What was the fyrd?

What was the fyrd?

• A. The professional standing army
• B. The local militia of freemen that served in campaigns
• C. The king's bodyguard
• D. A tax unit

Answer: (B)

The fyrd is the local militia of freemen who were called up from the shires to serve in campaigns. In Anglo-Saxon England, armies weren’t a standing professional force; instead, the king could mobilize these local freemen to fight when needed, often for a defined period, while they returned home afterward. They provided manpower and fought alongside the aristocratic retainers but were not a permanent army or the king’s personal bodyguard, and the levy itself wasn’t a tax unit. This combination of local origin, limited service, and status as freemen is what defines the fyrd.

The fyrd is the local militia of freemen who were called up from the shires to serve in campaigns. In Anglo-Saxon England, armies weren’t a standing professional force; instead, the king could mobilize these local freemen to fight when needed, often for a defined period, while they returned home afterward. They provided manpower and fought alongside the aristocratic retainers but were not a permanent army or the king’s personal bodyguard, and the levy itself wasn’t a tax unit. This combination of local origin, limited service, and status as freemen is what defines the fyrd.