The Huscarl's and Thegn's were the paid warriors that were the core of the Saxon Military system,
the payments they received for their service could either be in gold or in land..
https://spearsofandred.com
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The Huscarls were the Kings guards and were highly trained, the name is a norse term húscarl meaning house man, but at this
time was used as a term for bodyguard.
Thegn's were mercenaries and were also well armed and well trained, the name comes from the saxon word þegn(a servant, one who does
service for another - the þ is pronounced th).
They rode to battle on horseback but dismounted to fight with their axe's, and when the battle came too close would revert
to shield and sword.
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In this photo to the right the Huscarl/Thegn is wearing an early chain mail tunic generally described as a corselet, but the later manufactured chain mail
was worn down to the knees to protect the upper leg The Huscarls/Thegns would have used either form depending on their wealth and personal preferences.
Their shields could either be the early rounded wooden shield, or the kite shaped one that the Normans designed for protecting their
horsemen's left side while their weapons were used in the right hand.
The long handled axes also known as Dane Axes were reported to have been capable of cutting off both men and horses heads, and of
cleaving helmets and chain mail, but were light enough to have been held one handed for close fighting.
These fighting axes weighed about 1.5Kg(3lb) and were about 1.8 metres(6 ft) long, so were extremely effective weapons if there was space
around a wielder.
An account from the battle of Stamford Bridge gives you some idea of its effectiveness in the right hands:-
Here a single Norwegian, whose name ought to have been preserved, took post on a bridge, and hewing down more than forty of the English with a battleaxe, his country's weapon, stayed the advance of the whole English army till the ninth horn
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https://spearsofandred.com
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The bayeux tapestry appears to show Huscarls/Thegns wielding their axes from the left to hit the unshielded sides of the Norman horsemen.
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http://battlelocalhistory.com
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Battle Museum of Local History has the only example of a contemporary battle axe head in the UK.
They also have a modern reproduction of the axe, together with video's showing its manufacture using smithing skills from the period,
and how it was used in warfare.
If you click on the picture a pop up window showing the museum web site will be opened.
The Museum is open to the public from April to the end of October from 10:00 until 16:30 Monday to Saturday
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