A fyrd was a type of early Anglo-Saxon army that was mobilised from freemen or paid men to defend their Shire's lords estate, or from selected representatives to join a royal expedition. Service in the fyrd was usually of short duration and participants were expected to provide their own arms and provisions.

Fyrd, tribal militia-like arrangement existing in Anglo-Saxon England from approximately ad 605. Local in character, it imposed military service upon every able-bodied free male. It was probably the duty of the ealderman, or sheriff, to call out and lead the fyrd.

Current research shows that the Anglo-Saxon fyrd was a constantly developing organisation, and its nature changes as you go through the Anglo-Saxon period.

Nov 13, 2021 · Before the Normans brought over their own version of feudalism, the Anglo-Saxons had a different way of calling up an army in need of defense. At the top of the scale were the Housecarls, the closest thing to a paid, standing army (or …

Jan 5, 2022 · The Fyrd system ensured that enough men were able to sustain agricultural activities at home, while a large, trained army could still be raised at times of war or invasion. On the battlefield, the Fyrd were the most numerous class of Anglo-Saxon warriors.

By the second half of the tenth century, and throughout the eleventh, the Anglo-Saxon fyrd was more than just a king's host arrayed for war, it was a well equipped professional army of heavy infantry.

Aug 7, 2015 · We always read about calling up the Fyrd, but what was it composed of? Hollister attempts to explain this in detail and ultimately seems to coin his own phrase; he breaks down the fyrd into two categories: the great fyrd and the select fyrd.

The fyrd (actually spelt fyrð and pronounced fyrth) was the local militia from a Saxon shire in which all freemen had to serve when requested. Those who refused military service were subject to fines or loss of their land.

The fyrd were working men who were called up to fight for Anglo-Saxon kings in times of danger. The leaders of the fyrd, the thegns, had sword and spears but the rest of the men were inexperienced fighters and carried weapons such as iron clubs, slings, axes, scythes, sickles and haymaking forks.

Anglo-Saxon England had two key types of soldiers: the fyrd and housecarls. What was the Anglo-Saxon fyrd? The fyrd were the soldiers who went to fight in the king's army, if called upon. Each group of five hides had to provide one man for the fyrd, and the maximum term of …