"It was difficult (was) to defeat England - there are a lot of people and an army called Tingamann. Those are people of such courage that each of them alone surpasses two of the best people of Harald", - this is what the famous Icelander Snorri Sturlson says about the heroes of our article in "The Saga of Harald the Severe".
The characterization is more than flattering, because in the army of Harald Hardrada (whom Saxon Grammaticus calls the "Thunder of the North", and modern historians - "the last Viking") there have never been any weaklings or cowards. Ferocious Norse berserkers and Harald's veterans, some of whom still remember the fighting campaigns in Byzantium, terrified the coasts of Europe.
The runic inscription reads: Harald Hardrada sets out to destroy Denmark again, 1060
As for England, not only the armies of Norwegian and Danish jarls and kings, but also relatively few Norman troops plundered this country for two centuries - with great pleasure and often with practically impunity. But now, previously invincible, the army of the "Last Viking" will see completely different opponents and a different England.
Speaking about the English warriors, in the battle with which the hero of his saga will find his death, Sturlson uses the more familiar Scandinavian word for him "tingamann". The root of this word is "tinga", meaning "to be hired for a service." Perhaps it was from him that the old English word "tegnung" - "service" came from. But these warriors were much better known as "huskarls" (huskarll, huskarle). In 1018-1066. this was the name of the warriors of the kings in England and Denmark, who made up the royal hird. From the word "hird" came their other name, which is periodically found in the chronicles of those years - "hiredmenn".
Huscarla Canud the Mighty
For the first time, housecarls in England appear in the army of the Danish king Knud the Mighty who conquered this country. It is not surprising that their name originates from the Danish language: "hus" - yard, and "karl" - peasant, peasant.
The word "karl" in those days was often used as a synonym for "servant" and carried a clear contemptuous connotation. In feudal Russia, the analogue of the Danish dismissive address to the servant "Karl" would probably be "Vanka". That is, the housecarls were originally courtyard people, dependent on their master. The word "bond" sounded much more worthy - a free landowner who, if necessary, took up arms and became either a Viking or a warrior in the army of his king or jarl. But in 1018 everything changed, "housecarls" were now called professional soldiers who formed the core of the armies of the kings of England. The Danish historians of the 12th century Saxon Grammaticus and Sven Ageson report that Knud the Mighty was the first of the kings to recruit people into a special corps of huscarls. And already in 1023 the monk Osbern reports about "countless housecarls" surrounded by King Knud.
Battle of Edmund Ironside (left) and Knud the Great (right)
It is believed that the first huscarls of Knud included the remnants of the army of the Baltic pirates - the Jomsvikings, whose base was previously at the mouth of the Oder. The Jomsvikings (among whom there were many Slavs from the Pomor tribes) previously acted as allies of the Danish king Svein Forkbeard in the war against Jarl Hakon, who ruled Norway. They were in his army during the conquest of England. It is believed that the last head of this pirate republic, the Swedish Jarl Sigwaldi, died during the Great Massacre of 1002, when, on the orders of the English king thelred, many Normans who were in this country were killed. In 1009, the Sigvaldi brothers - Heming and Torkel the High, together with the Viking Eilaf, at the head of a fleet of more than 40 ships, again came to England. After the death of Svein Forkbeard, the English king Ethelred again launched a counteroffensive, but the Danes and their allies managed to hold a number of coastal areas. In 1012, the brothers went into the service of the Anglo-Saxons. However, during another massacre staged by the insidious British in 1015 (the garrisons of two fortresses were destroyed), Heming died, and Torkel, with the nine ships he had left, went to Knud, and "was in high esteem with him." Torkel's example was followed by other leaders of individual Norman troops. All of them could become the first huscarls.
According to the Danish chronicler Sven Agesson, Knud allowed only the owners of a "double-edged sword with a gilt-edged hilt" among his huscarls. He also reports: there were so many people who wanted to become royal guards that "the sound of the blacksmith's hammer spread throughout the country" - the warriors who could afford it were in a hurry to acquire suitable weapons. In this case, Knud went against long-standing traditions, according to which the Scandinavian king, on the contrary, presented weapons to a new warrior, while sharing his luck with him. And the king's luck was a very valuable and necessary gift, because it was believed that it was "stronger than witchcraft." But, since the number of huscarls recruited by Knud was in the thousands, he, apparently, simply could not allocate such a number of swords from his weapons reserves.
