Norman Conquest Encyclopedia

In times of crisis in Anglo-Saxon society all fit men between the ages of fifteen and sixty were subject to the fyrd , the levy of the common people. This was the provision in the 7th century and became known to scholars as the General Fyrd. As society became more sophisticated a more selective system was devised under which fewer men were called to service but, as the number was related to the productivity of the land, ensured that those called could be supported and equipped properly. Modern scholars call this the Select Fyrd. The land measurement was the hide, supposedly the area required for the support of a peasant family. Thus the requirement for one man from every five hides meant, in theory, that four men remained to till the land and support the fifth as a soldier.

See also: Anglo-Saxon; carucate; hide; thegn

Related Reading:

• The Normans (Elite 9)
• Saxon Viking Norman (Men-at-Arms 85)
• Arthur and the Anglo-Saxon Wars
  (Men-at-Arms 154)
• Anglo Saxon Thegn (Warrior 5)
• Hastings 1066 (Revised Edition) - The Fall of Saxon England
  (Campaign 13 )