Some of the surviving members of Saxon noble houses who didn't stay at home to die in the guerilla war being fought against Duke William's men, did flee to the city of Constantinople to sign-up for the Varangian Guard.

Saxons, whilst having a different culture to the Vikings in many respect, did continue on some traditions from their Germanic roots, such as Saxon paganism, or a hierarchical society that incorporated housecarls. Some of these societal elements were reinforced during the Danelaw period. Whilst others faded in time, as most Saxons had converted to Christianity - converting their old spirits and local deities into abstract saints (some of which can be seen as engravings in old chapels across England and Wales) - the use of Scandinavian infantry tactics remained strong. The Danish Axe was a popular weapon seen on the field at Hastings.

It was therefore a suitable destination for the Saxons to flee to, by way of the river trading networks the Vikings had navigated across Kievan Rus, from the Baltic to the Black seas. These men would have been given positions in the Guard, perhaps even that of rudimentary officers due to their birth and training. When they retired, some guardsmen would have taken their serevence pay and with that currency, bought land to live out their days with what remained of their families, or new ones they may have made when stationed in Constantinople.

*: Perhaps as some additional information: the Scandinavians were not always at war with the inhabitants of Britain. Whilst there certainly were aggressors, trade flourished also, and treasures from Byzantium, North Africa and even India have made their way back along trade routes to as far North as Dublin or Visby in Sweden. The Sutton Hoo burial ship contained within it a hoard of silverware with ERE decorations, or hilts adorned with gemstones that were imports from the Indian subcontinent.