The lower group worked on land held by a lord and made their money by selling or exchanging crops or by pursuing a craft such as blacksmithing. Some freemen were expected to attend local courts to solve disputes. Churls are the equivalent of a Norse karl. The upper group of commoners who held land freely and did not pay rent to a lord. With good service they received lands from the king and could rise to become earls. They formed the backbone of the Anglo-Saxon army. Thegns were retainers, and the equivalent to a Norse housecarl. They were commonly addressed as “Lord.”īelow an earl was a thegn (Old English: þegn). Ealdormen would lead in battle, preside over courts, and levy taxation. The position was not originally hereditary, but it became usual in the 10 th century to choose earls from a few outstanding families. An earl was the king's "right-hand man" in a shire. This title was especially used for the heir apparent or a prince of the royal family.īelow the king were the earls, the ruling nobility. The prince or nobleman who claimed a common ancestry with the king. The sovereign, or king, who was the head of the royal house and ruled over a kingdom. While around 85% of Old English words are no longer in use, those that survived are the basic elements of Modern English vocabulary.Īnglo-Saxon social structure was strictly class based, and it was almost impossible to change one's class. West Saxon formed the basis for the literary standard, while Middle and Modern English would develop mainly from the Mercian dialect. It has four main dialects, which are associated with specific Anglo-Saxon kingdoms: Mercian, Northumbrian, Kentish, and West Saxon. It developed from a set of dialects originally spoken by the Germanic tribes known as the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. The Anglo-Saxons spoke Old English, which is the earliest recorded form of the English language. The average Anglo-Saxon male was around 5'8" and the average Anglo-Saxon female was around 5'3." However, lifestyle and diet and other factors could great affect the height and body type of the Anglo-Saxons.
They often had light or medium-colored eyes.
Anglo-Saxons often had pale skin and straight to curly hair that could be blond, red, or brown.
0 kommentar(er)
