The militia or army of Anglo-Saxon England, consisting of free landowners who were obligated to serve in military campaigns when called upon.
From Old English 'fyrd,' related to Old Saxon and Old Norse 'fird' and Proto-Germanic '*ferdi,' meaning an expedition, army, or military journey, literally 'that which goes forth.'
The fyrd was essentially medieval England's reserve military force—ordinary farmers and landowners who would drop their tools and fight for their king or region, and their effectiveness at Stamford Bridge and Hastings shows how seriously they took this obligation!
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