New
New
Year 10
AQA

The Anglo-Saxon army

I can explain the importance of housecarls and the fyrd in an Anglo-Saxon army.

New
New
Year 10
AQA

The Anglo-Saxon army

I can explain the importance of housecarls and the fyrd in an Anglo-Saxon army.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Anglo-Saxons did not have a standing army.
  2. The elite Anglo-Saxon soldiers were known as housecarls.
  3. The fyrd made up the majority of an Anglo-Saxon army.
  4. Historians talk about a 'select fyrd' and a 'general fyrd'.
  5. The fyrd had advantages and disadvantages in the Battle of Hastings.

Common misconception

The fyrd had low military value because it was made up of untrained peasants.

The general fyrd had a lower military value in some contexts (though guarding a coastline might not have been one of them), but the select fyrd meant Anglo-Saxon fyrd armies could include trained and well-equipped men as well.

Keywords

  • Thegn - a thegn was a member of the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy: men who held at least five hides of land from the king or another lord

  • Fyrd - the Anglo-Saxon fyrd was a way of calling up men from the general population into an army for a set period of time

  • Housecarl - a housecarl was an elite unit of the Anglo-Saxon army: a well-trained and well-equipped soldier

  • Mercenary - a mercenary is a professional soldier who is hired to fight in an army for money

The Bayeux Tapestry is an outstanding source for Anglo-Saxon armies: encourage students to identify different types of soldiers from a study of Bayeux Tapestry scenes.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the claimant to their title.
Correct Answer:Harold Godwinson,King of England

King of England

Correct Answer:William,Duke of Normandy

Duke of Normandy

Correct Answer:Harald Hardrada,King of Norway

King of Norway

Q2.
Starting with the earliest, place these events into chronological order.
1 - Harold Godwinson visits Normandy
2 - Edward the Confessor dies
3 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England
4 - The Battle of Stamford Bridge
5 - The Battle of Hastings
Q3.
Godwinson fought alongside Harald Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
Correct Answer: Tostig, tostig
Q4.
Which of these battles was a victory for the Anglo-Saxons?
Gate Fulford
Correct answer: Stamford Bridge
Hastings
Q5.
When he invaded England, William of Normandy landed at ...
Correct Answer: Pevensey, pevensey
Q6.
Where in England was King Harold when he heard the news that William of Normandy had invaded?
Correct answer: Yorkshire
Wessex
East Anglia
Sussex

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to its definition.
Correct Answer:thegns,men who held at least five hides of land from the king or another lord

men who held at least five hides of land from the king or another lord

Correct Answer:fyrd,a way of calling up men from the general population into an army

a way of calling up men from the general population into an army

Correct Answer:housecarls,an elite unit of the Anglo-Saxon army

an elite unit of the Anglo-Saxon army

Q2.
Anglo-Saxon England did not have a army.
Correct Answer: standing, permanent
Q3.
Professional soldiers who fight for money are called ...
Correct Answer: mercenaries, Mercenaries
Q4.
Which of these best describes a thegn?
poorly equipped and rode their horses to battle, but did not fight on horseback
Correct answer: well equipped and rode their horses to battle, but did not fight on horseback
poorly equipped and had no horse on which to ride, or fight on in battle
well equipped and had no horse on which to ride, or fight on in battle
Q5.
For how long could the fyrd be called?
30 days
Correct answer: 60 days
90 days
120 days
Q6.
The standard formation for Anglo-Saxon armies was the wall.
Correct Answer: shield, Shield