one of the Norman Dukes of Apulia. 

 Yet, albeit we cannot be sure that it is truly told of 

 Harald, it is worth the repeating. 



Harald Hardradi was engaged upon the siege of a 

 strong town in Sicily. He noticed that the sparrows 

 from the town flew out every day into the fields to feed ; 

 but flew back at night to nest in the thatched roofs of 

 the houses of the town. Therefore he gave orders that 

 as many of these sparrows should be captured as pos- 

 sible, and, when they were captured, he caused lighted 

 sticks to be tied to their tails. They, of course, at once 

 flew back to their nests in the roofs of the houses and 

 of the citadel ; and as these roofs were thatched, they 

 caught fire, and the whole town was burned to the 

 ground. 