Norman swords
Norman sword
The Huscarls are often called "mercenaries" or "paid warriors" by their contemporaries. It should be said right away that such a characteristic is not at all offensive, on the contrary, it is a recognition of their high qualifications. Reporting that the huscarls serve for money, the chroniclers say: "Tingamanns" are not peasants recruited into the army "from the plow", not shepherds or fishermen, but professional soldiers, moreover, of the highest class. Only the best of the best fell into the prestigious royal military service with guaranteed pay, regardless of whether the housecarl participated in the hostilities this year or spent time in feasts at the king's table (well, or at the table of the chief of the garrison in some fortress). the warriors are experienced and "reputable".
I must say that every king, prince or king had personal squads, consisting of professional warriors. In case of war, they were joined by detachments of vassals and militias recruited from the people. King Canute went further: having formed a corps of huscarls, he no longer created a squad, but a professional army consisting of "contract soldiers".
Among the first housecarls, the Danes and the Baltic Slavs-Vendians (who were among the Jomsvikings) prevailed, but the number of Norwegians and Swedes, and later the British, was also quite significant. Snorri Sturlson in "The Saga of Olav the Saint" claims that Knud was most generous to those who "came from afar."
Huscarls in royal service
Knud not only organized the corps of housecarls, but also drew up rules according to which the rights and obligations of its members were determined. The applicant could be hired for the service at any time, but he had the right to leave only after the 7th day of the New Year. On this day, the king, according to custom, had to pay the warriors a salary, as well as give weapons, expensive clothes or gold to the most worthy of them. The most honored warriors, whose services the king especially needed, could receive a land plot and the rights of a ten. Before the conquest of England by the Norman Duke William, 33 housecarls received land grants, but only one of them retained its possessions after 1066.
The conditions of service were as follows. Each housecarl received full allowance and, in addition, received also the agreed salary. But the huscarls provided themselves with weapons and armor. At the royal table during feasts, they sat down according to their military merit, service seniority or nobility. Conflicts and quarrels were to be resolved at a special court of the corps ("huscarlesteffne", or "hemot") in the presence of the king, who acted here only as the first among equals. The punishments for misconduct were as follows. The person guilty of a minor violation was given a place at the royal table below what he had previously occupied. After the third minor offense, the warrior got the last place, and everyone else was allowed to throw gnawed bones at him. Huscarl, who killed a comrade, was sentenced to death or exile with the title of "niting - a coward and the most despicable of mortals." The nobility and origin of the defendant did not matter. So, in 1049 Earl Svein Godwinson was declared a niting for the murder of his relative Earl Bjorn. Betrayal was punishable by death and confiscation of property. Saxon Grammaticus argues that the housecarls during the service retained a certain independence. Thus, they did not have to live permanently in the barracks, and some of them had their own house. The number of huscarls ranged from 3 thousand (information of Sven Agesson) to 6 thousand people (data of Saxon Grammar). But the same Saxon claims that this corps had 60 warships. Modern researchers traditionally believe that on average there were about 60 soldiers on an ordinary Scandinavian warship. Consequently, Saxon Grammaticus contradicts himself - at best, the number of Huscarl warriors could be 3600 people. However, Titmar of Merseburg claimed that the Danish fleet in 1026 had ships with a crew of 80 people. But it is unlikely that the entire Danish fleet consisted of such large ships, and it is unlikely that all the ships of the Huscarls were so large.
Ship from Gokstad (called the most beautiful Norman ship found), Viking Ship Museum, Oslo. Several replica ships have been built on the model of this ship. The maximum length is 23.3 m. The maximum width is 5.2 m. The maximum height is 2.1 m.
To pay the housecarls in England, a special tax (heregeld) was collected, which was previously called "Danish money" (danegeld) - because before Knud it was collected to pay tribute to the Vikings.
In the summer the huscarls guarded the borders, in the winter they formed the garrisons of the fortresses. The "best" of the housecarls, gathered in the king's personal retinue, were at the court.
Another task of the housecarls was the collection of taxes, which did not always go smoothly and calmly. So, in 1041, two huscarls were killed while collecting tribute in Worcester. The punishment for their death was the devastation of the entire county. Perhaps these warriors were the king's confidants and were part of the elite of the corps, but it may well be that this cruelty was indicative and demonstrative - so that the inhabitants of other cities would not disguise themselves to kill the royal people.
Large local lords, imitating the king, also started their own detachments of housecarls, the number of such detachments reached 250-300 people.
