The Anglo-Saxon army
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the importance of housecarls and the fyrd in an Anglo-Saxon army.
Key learning points
- The Anglo-Saxons did not have a standing army.
- The elite Anglo-Saxon soldiers were known as housecarls.
- The fyrd made up the majority of an Anglo-Saxon army.
- Historians talk about a 'select fyrd' and a 'general fyrd'.
- The fyrd had advantages and disadvantages in the Battle of Hastings.
Keywords
Thegn - a thegn was a member of the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy: men who held at least five hides of land from the king or another lord
Fyrd - the Anglo-Saxon fyrd was a way of calling up men from the general population into an army for a set period of time
Housecarl - a housecarl was an elite unit of the Anglo-Saxon army: a well-trained and well-equipped soldier
Mercenary - a mercenary is a professional soldier who is hired to fight in an army for money
Common misconception
The fyrd had low military value because it was made up of untrained peasants.
The general fyrd had a lower military value in some contexts (though guarding a coastline might not have been one of them), but the select fyrd meant Anglo-Saxon fyrd armies could include trained and well-equipped men as well.
Teacher tip
The Bayeux Tapestry is an outstanding source for Anglo-Saxon armies: encourage students to identify different types of soldiers from a study of Bayeux Tapestry scenes.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the claimant to their title.
King of England
Duke of Normandy
King of Norway
Q2.Starting with the earliest, place these events into chronological order.
Q3. Godwinson fought alongside Harald Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
Q4.Which of these battles was a victory for the Anglo-Saxons?
Q5.When he invaded England, William of Normandy landed at ...
Q6.Where in England was King Harold when he heard the news that William of Normandy had invaded?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the word to its definition.
men who held at least five hides of land from the king or another lord
a way of calling up men from the general population into an army
an elite unit of the Anglo-Saxon army
Q2.Anglo-Saxon England did not have a army.
Q3.Professional soldiers who fight for money are called ...
Q4.Which of these best describes a thegn?
Q5.For how long could the fyrd be called?
Q6.The standard formation for Anglo-Saxon armies was the wall.
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The Anglo-Saxon army, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The Anglo-Saxon army, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Battle of Hastings unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.