A Norse or Viking nobleman, warrior, or local ruler of intermediate rank, typically commanding a district or household troops.
From Old Norse 'hersir,' related to 'herr' meaning 'warrior' or 'army,' describing the intermediate nobility in Viking and medieval Scandinavian society.
Hersirs were the middle management of Viking society—not quite jarl (earl) but above common warriors, and many eventually became the foundation of medieval European nobility through settlement and intermarriage.
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