Leitmen: other mercenaries of the English kings
In addition to the housecarls, there were other mercenary warriors in England at that time. So, in historical documents "leitsmen" are repeatedly mentioned - in Old English this word means sailors, but leitsmen, like the Vikings, were universal warriors - they could fight both at sea and on land. In addition, it is known that, unlike the "international brigades" of the housecarl corps, these groups mainly consisted of people of the same nationality - usually English or Irish. It was the connections of the Litsmen (then Irish) that the unlucky King Edward the Confessor dissolved in 1049-1050. ("and they left the country with ships and all their property"), leaving the coast defenseless.
Huscarla by Harold Godwinson
The Huscarls formed the backbone of the English army in 1066, when Harold Godwinson, the king of Norway, Harald the Severe, and Duke of Normandy, William of Normandy, met in a mortal battle for the throne of this country.
King Harold II, National Portrait Gallery, London
Harald Hardrada - Stained Glass in Kerkuol Cathedral Orkney Islands
Wilgelm the conqueror
Wilhelm was the most fortunate this year: at the same time that a storm swept away his fleet, sinking some of the ships and forcing the survivors to take refuge in the harbor (this caused fermentation and murmur among superstitious soldiers), a tailwind filled the sails of Harald Hardrada's ships. It was his warriors who were the first to be hit by the swords and axes of Harold's huscarls, among whom, by the way, there were many mercenaries from the Scandinavian countries at that time.
The "Paid Warriors" (William of Malmesbury), the brave and mighty army of the "Tingamann" ("Circle of the Earth" by Snorri Sturlson, "Morkinskin") and the Norwegian army met on September 25, 1066 at Stamford Bridge. Harald died in battle, his army was defeated, only 24 ships out of 300 returned home.
Peter Nicholas Arbo, Battle of Stamford Bridge
But the Housecarls and other troops of Harold Godwinson suffered heavy losses. And fate seemed to mock them: just at that very time the wind changed and the Norman fleet moved to the English shores. Harold's army was far away, and there was no force in England to prevent William's army from landing at Pevensie Bay (Sussex). It happened on September 28 - just three days after the victory of the British troops over the Norwegians. The handicap was so great that the Normans managed not only to prepare for battle, but also to build three castles - from the logs they brought with them: one on the shore and two at Hastings. Harold's warriors, who did not have time to rest, were forced to immediately go south to meet the Norman army. The speed of movement of the Anglo-Saxon army is amazing: at first it covered 320 km from London to York in 5 days, and then in 48 hours - 90 km from London to Hastings.
If not for the losses in the first battle and fatigue from the transitions, the outcome of the battle between the British and the army of the Norman Duke William could have been completely different. But even in this situation, the huscarls proved to be real fighters.
Details about these events are described in the article “Year 1066. Battle of England.
We will not repeat ourselves. Let's just say that, according to the calculations of modern historians, at the Battle of Hastings (October 14, 1066), Harold had an army of 9 thousand soldiers. Huscarls were about 3 thousand, and they stood in the center of the British troops. The Battle of Hastings is also interesting in that it was in it that the first use of crossbows in medieval Europe was documented (they were used by the British). The crossbowmen did not play a big role in this battle - everything was decided by the indiscipline of the British militia (fird), who, contrary to the order, began to pursue the pretensely retreating Normans, and the blows of heavy knightly cavalry. The Huscarls fought to the death in this battle - even after the death of their king (who got an arrow in the eye).
Harold's stone installed at the site of his death
After the end of the battle, one of the detachments of the huscarls unexpectedly attacked William himself in the forest, who almost died in the course of this attack.
However, the new king of the British (nephew of the brave Harold) betrayed the country entrusted to him. Seeing the Normans near London, he went to William's camp and swore an oath of allegiance to him. After that, part of the huscarls left the country, there is information that they were in the service of the Byzantine emperors and took part in the war with the Normans of southern Italy and Sicily. But some of them fought the invaders in the detachments of Harold's sons for several more years. However, the forces were too unequal, the resistance of the Anglo-Saxons was suppressed in the most severe way. Considering themselves "cultured and civilized", the "Franks" are Normans, despised the "uncouth and wild" Englishmen who spoke the "barbaric northern language" (common to all Scandinavian countries). The resistance only strengthened the confidence of the new masters that one should talk to the "natives" with a sword in the right hand and a whip in the left. In world history, it is difficult to find a semblance of dictatorship and terror established by them in unfortunate England (against this background, the "Tatar-Mongol yoke" looks like a very mild variant of conquest). Everything English was despised, rejected and obstructed. The housecarl corporation was no exception. Since the Norman army was formed according to different principles, and the weapons were very different, the corps of the huscarls ceased to exist. However, against the backdrop of the disasters that befell all segments of the population of England after the Norman conquest, this was not the greatest loss for the long-suffering country.
