The Manglabites or Manglavites (Greek: μαγ[γ]λαβίται, manglabitai; sing.
Their name derives from the term manglabion (μαγγλάβιον, "cudgel") which was also used to designate the entire corps.
The origin of the term itself is debated: one theory regards it as deriving from Arabic mijlab ("whip"), while another from Latin manus ("hand") and clava ("cudgel").
However, their commander, known as prōtomanglabitēs (πρωτομαγγλαβίτης, "first manglabitēs") or epi tou manglabiou (ἐπί τοῦ μαγγλαβίου, "in charge of the manglabion"), ranked high in the imperial hierarchy due to his proximity to the emperor.
[1] The perhaps most famous manglabitēs was the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada, who received the title in recognition of his services in the Varangian Guard in the 1030s.