housecarl

[ hous-kahrl ]

/ ˈhaʊsˌkɑrl /

a member of the household troops or bodyguard of a Danish or early English king or noble.

Origin of housecarl

before 1050; Middle English; late Old English hūscarl < Danish hūskarl. See house, carl

Odin, how good it is to meet a housecarl who speaks as man to man and does not cringe to me!

Havelok The Dane |Charles Whistler
And presently I thought that I might do worse than be a housecarl for a time, if Eglaf would have me.

Havelok The Dane |Charles Whistler
"That, I take it, is a hint that you might like to be a housecarl of the king's," he said.

Havelok The Dane |Charles Whistler
Presently Erling came alongside me, leaving the housecarl to mind his comrade.

A King's Comrade |Charles Whistler

"Now is East Anglia mine in truth," he said; and with that he bade the housecarl fetch Curan, the cook's porter, to him.

Havelok The Dane |Charles Whistler

housecarl

/ (ˈhaʊsˌkɑːl) /

(in medieval Europe) a household warrior of Danish kings and noblemen

Old English hūscarl, from Old Norse hūskarl manservant, from hūs house + karl man; see churl