Hird

For the Australian rules footballer, see James Hird.Hird (from old norse "hirð", again from either old english hir[e]d/heard/hird/hurd or old german heirat, both of which means "body of men"). While the term is often used in norse sagas and law codes, it is a medieval term - the sagas were primarily written down in the 12th century and uses the language of their own time. There is some uncertainty as to what the term replaced, although the term ting-hlid is used in danish sources for the warrior following of Canute the Great

The hird, which had been previously a rather simple institution, an informal retinue of personal, armed companionsFor this Germanic tradition the German generic term Gefolgschaft 'body of followers' is also used in modern literature; it was even adopted by powerful Romans in the late empire, by such Latin names as bucellarii or the more common comitatus., hirdmen or housecarls, became not only the nucleus ('Guards') of the royal army, but also developed into a more formal royal court household.

By the reign of Håkon IV (1204 – 1263) the Norwegian hird was no longer exclusively focussed on the military function and had aquired several subdivisions on continental patterns, with squires (kertilsveinr, literally "candle-men" - they were ceremonially required to hold candles at hird ceremonies), men-at-arms (hirdmenn) and knights (skutilsveinr, literally "table-men"); in additions there were low-born gestir, who received only half pay and served as a sort of intelligence service, and were not allowed to sit at the king's table for supper, apart from Christmas day and Easter day, when the entire hird was assembled and sections of their law code, the hirdskraa was read or recited. The upper levels of the hird were a recruitement ground for numerous royal officials, and most officials were also incorporated into the hird.

During the reign of Håkon V (1299 – 1319) the Norse titles were dropped entirely in favor of continental titles. Emphasis was put on the Norwegian king's hird as a community of equals, a chivelresque corporation of warriors in which, technically, the king was the first among equals.

References and notes

*Helle, Knut: Konge og gode menn i norsk riksstyring ca. 1150-1319, Bergen 1972. Untranslated.
*Helle, Knut: Norge blir en stat : 1130-1319 , Bergen 1974. Untranslated.


*Pauly-Wissowa