British and Irish History

The Oxford Companion to British History A Dictionary of British History Further reading

thegns

The Oxford Companion to British History | 2002 | | Copyright

thegns was a title given to those members of society in late Anglo-Saxon England who held at least five hides of land and were under the obligation of serving the king in battle. Their nearest predecessor was the gesith, their successors the knights of the post-Conquest period. The rank was hereditary but could be attained by ceorls who came to own five hides. Though there were many gradations within the ranks of thegns, their wergeld in Mercia and Wessex was six times that of a ceorl. The spelling has been preferred by historians to distinguish them from Scottish thanes, who were barons or clan leaders.

Sandra M. Dunkin

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JOHN CANNON. "thegns." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "thegns." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-thegns.html

JOHN CANNON. "thegns." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-thegns.html

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thegns

A Dictionary of British History | 2004 | | Copyright

thegns was a title given to those members of society in late Anglo‐Saxon England who held at least 5 hides of land and were under the obligation of serving the king in battle. Though there were many gradations within the ranks of thegns, their wergeld in Mercia and Wessex was six times that of a ceorl. The spelling has been preferred by historians to distinguish them from Scottish thanes, who were barons or clan leaders.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JOHN CANNON. "thegns." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "thegns." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-thegns.html

JOHN CANNON. "thegns." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-thegns.html

Learn more about citation styles

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