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So I'm plotting out a surviving Norman Sicily TL, and I wanted to have the Sicilian monarchs take inspiration from the Byzantine and form their own equivalent to the Varangian Guard. I have a few questions for anyone who thinks this could be plausible.

1) From where could the Sicilian Guard be feasibly recruited? Scandinavia tended to have a surplus population of soldiers that could be recruited to the prestigious and rich empire of the Greeks/Eastern Romans, but assuming Sicily has enough wealth to attract such a group, from where could it be?

2) the Varangian Guard tended to have its own mystique and prestige, how could this hypothetical equivalent build a similar identity?

3) Assuming the Norman Sicilian army stays the same as OTL, with a core Norman cavalry generally supported by Arab archers and light-to-heavy footsoldiers from anywhere under Sicilian control, what role could this hypothetical guard play in battle? A roving bodyguard unit, perhaps?

4) Could a successful Sicilian Guard inspire copy-cats?

5) Is there anything else I should consider when figuring this out?
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