What was the job of a housecarl?

A housecarl (Old Norse: húskarl; Old English: huscarl) was a non-servile manservant or household bodyguard in medieval Northern Europe. The Bayeux tapestry depicts an English housecarl (left), wielding a Dane axe with two hands.
Takedown request View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org

What did a Housecarl do?

housecarl, member of the personal or household troops or bodyguard of Scandinavian kings and chieftains in the Viking and medieval periods. The housecarls achieved a celebrated place in European history as the Danish occupation force in England under Canute the Great in 1015–35.
Takedown request View complete answer on britannica.com

Who did the housecarls fight for?

At the Battle of Hastings, the most fearsome Anglo-Saxon warriors were King Harold's 'housecarls' - his private army of highly trained professional fighters and bodyguards. These were among the finest soldiers in Europe.
Takedown request View complete answer on english-heritage.org.uk

What does a Huscarl do?

In Old Norse the term Huscarl is just a word meaning a household servant - house-karl - and could be applied to anyone who served a lord in his household.
Takedown request View complete answer on regia.org

What weapon did the housecarls use?

The favourite weapon of the housecarls of King Harold's army was the Dane axe. This set them apart from their Anglo-Saxon predecessors, who had generally preferred a spear and sword weapon set. Housecarls also made use of the teardrop shaped 'Norman' shield much more than the traditional round Anglo-Saxon shield.
Takedown request View complete answer on edoardoalbert.com

The Untold Truth About Housecarls: Revealing Their Purpose & Duties

Can housecarls be killed?

Housecarls can only die if you hit them when they are down. Once they take a knee, enemies will not attack them any longer. So, basically they die only if you kill them. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
Takedown request View complete answer on gamefaqs.gamespot.com

Why were housecarls better soldiers than Fyrd?

The fyrd were part-time soldiers who were called up to fight when needed. They had little training and were not well armed, often using farming tools for weapons. The housecarls were well-trained, professional soldiers. It is believed that William's army had more fighting experience overall.
Takedown request View complete answer on bbc.co.uk

Do housecarls get paid?

According to Saxo Grammaticus, the pay was monthly. Due to these wages, the housecarls are seen by some as a type of mercenary; the Knýtlinga saga calls them málamenn ("men receiving wages"), while Florence of Worcester uses the term solidarii ("salarymen") and William of Malmesbury that of stipendarii ("paid men").
Takedown request View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org

Who is the best housecarl?

1 Valdimar

In Morthal you can find Valdimar, the strongest housecarl. The Hearthfire DLC gives him the most varied equipment and skills, including light scaled armor, a steel mace, and access to magic. Because of this array, Valdimar is more of a battle mage than a warrior, using both weapons and magic interchangeably.
Takedown request View complete answer on thegamer.com

What is a housecarl in 1066?

Highly trained warriors, the Housecarls mostly fought on foot although it is more than possible that they were perfectly capable of fighting on horseback. Snorri Sturluson tells us in Heimskringla that Harold's mounted troops attacked the disorganized Norwegians in the early phase of the Stamfordbridge battle.
Takedown request View complete answer on historicalbritainblog.com

How many housecarls were there?

The king and the earls had around 2,500-3,000 housecarls who were professional, well-trained soldiers. The earls could also call on their peasants to fight for them if needed. There were hardly any castles so England wasn't very well defended.
Takedown request View complete answer on nottinghamfreeschool.co.uk

What was the difference between a Huscarl and a Norman Knight?

Housecarls were the personal bodyguard of someone rich. They were generally paid, though sometimes a Housecarl would be given their own land. In England they mostly fought on foot with large battle-axes. Norman knights generally had their own land, with feudal obligations to a superior.
Takedown request View complete answer on quora.com

How many housecarls did Harold have?

Harold initially had 3,000 housecarls under arms, but 1,000 were killed or severely wounded at Stamford Bridge, which left him just 2,000 of these elite troops to form the backbone of the fyrd that would face the Norman army at Hastings.
Takedown request View complete answer on warfarehistorynetwork.com

What happens if my housecarl dies?

Once your housecarl dies, they are dead. you have to become thane of another hold and buy a house in order to obtain another housecarl. but they will ONLY be a guard to the house in the hold you obtained them. Lydia is dead for good, thats why i give them heavy armor.
Takedown request View complete answer on answers.microsoft.com

Can you have 2 housecarls?

The housecarls will only stay in the house of the city they are from. Buttered Toast! Yeah, you can get multiple housecarls. One for each hold you become thane in.
Takedown request View complete answer on gamefaqs.gamespot.com

Where do housecarls go?

After being appointed, housecarls can be found in the player's House or homestead in the relevant Hold. If this property is not owned, the housecarl will wait in the Jarl's residence.
Takedown request View complete answer on elderscrolls.fandom.com

Can you revive your housecarl?

If your housecarl, or any other follower for that matter dies in earnest, then they are gone forever (discounting console voodoo).
Takedown request View complete answer on gaming.stackexchange.com

How did Lydia become a housecarl?

Lydia is a Nord housecarl obtained upon completion of the quest "Dragon Rising." She receives the title of Housecarl from Balgruuf the Greater in Dragonsreach, immediately after the Dragonborn is promoted to the title of Thane.
Takedown request View complete answer on elderscrolls.fandom.com

Do housecarls stay at your house?

Housecarls are bound to a location, you can't move them. However you can marry them and then move them to whatever house you want. Additionally the homes you build in the Heartfire DLC (and some creation Club items) can be appointed stewards that will reside in that house.
Takedown request View complete answer on gaming.stackexchange.com

What does housecarl mean in history?

[ hous-kahrl ] show ipa. noun. a member of the household troops or bodyguard of a Danish or early English king or noble.
Takedown request View complete answer on dictionary.com

How do I get rid of housecarls?

Kill them, disable them with the console, or tell them to wait at home so you can look for a good place to kill them. Then disable to corpse just for spite. Don't get hit and hit it until it dies, in that order.
Takedown request View complete answer on gamefaqs.gamespot.com

Can I turn my housecarl into a vampire?

It's possible for the Dragonborn to turn some NPC followers, including Lydia, into a vampire in Skyrim, but it has its upsides and downsides. If players want to turn one of their followers like the housecarl Lydia into a vampire in Skyrim, they should be aware of a few of the process' pros and cons.
Takedown request View complete answer on screenrant.com

Why was a fyrd disbanded after 40 days?

The fyrd was the army, made up of one man from every five hides. The select fyrd was made up of well-equipped thegns and their followers. Their service was fixed at a period of 40 days, because they couldn't leave their farms for too long. Shire reeves carried out the king's instructions in each shire.
Takedown request View complete answer on walton-ac.org.uk

Why was Harold's army so tired?

Pupil's own response, such as: King Harold's troops were not ready to fight because they were tired. They had just fought a battle against Harald Hardrada's army and then they marched 300km to meet William's army in the south. They needed time to rest and to prepare for the battle.
Takedown request View complete answer on gaytonj.derby.sch.uk

Can housecarls wear armor?

If you give them armor better than their default they will equip that. Otherwise you will need to remove all but 1 piece of default armor via pickpocketing (otherwise their whole set will respawn). This will only work while they are with you.
Takedown request View complete answer on gamefaqs.gamespot.com

Previous question
How do you trigger Lichdragon Fortissax?
Next question
Where is Captain Wolverstone body?