Hodegon Branch

of the New Varangian Guard

Welcome to the web site of Hodegon re-enactment group, based at Belgrave Heights in Victoria, Australia.

Hodegon is a branch of the New Varangian Guard (Inc.), an Australian and International re-enactment society which re-creates the period during which Viking mercenaries formed the Varangian Guard - the elite bodyguards of the Byzantine Emperors.

As seen in the picture below from Skylitzes manuscript

We have named ourselves after the monastery of Hodegon on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait in the great city of Constantinople.

In 1204 AD Emperor Alexios III took ship from his palace of Blachernae (Vlachernai) at the north end of the City's land walls, down the mighty Golden Horn harbour to the Hodegon monastery complex to pick up Varangian troops to help him put down an insurrection.

From this it has been surmised that the monastery housed the main force of Varangians in the City.

Hodegon monastery takes its name from the sacred ikon held within its shrine, showing the Virgin and Child, with the Virgin's hand indicating to the infant Jesus as the means of mankind's salvation.

In Greek this ikon is known as the Hodegetriea, or the Theotokos ton Hodegon (the Mother of God of the Indication). The ikon was thought to be a portrait painted from the life by Saint Luke, and was credited with many miracles, including saving Constantinople from attack on numerous occasions.

Branches of the New Varangian Guard re-enact various races and groups from the region and period during which the Varangian Guard existed. Some re-create Scandinavian Vikings, Turks, and Crusaders.

The members of Hodegon are aiming at reproducing as accurately as possible an actual unit of the Emperor's Varangian bodyguards, with all their equipment and activities.

Even though our Branch was only started in July 1998, we have already made considerable progress towards this goal.

It can only get better!

  New Varangian Guard Inc The National Home page

  New Varangian Guard Inc. (Australia) Contact Details

  New Varangian Guard Calendar of Events

If you would like to see photos of us in action or to know more about the History of Hodegon monastery or you just want to know which sites we like, please visit our other pages:

Hodegon Gallery Page

Hodegon Site Map