noun
- Plural of housecarl; professional soldiers or retainers who served a medieval king or nobleman, typically maintaining a permanent household guard.
Usage: historical; archaic; primarily Anglo-Saxon and Viking contexts
Examples
- The king's housecarles formed the core of his military force.
- Housecarles were elite warriors who lived in the royal household.
- Harold Godwinson relied on his housecarles during the Norman invasion.
- These professional soldiers, known as housecarles, were better trained than feudal levies.
- The housecarles maintained order in the kingdom and defended the throne.