Definition:
In Anglo-Saxon England, the fyrd was a militia, an army that consisted of free, able-bodied men that would only be gathered when battle was expected. It was the duty of the ealdorman to raise a fyrd within his shire when the king needed it. Men who shirked their duties as part of the fyrd were subject to a fine, which varied according to the man's individual standing and wealth.
When they weren't fighting or preparing to fight, members of the fyrd lived ordinary lives, working on their farms or at a skill to support their families.
Eventually, use of the fyrd diminished and was replaced by calling upon thegns and their retainers, but even after the Norman Conquest they were occasionally used for defensive purposes.
Also Known As: here
Examples:
When William the Conqueror prepared to invade England, he waited so long for the weather conditions to be optimum for crossing the English Channel that King Harold had to disband the fyrd and let the men return to their farms.
In Anglo-Saxon England, the fyrd was a militia, an army that consisted of free, able-bodied men that would only be gathered when battle was expected. It was the duty of the ealdorman to raise a fyrd within his shire when the king needed it. Men who shirked their duties as part of the fyrd were subject to a fine, which varied according to the man's individual standing and wealth.
When they weren't fighting or preparing to fight, members of the fyrd lived ordinary lives, working on their farms or at a skill to support their families.
Eventually, use of the fyrd diminished and was replaced by calling upon thegns and their retainers, but even after the Norman Conquest they were occasionally used for defensive purposes.
Also Known As: here
Examples:
When William the Conqueror prepared to invade England, he waited so long for the weather conditions to be optimum for crossing the English Channel that King Harold had to disband the fyrd and let the men return to their farms.
