On a more personal level, however, bands of loyal, oath bound men served their lords and fought in battle for and with them on demand and were called a Þegn. These groups went by several names across the tribes. These warriors lived to serve their lord by any means and did so with a full belly of mead and food (as part of their payment).
These elite warriors were hardened and tough, even ruthless, but they were extra concerned about the community’s respect and opinion for them. They worked hard to foster good sentiments from the populace while they served their lord. It was important that they made the bond of protector and the protected stronger instead of one based simply on necessary dependence.
The typical warrior who did not serve a lord as a retainer, only gathered into an army when the time was needed and dissolved away with the army after its bloodied time was done. They would then return home to their family and occupation. Typically, a warband would remain in the service of their lord for years at a time, only severing their bond when one of the two dies.
their own leader. If done right, the warriors would not suffer dire consequences from the other lords or king in the kingdom, having done a good or honorable deed. This could also backfire and give the warriors dishonor and a bad reputation throughout the kingdom, black marking them. There were many cruel warlords who abused their power and sent their warbands out to harass, make war and generally disrupt affairs in the realm. They would often lead men that had more honor than themselves, and this created a complication.
Having no restraint or self-control, the warband could lose its honor quickly during a raid or other action for their lord. These Níðingr (‘Shameful Ones’) were given a chance to surrender themselves to the lord or king by laying down their weapons and taking off their rings, but if they refused, they would be hunted by the more respectable Dróttir.
Vengeance, on the other hand, could be exacted with little worry from punishment by the laws. If the warrior could not take revenge on the individual personally, he could do so on their family by murder or rape or simply taking their possessions with no fear of retaliation by the kingdom. This was only possible being one of the elite warriors in the lord or king’s retinue and was not common. Lesser warriors from the peasantry and allied guest warriors could not do this and get away with it. The laws would still apply to them as with the other peoples in the realm.
It was dishonorable and deemed bad luck to take the weapon- ry and former possessions of slain warriors as they could be cursed and carry on the wrath of the former owner. The lack of fortune to keep the owner alive would be shared by the taker if they were foolish enough to take it. This didn’t prevent the warriors from defending themselves if needed just to survive if disarmed already.
The warrior would use insults and taunts toward the foe to break their concentration and focus, as well, during the heat of battle. They would mock the actions, appearance and other per- sonal details of their enemy with cleverly worded and funny insults. One of the worst insults to give a warrior was to claim he was womanish or feminine. This would raise his ire quicker than threatening his lord or his own family.
To be called womanish or to have another man take advantage of another in a homosexual manner gave the offended the right, by law, to kill the other. No trial or court was held to deem these offenses anything less than what they were, and the warrior could take his revenge on the spot if he wished.
If the warriors knew they would meet a certain foe and had time to prepare, they would sometimes make a Scorn-Pole, or
Níðstöng. An animal skull, cloth and other items would be
placed atop it and waved in view of them to distract them. It would be carefully made to mock and bother them by adding personal elements that only they would understand.
the nobles or king as well. To be a part of the Hird, or ‘family/ household’, of someone of this stature was an honor and not taken lightly.
This Ring Oath of a warrior into a warband, on the basic level, covered these oaths:
1 To take glory from their foes.
2 Avenge their lord if he is slain and fight to the death to do so if needed.
3 To enter battle before their lord does so. 4 To not flee one step from battle.
5 Never forget the wealth and goods given to them by their lord. The nature of these oaths varied from lord to lord, kingdom to tribe in Germania depending on the purpose of the formation of the warband. If a lord was building a warband to hunt giants or dragons, their conditions of the oath could greatly vary. More commonly in earlier times, warriors swore their oaths on a sword’s hilt (with rings fitted into the handle), but they since changed their ritual to do so on a ring and with a sword present in some degree.
Once an oath bound warrior joined a warband, he was now a part of it, and there was no going back until death or the leader chose to disband it. Honorably, it was his job now to be a crucial part of the whole and fight as the rest. To falter or fail to achieve this was a great shame (Niðr) and must be avoided, or it would haunt the warrior where ever he went. The rings of his oath into the warband would be donned in some manner (on sword, necklace, ear, etc.) and remind others of his place in the order of things for all to see. To follow the Drenskapr, the warrior would devote his life, lit- erally, to seeing that his oaths were fulfilled and lord appeased. No injury or wound would deny them continued servitude, if possible, in the warband. The Drengr was expected to show honor, good reasoning, fair play and the strength of what was right. Their presence was meant to be one of positivity and strength to those around them. Their servitude to their lord was reflected on them by their actions and words.
Wanton killing of innocents was not acceptable except among the more questionable Dróttir – in which case they would be dishonorably exiled from the kingdoms and be classified as
Níðingr. The warriors in these bands were the murderers and
bloodthirsty ‘Vikings’ that have outlived their living counterparts. The Draugr that haunted the seas and coasts were believed to be these accursed, dishonored groups in origin. There were times when the leader of a warband would become too out of control and difficult for even his own men to fol- low, and when that time came, they would have to come to some plan. Often, at the lowest level, the warriors would slay
As seen in the basic warrior’s code, the ðegn will fight long after his lord is dead to restore his honor and exact vengeance. Even if the battle itself is lost, they will continue to serve their master into the afterlife. The oath bound warriors will not flee or flinch from the battle, even if the odds are against them, once their leader has fallen.
Warriors have been known to remain fighting and serving lords even with terrible disfigurements and crippling wounds. They ignore and endure the wounds out of loyalty and honor and on a practical level because they would not find another occupation in society that would comfort or satisfy an invalid or cripple. They remain in the warband if able and allowed by their leader or lord until they die a warrior’s death.
The warriors will also not simply throw their lives away either. They will choose a smarter and more careful line of action if the odds are completely against them in a confrontation. Honor and bravery are fine but so is victory or surviving to achieve it. Facing an opponent with far superior numbers or means can enable the warriors to devise sneaky and clever means to succeed.