Iain Campbell
Winter of Discontent
NORMAN AND ANGLO-SAXON GLOSSARY
Ballista- a siege or field weapon of Roman design, shooting a bolt similar to a small spear.
Barrels- Firkin (ale), 9 gallons. Kilderkin, 18 gallons. Barrel, 36 gallons. Hogshead, 52 gallons. Tun, 256 gallons.
Bot- compensation payable under the West Saxon legal system
Byrnie- a sleeveless waist-length vest of armour, usually chain-mail.
Chain-mail- a series of round links joined together, each riveted to four others, which when made into sections were sewn onto a leather undergarment. This provided good protection against cuts and reasonable protection against thrusts or arrows. A hauberk and coif weighed about 40 pounds.
Charger- a large and strong horse used in battle.
Church Services-
Coif- a piece of chain-mail that covered the neck and head, leaving the face clear.
Cog- a smallish single-masted merchant vessel- the standard marine transport of the Middle Ages.
Curia Regis- the Council advising the Norman kings, successor to the Witenagemot.
Destrier- large French-bred trained warhorse.
Ealdor- English word for chief.
Fyrd- English militia comprised of freemen who were not professional fighters.
Gambeson- quilted padded jacket worn under armour, to absorb the force of a blow. Frequently used without over-armour by archers.
Gebur- Generic term for English freeman/freewoman.
Hackney- a medium sized multi-purpose horse, usually a cheaper horse of lesser quality.
Hauberk- a sleeved or partially-sleeved chain-mail garment of mid-thigh to knee length.
Heriot- a fee payable to secure the right of succession to land under English law. Similar charge under Norman law was a
Hide- an area of measurement of land (similar sized parcels were called carucates in some shires) comprised of 4 virgates. A hide theoretically comprised 120 acres although this was somewhat variable. 100 hides made up the shire division of 100, although again this was not immutable.
Huscarle- professional English warrior.
Landbok/Landboc- the book of ownership that proved ownership of the land.
Laen- a form of land ownership by long-term lease on varying conditions. Usually for life, or ‘for three lives’ (that of the recipient, his widow and heir).
Longbow- a bow of Welsh derivation made of yew wood in a way that made it a naturally composite bow, providing greater power. Depending on the size of the archer, the longbow was usually 5–6 feet long and fired an arrow 39 inches long- a ‘cloth yard’.
Money. English. Pounds, shillings and pence. A gold Mark (not English currency) equaled ?12, or 240 shillings. French. The same system. The denier equaled a penny, 12 deniers to the sou, 20 sous to the livre.
Onager- a simple catapult of Roman design throwing rocks around the size of a man’s head. Used as a siege weapon.
Palfrey- a smallish horse suitable for riding by women.
Pontage- toll fee payable to use a bridge.
Rouncey- an all-round horse, suitable for many uses including general riding and also as light cavalry.
Scale armour- small plates, usually metal, sewn in an overlapping fashion onto a leather jacket. Provided reasonable protection at lower cost than chain-mail, due to the lower labour content.
Seax- English fighting knife, usually large, worn by freemen and freewomen as a sign of their status.
Snekke- Norse word for the normal-sized longship. A fast and maneuverable warship 60 feet long by 9 feet wide with a crew of about fifty, usually with 10 oars a side. Powered by a large square sail or oars.
Tabula- Roman board game similar to backgammon
Taxes amp; Charges.
Wergild- The value placed on a life for compensation purposes in England. 200 shillings for a freeman or freewoman, 1,200 shillings for a thegn. No wergild was paid for death of a slave, but compensation of value of the slave was paid.
Witenagemot- Council advising the English king.
Other English words used in this book.
English social classes.
