What did the Housecarls do in the battle of Hastings?

(3) The English housecarls provided a shield wall at the front of Harold’s army. They carried large battle-axes and were considered to be the toughest fighters in Europe.

Who made up the Saxon army?

The Saxons were organized into warbands led by a chief. The warriors comprising the warband were professional soldiers, though perhaps without the discipline of the Romans. There were three classes of warrior: The Gedriht were the personal followers of the chief and were sworn to die with him.

What were Saxon warriors called?

In the crowning years of Anglo-Saxon rule in England, the military scope brought forth a new institution of warriors – and they were known as the huscarles or huscarls (Old Norse: húskarlar).

Who were the Anglo-Saxon soldiers?

The Anglo-Saxons did not have a permanent army. However, if fights broke out, rulers could call on a group of men called the fyrd to fight. A fyrd contained just a few hundred soldiers.

What did Housecarls do?

Housecarls were well-trained, full-time Anglo-Saxon soldiers who were paid for their services. They wore a short mail-coat called a byrnie. The sleeves were left short to enable freedom of movement in battle. They wore a pointed helmet to help deflect blows from sword attacks.

What was a Saxon housecarl?

A housecarl (Old Norse: húskarl, Old English: huscarl) was a non-servile manservant or household bodyguard in medieval Northern Europe. The institution originated amongst the Norsemen of Scandinavia, and was brought to Anglo-Saxon England by the Danish conquest in the 11th century.

What was the Saxon army made up of?

housecarls
The core of the army was made up of housecarls, full-time professional soldiers. Their armour consisted of a conical helmet, a mail hauberk, and a shield, which might be either kite-shaped or round. Most housecarls fought with the two-handed Danish battleaxe, but they could also carry a sword.

Who was the greatest Saxon warrior?

Edmund Ironside: Anglo-Saxon warrior king. One thousand years after he became king, Sarah Foot recounts the life of King Edmund II, a bold leader who took the fight to the Vikings in one of the most blood-soaked periods in English history…

What is an Anglo-Saxon army called?

fyrd, tribal militia-like arrangement existing in Anglo-Saxon England from approximately ad 605. Local in character, it imposed military service upon every able-bodied free male. It was probably the duty of the ealderman, or sheriff, to call out and lead the fyrd.

What is a Saxon housecarl?

What does the word Housecarls mean?

bodyguard
Definition of housecarl : a member of the bodyguard of a Danish or early English king or noble.