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Authors: Steven Runciman
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Emperor’s army. Early in the eleventh century there
were so many of them that a special Norse regiment was formed, the famed
Varangian Guard. The Varangians soon acquired the habit of spending a leave on
a journey to Jerusalem. The first of whom we have a record was a certain
Kolskeggr, who was in Palestine in 992. Harald Hardrada, most famous of the
Varangians, was there in 1034. During the eleventh century there were many
Norwegians, Icelanders and Danes who spent five or more years in the imperial
service, then made the pilgrimage before they returned, rich with their
savings, to their homes in the north. Stimulated by their tales their friends
would come south merely to make the pilgrimage. The apostle to Iceland,
Thorvald Kodransson Vidtforli, was in Jerusalem about the year 990. Several
Norse pilgrims claimed to have seen there Olaf Tryggvason, first Christian king
of Norway, after his mysterious disappearance in 1000. Olaf II intended to
follow his example, but his voyage never took place except in legend. These
Nordic princes were violent men, frequently guilty of murder and frequently in need
of an act of penance. The half-Danish Swein Godwinsson set out with a body of
Englishmen in 1051 to expiate a murder, but died of exposure in the Anatolian
mountains next autumn. He had gone barefoot because of his sins. Lagman
Gudrodsson, Norse king of Man, who had slain his brother, sought a similar
pardon from God. Most Scandinavian pilgrims liked to make a round tour, coming
by sea through the Straits of Gibraltar and returning overland through Russia.
Tenth-century pilgrims from the West had been obliged
to travel by sea across the Mediterranean to Constantinople or to Syria. But
fares were high and berths not easy to obtain. In 975 the rulers of Hungary
were converted to Christianity; and an overland route was opened, going down
the Danube and across the Balkans to Constantinople. Till 1019, when Byzantium
finally established control over the whole Balkan peninsula, this was a
dangerous road; but thenceforward a pilgrim could travel with very little risk
through Hungary to cross the Byzantine frontier at Belgrade and then proceed
through Sofia and Adrianople to the capital. Alternatively, he could now go to
Byzantine Italy and make the short sea-passage across from Bari to Dyrrhachium
and then follow the old Roman Via Egnatia through Thessalonica to the
Bosphorus. There were three good main roads that would take him across Asia
Minor to Antioch. Thence he went down to the coast at Lattakieh and crossed
into Fatimid territory near Tortosa. This was the only frontier that he had to
pass since his arrival at Belgrade or at Termoli in Italy; and he could proceed
without further hindrance to Jerusalem. Travel overland, though slow, was far
cheaper and easier than travel by sea, and far better suited to large
companies.
Travel across
the Frontier
So long as the pilgrims were orderly they could
count on hospitable treatment from the peasants of the Empire; and for the
earlier part of their journey the Cluniacs were now building hostels along the
route. There were several hospices in Italy, some restricted to the use of
Norsemen. There was a great hospice at Melk in Austria. At Constantinople the
Hospice of Samson was reserved for the use of western pilgrims; and the
Cluniacs kept up an establishment at Rodosto in the suburbs. At Jerusalem
itself pilgrims could stay at the Hospital of St John, founded by the merchants
of Amalfi. There was no objection to the great lords of the West bringing with
them an armed escort, so long as it was properly under control; and most
pilgrims tried to join some such company. But it was not uncommon, nor
particularly risky, for men to travel alone or in twos and threes. At times
there might be difficulties. During Hakim’s persecution it was uncomfortable to
stay long in Palestine, though the flow of pilgrims was never wholly interrupted.
In 1055 it was considered dangerous to cross the
were so many of them that a special Norse regiment was formed, the famed
Varangian Guard. The Varangians soon acquired the habit of spending a leave on
a journey to Jerusalem. The first of whom we have a record was a certain
Kolskeggr, who was in Palestine in 992. Harald Hardrada, most famous of the
Varangians, was there in 1034. During the eleventh century there were many
Norwegians, Icelanders and Danes who spent five or more years in the imperial
service, then made the pilgrimage before they returned, rich with their
savings, to their homes in the north. Stimulated by their tales their friends
would come south merely to make the pilgrimage. The apostle to Iceland,
Thorvald Kodransson Vidtforli, was in Jerusalem about the year 990. Several
Norse pilgrims claimed to have seen there Olaf Tryggvason, first Christian king
of Norway, after his mysterious disappearance in 1000. Olaf II intended to
follow his example, but his voyage never took place except in legend. These
Nordic princes were violent men, frequently guilty of murder and frequently in need
of an act of penance. The half-Danish Swein Godwinsson set out with a body of
Englishmen in 1051 to expiate a murder, but died of exposure in the Anatolian
mountains next autumn. He had gone barefoot because of his sins. Lagman
Gudrodsson, Norse king of Man, who had slain his brother, sought a similar
pardon from God. Most Scandinavian pilgrims liked to make a round tour, coming
by sea through the Straits of Gibraltar and returning overland through Russia.
Tenth-century pilgrims from the West had been obliged
to travel by sea across the Mediterranean to Constantinople or to Syria. But
fares were high and berths not easy to obtain. In 975 the rulers of Hungary
were converted to Christianity; and an overland route was opened, going down
the Danube and across the Balkans to Constantinople. Till 1019, when Byzantium
finally established control over the whole Balkan peninsula, this was a
dangerous road; but thenceforward a pilgrim could travel with very little risk
through Hungary to cross the Byzantine frontier at Belgrade and then proceed
through Sofia and Adrianople to the capital. Alternatively, he could now go to
Byzantine Italy and make the short sea-passage across from Bari to Dyrrhachium
and then follow the old Roman Via Egnatia through Thessalonica to the
Bosphorus. There were three good main roads that would take him across Asia
Minor to Antioch. Thence he went down to the coast at Lattakieh and crossed
into Fatimid territory near Tortosa. This was the only frontier that he had to
pass since his arrival at Belgrade or at Termoli in Italy; and he could proceed
without further hindrance to Jerusalem. Travel overland, though slow, was far
cheaper and easier than travel by sea, and far better suited to large
companies.
Travel across
the Frontier
So long as the pilgrims were orderly they could
count on hospitable treatment from the peasants of the Empire; and for the
earlier part of their journey the Cluniacs were now building hostels along the
route. There were several hospices in Italy, some restricted to the use of
Norsemen. There was a great hospice at Melk in Austria. At Constantinople the
Hospice of Samson was reserved for the use of western pilgrims; and the
Cluniacs kept up an establishment at Rodosto in the suburbs. At Jerusalem
itself pilgrims could stay at the Hospital of St John, founded by the merchants
of Amalfi. There was no objection to the great lords of the West bringing with
them an armed escort, so long as it was properly under control; and most
pilgrims tried to join some such company. But it was not uncommon, nor
particularly risky, for men to travel alone or in twos and threes. At times
there might be difficulties. During Hakim’s persecution it was uncomfortable to
stay long in Palestine, though the flow of pilgrims was never wholly interrupted.
In 1055 it was considered dangerous to cross the
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