| Knight of the First Order Sir Halfdan Haraldsson |
Halfdan Haraldsson, is the 5th and
last generation in a long family line of
men to search for their fortune in the
grand court of the Byzantine Emperors
in Constantinople as members of the
Varangian Guard. I was born in year
of our Lord 1162, in the seaport village
of Lindos on the island of Rhodes. At
the time my father Harald Sigurdsson
was a Varangian Guardsmen sworn to
the service of the Byzantine Emperor
Manuel I. My mother Anna
Thessalonica was the 16 year old
daughter of a wealthy merchant on the
island. After his tour of duty my father
went back to his home in Hedeby
Denmark. My father was pretty much
unknown to me until when at the age of
10 my mother was forced to send me
to live with him. At the age of 10 I was
rather big for my age and apparently a
bit of a bully. So off to my fathers I
went. Where I discovered that I was no
longer the biggest kid around and was
constantly pummeled black and blue.
Over the next 7 years I continued to
grow and ravenously studied the arts
of war. First, for my own protection.
But later to prepare myself for the
chosen profession of a warrior.
Naturally my first teacher was my
father and after I'd learned everything
he could teach me I studied with every
other warrior I could find in Hedeby. At
the age of 18 I traveled to
Constantinople to join the Varangian
Guard of Emperor Alexius II. I was part
of the army that drove the Normans
out of Greece in 1185. Then I was off
to fight the Bulgars. In 1190 I left the
Varangian Guard and went to Rhodes
to visit my mother. It was while visiting
my mother that Richard the Lionheart
came to Rhodes to recruit mercenaries
for the 3rd Crusade. I eagerly signed
on. In 1191 at the battle of Arsouf I
was wounded by an arrow. Luckily for
me the Hospitallers were part of this
campaign and were able to remove the
arrow and treat the wound. It was at
this time that I was befriended by many
of their Order. Over the following
months I witnessed their great charity
and caring for their fellow Crusaders.
In the year of our Lord 1192 they
granted my request to join their ranks.
After many years in Outremer the
Order relocated me to the Kingdom of
Caid.
Sir Halfdan was the second Knight of
the First Order and has served within
the Shield wall and as a spearmen. He
has fought light again with the
marriage of Nonne. With a lovely
consort such as her he has once again
taken up sword and shield and began
fighting in the tournaments of Caid, as
well as teaching his squires.
last generation in a long family line of
men to search for their fortune in the
grand court of the Byzantine Emperors
in Constantinople as members of the
Varangian Guard. I was born in year
of our Lord 1162, in the seaport village
of Lindos on the island of Rhodes. At
the time my father Harald Sigurdsson
was a Varangian Guardsmen sworn to
the service of the Byzantine Emperor
Manuel I. My mother Anna
Thessalonica was the 16 year old
daughter of a wealthy merchant on the
island. After his tour of duty my father
went back to his home in Hedeby
Denmark. My father was pretty much
unknown to me until when at the age of
10 my mother was forced to send me
to live with him. At the age of 10 I was
rather big for my age and apparently a
bit of a bully. So off to my fathers I
went. Where I discovered that I was no
longer the biggest kid around and was
constantly pummeled black and blue.
Over the next 7 years I continued to
grow and ravenously studied the arts
of war. First, for my own protection.
But later to prepare myself for the
chosen profession of a warrior.
Naturally my first teacher was my
father and after I'd learned everything
he could teach me I studied with every
other warrior I could find in Hedeby. At
the age of 18 I traveled to
Constantinople to join the Varangian
Guard of Emperor Alexius II. I was part
of the army that drove the Normans
out of Greece in 1185. Then I was off
to fight the Bulgars. In 1190 I left the
Varangian Guard and went to Rhodes
to visit my mother. It was while visiting
my mother that Richard the Lionheart
came to Rhodes to recruit mercenaries
for the 3rd Crusade. I eagerly signed
on. In 1191 at the battle of Arsouf I
was wounded by an arrow. Luckily for
me the Hospitallers were part of this
campaign and were able to remove the
arrow and treat the wound. It was at
this time that I was befriended by many
of their Order. Over the following
months I witnessed their great charity
and caring for their fellow Crusaders.
In the year of our Lord 1192 they
granted my request to join their ranks.
After many years in Outremer the
Order relocated me to the Kingdom of
Caid.
Sir Halfdan was the second Knight of
the First Order and has served within
the Shield wall and as a spearmen. He
has fought light again with the
marriage of Nonne. With a lovely
consort such as her he has once again
taken up sword and shield and began
fighting in the tournaments of Caid, as
well as teaching his squires.
