Anglo-Saxon Thanes

From: Andrew Barton <AndrewBarton_at_compuserve.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:12:45 -0500

> While Gian is broadly correct that the anglo-saxons had a class of
warrior-nobility that roughly corresponds to the Orlanthi Weaponthane, they did not use the term to my knowledge. They called them simply thanes.

> As all thanes were expected to develop skill with the sword and
commanding
men, and to fight on behalf of their liege, the term weapon thane would have been a tautology - they had no other sort of thane.

Alfred the Great made a law that any merchant who made three voyages in his own ship gained the rank and obligations of a thane.

Andrew

---