“ Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean,
fromum feohgiftum on fæder bearme,
þæt hine on ylde eft gewunigen
wilgesiþas, þonne wig cume,
leode gelæsten; lofdædum sceal
in mægþa gehwære man geþeon.”
-Beowulf, lines 20-25
This blog is not to be conflated with knightcore. Here, we celebrate a much earlier concept, known as the Thegn, the Huskarl, the Hearthguard or any other such word for an armed retainer in early medieval England and Scandinavia. Furnished in fine-linked mail and iron-wrought helms, these warriors were fiercely loyal and a lord seldom went where his retinue could not follow.
Images:
Still from The Northman (2022) by Robert Eggers
Art from the trailer of Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia (2018)
The Gilling Sword, housed at the Museum of York
Art from the video game Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia