Hersir
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A Hersir was a local
Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
commander of a ''hundred'' (a county subdivision) of about 100 men and owed allegiance to a
jarl Jarl is a rank of the nobility in Scandinavia. In Old Norse, it meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. ''Jarl'' could also mean a sovereign prince. For example, the rulers of several of the petty k ...
or king. They were also aspiring landowners, and, like the
middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Commo ...
in many
feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a wa ...
societies, supported the
king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
s in their
centralization Centralisation or centralization (see spelling differences) is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning and decision-making, framing strategy and policies become concentrated within a particu ...
of power. Originally, the term Hersir referred to a wealthy farmer who owned land and had the status of a leader. Throughout the
Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...
, Hersir was eventually redefined as someone who organized and led raids. In the 10th century, the influence of Hersirs began to decrease due to the development of effective national
monarchies A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy), ...
in
Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
. Hersir was again redefined later on to mean a local leader or representative. The independence of the Hersir as a military leader eventually vanished, to be replaced only by the title of a royal representative. The "
Hávamál ''Hávamál'' ( ; Old Norse: ,Unnormalised spelling in the :Title: Final stanza: ../ref> classical pron. , Modern Icelandic pron. , ‘Words of he High One) is presented as a single poem in the Icelandic , a collection of Old Norse poems fr ...
", which was the mythical advice of the supreme creator
Odin Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...
to humankind, contains a number of verses emphasizing the virtue of cautious consideration and strategical attack. This theme, in its oral form, was one of the major influences on the mind of the Viking Hersir.


Equipment

The main weapon of the Hersirs was the
Viking sword The Viking Age sword (also Viking sword) or Carolingian sword is the type of sword prevalent in Western and Northern Europe during the Early Middle Ages. The Viking Age or Carolingian-era sword developed in the 8th century from the Merovingian ...
. This sword is clearly distinguished by its “Type H” hilt. It was the most prominent type of hilt during the Viking Age. The material of the hilt ranged, depending on the wealth of the owner, from polished steel and with decorative wire inlays of silver, copper, and/or tin. The pommel and upper guard of the sword are formed in two separate parts, then bolted together with a twisted sterling silver wire between the pommel and upper guard. The blade is classified as a Geibig Type 3, which is defined by a moderate taper in width and a fuller taper in width towards the point. The type can be dated to the period between second half of the 8th century to the second half of the 10th century. The sword is designed to symbolize power and authority, as well as cool level-headedness. For long-distance travel, men would often be on horseback. For overseas journeys, Viking longboats were capable of transporting thirty people to their destination, which would even include the reaches of inner Russia. Hersirs were always equipped with a shield, which was normally wooden and that accompanied the sword.


Dress

Armour was often used as means of displaying wealth as much as functional battle purposes. The hersir was often equipped with a rounded or conical
helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...
and a short mail coat. The type of helmet, sword, and ringmail
corselet In women's clothing, a corselet or corselette is a type of foundation garment, sharing elements of both bras and girdles. It extends from straps over the shoulders down the torso, and stops around the top of the legs. It may incorporate lace in ...
worn by the Viking, demonstrated the wealth of the warrior. Armour finds from this period are rare. Perhaps the most famous example is the mail coat and helmet found at Gjermundbu. Hersirs are typically thought to be very well groomed. Shoes and boots were typically made from cattle, seals, or reindeer. Hersirs usually wore more elegant boots than that of the ordinary military personnel. There are two main types of Viking shoe. The first and most common is by thonging around the top of the shoe. This can be seen in the Jorvik II ankle boot. The Jorvik I type is closed by a flap crossing over and closing with a button. The Hedeby shoe is an early type of turn shoe. This is the least common type found, but could be less costly, but less protective. Any of these types of shoes may have been worn by the Hersir. Baggy
trousers Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending across both legs as in robes, skirts, and dr ...
made out of linen or woven wool that were either mid-calf or just below the knee were the typically worn. Tight fitting trousers became the popular style during the late 10th century.
Tunics A tunic is a garment for the body, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the knees. The name derives from the Latin ''tunica'', the basic garment worn by both men and women in Ancient Rome ...
were usually knee length and gathered at the waist with a belt. The sleeves of the tunic were to the wrist or longer. From the elbow to the shoulder, the sleeve was tight fitting. The overtunic would be constructed along the same pattern as the undertunic and made of wool. A richer Hersir would have had a tunic dyed in a bright color with tablet woven strips around the neck and cuffs. There is some evidence the undertunic would be longer than the overtunic, showing a contrasting color at the sleeves and hem.


Military tactics

Vikings were very skilled sailors. Sailing instructions passed down from generation to generation paired with the advancements in technology allowed for the Vikings to dominate the waters. A common military tactic first used in 866, was the transfer from boat to land by the use of captured horses. Despite the fact that Vikings often used horses, they were not cavalry men primarily due to the low number of horses in Scandinavia. Horses were often used for overland routes but the Vikings always fought on foot. Ordinarily, they would align themselves in a
shield wall A shield wall ( or in Old English, in Old Norse) is a military formation that was common in ancient and medieval warfare. There were many slight variations of this formation, but the common factor was soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder ...
formation with the Hersir at the front and archers and slingers in the back. In the shield wall, the Vikings would stand close together in order to overlap their shields, thus creating a wall out of shields. Another formation that was also used, called the ''
Svinfylking The Svinfylking, Old Norse for 'Swine Array' or 'Boar Snout', was a formation used in battle, related to the wedge formation, which was used in Iron Age Scandinavia and later by the Vikings. It was also used by Germanic peoples during the Germanic ...
'', was a variation to the shield wall but with several wedge-like formations pointing towards the enemy, creating a zig-zag pattern.


Religious views

Hersirs' religious beliefs are somewhat unclear although they seemed to lie somewhere between
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
and
Paganism Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christianity, early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions ot ...
. Sometimes, Hersirs would be
baptised Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
, although it was most often not done for religious purposes. In many cases, Hersirs would be baptised in order to improve trade with the Christians or in obedience to a new king.


Hersirs in history

Hersir was the name of a man in ''
Rígsþula ''Rígsþula'' or ''Rígsmál'' (Old Norse: 'The Lay of Ríg') is an Eddic poem, preserved in the manuscript (AM 242 fol, the Codex Wormianus), in which a Norse god named Ríg or Rígr, described as "old and wise, mighty and strong,", fathers t ...
'' whose daughter Erna married
Jarl Jarl is a rank of the nobility in Scandinavia. In Old Norse, it meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. ''Jarl'' could also mean a sovereign prince. For example, the rulers of several of the petty k ...
, the first
earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
. A
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
hersir, Jarlabanke Ingefastsson, has become notable for the about 20
Jarlabanke Runestones The Jarlabanke Runestones ( sv, Jarlabankestenarna) is the name of about 20 runestones written in Old Norse with the Younger Futhark rune script in the 11th century, in Uppland, Sweden. They were ordered by what appears to have been a chiefta ...
that he raised together with his relatives.
Ketill Flatnose Ketill Björnsson, nicknamed Flatnose (Old Norse: ''Flatnefr''), was a Norsemen, Norse Rulers of the Kingdom of the Isles, King of the Isles of the 9th century. Primary sources The story of Ketill and his daughter Auðr (or Aud) was probably fir ...
was a
Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...
hersir of the 9th century. Aud the Deep-minded Ketilsdóttir (Auður Djúpúðga Ketilsdóttir)
Aud the Deep-Minded (Ketilsd%C3%B3ttir) Aud the Deep-Minded or Auðr the Deep-Minded may refer to: * Auðr the Deep-Minded (Ívarsdóttir), 7th/8th century Norse princess * Aud the Deep-Minded (Ketilsdóttir), 9th century settler in Iceland See also

*Aud (disambiguation)#People (for ...
was the daughter of Ketill "Flatnose" Bjornsson. In the Sagas of Icelanders there is mention of several hersirs, such as a powerful hersir in
Sognefjord The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden (, en, Sogn Fjord), nicknamed the King of the Fjords ( no, Fjordenes konge), is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches inland from the ocean to the smal ...
called Bjorn"Buna"Grimsson, who lived at Aurland and the father of Ketill "Flatnose" Bjornsson. As related in Egil's Saga, he was a traveler, adventurer, and Viking raider. Thorgerdur Eylaugsdottir (Þorgerður Eylaugsdóttir) was a female Hersir of Sogn. In Landnáma Björns lineage is traced to his foremothers rather than his forefathers. Only his father Grímur is mentioned in Bjorns lineage that continues to grandmother Hervör and great-grandmother Thorgerdur Eylaugsdóttir hersir. This is rare in the stories of the Icelanders indicating the importance if Thorgerdur.
Landnámabók, Sturlubók, 10. kafli"


References

{{Norse mythology Characters in Norse mythology Viking warriors Noble titles Medieval occupations Legendary progenitors Middle class culture