What did Housecarls do?
Housecarls were well-trained, full-time Anglo-Saxon soldiers who were paid for their services. They wore a short mail-coat called a byrnie. The sleeves were left short to enable freedom of movement in battle. They wore a pointed helmet to help deflect blows from sword attacks. Is housecarl a real word? A housecarl (Old Norse: húskarl, Old…