Re: social promotion

From: Christian Beijner <d88-cbr_at_...>
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 21:10:02 +0100 (MET)


>What I think you want is mercenaries. "Serve me and get paid, or die".
>I don't see this happening at the clan level (too poor to support
>non-family full time soldiers), but valid at the tribal level. Isn't
>that what ye old "huscarls" are?

Not really. The viking/anglo-saxon housecarls were the hird, or bodyguard if you want to use modern terminology. They equal pretty much the weaponthanes of Kodp. However there was also "gestir" (spelling?) or Guests that were fighting men attached to a lord w/o the long-term commitment or simply those considered to be of somewhat lower status than the regulars.

Chris

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