Midevil

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ance of weaponry, women's role in society, and the significance of Christianity. There was not a single object that mattered to Anglo-Saxons more than their weapons. The Anglo-Saxons "delighted in beautiful weapons" (Crossley-Holland 19). They associated usefulness with beauty. Anglo-Saxons decorated their swords with ornamental patterning. These warlike people considered the sword to be the "king of weapons" (Crossley-Holland 20). The gift of a sword was a symbol of the bond between a lord and his follower. Warriors remained "prepared behind [their] high shield" (Raffel 35). Shields were the most common forms of defense. They decorated the shields as well, which declared the wealth of its owner. It was an Anglo-Saxon warrior's practice to be
Throughout this period the social and military structure was defined by the institution of the 'warband'. Every 'lord' would maintain a band of warriors and it was by virtue of the military prowess of this warband that he maintained his position. Or in other words each noble or king would have his own little army. The warband would comprise the lord's immediate kinsmen and the best warriors from the region. In addition a lord who was militarily successful, either in raiding his neighbors or forcing them to yield tribute, would attract warriors from outside the region, which would in turn increase his ability to raid and exact tribute. Bede records how the popularity of Oswine, king of Deira, was such that noble men came from every region to serve him.
The social hierarchy of the warband appears to have been based on a combination of birth and ability. Being born to the right family was a great benefit, but a great warrior with tremendous skill could make his own place. The solders would live in the hall of their king. This cohabitation would be important in developing loyalty within the warband. In addition to eating at the lord's table, the warriors were rewarded for their service with gifts...