Learnings: The Thegns

An Anglo-Saxon iron long-bladed knife / 7th-9th cent.

The fact that Latin texts identified them as milites, which meant "warriors," offers a good hint at what thegns usually did in life. Thegns were well-trained to fight. They would act as bodyguards in peace or at war. The relatively high quality of their military gear was thus partially explained by their function in society. See for example this iron seax, or dagger.

In the West Saxon king Ine's code of laws (c. 7th-early 8th), a thegn was usually a landowner. However, thegns who neglected their military service could be punished with a fine.