Definition of "housecarls" [housecarls]

• Plural form of housecarl. (noun)

Wiktionary.org : Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

• "The housecarls were the only regular portion of the army The great bulk of the force, both land and sea, consisting of the levies or militia, whose term of service was very limited."
• "Good all-round warriors, like housecarls, don't need extensive special cavalry training, as they would if they were going to charge a shieldwall."
• "Canute maintained a good navy, and his standing army included the famous housecarls, who soon had an Anglo-Saxon contingent."