Thingmen

The Thingmen (also known as Þingalið (pronounced [ˈθiŋalið], literally "assembly retinue") was a standing army in the service of the Kings of England during the period 1013-51, financed by direct taxation which had its origins in the tribute known as Danegeld. It consisted mostly of men of Scandinavian descent and it had an initial strength of 3,000 housecarls and a fleet of 40 ships, which was subsequently reduced. Its last remnant was disbanded by Edward the Confessor in 1051.

In the 11th century, three courts outside Scandinavia were particularly prominent in recruiting Scandinavian troops:Novgorod-Kiev (Kievan Rus') c. 980-1060,Constantinople (the Varangian Guard) 988-1204, and England 1018-1051.Scandinavia was however also a recruiting area for attacks against England and this is why a defence needed to be organized by the Danish king Cnut the Great. The Thingmen attracted Swedish mercenaries, and probably some Norwegian as well.

In 1012 King Æthelred the Unready of England ended several years of devastating attacks by a Danish army led by Thorkell the Tall by making a huge payment of Danegeld. Most of the raiders dispersed, but Thorkell himself entered English service with 45 ships and their crews. This force, based at Greenwich, was paid with money collected through the tax system established to raise Danegeld. They remained loyal to Æthelred during the Danish invasion led by King Swein Forkbeard in 1013, which eventually drove Æthelred to flee the country. When he was restored to power in England in 1014, after the death of Swein, Æthelred retained or regained the services of Thorkell and his men, who continued to receive large sums of money. However, in 1015 Thorkell, accompanied by 9 ships, joined the fresh invasion of England being prepared by Swein's son Cnut. According to a later saga tradition this defection was due to the massacre of a separate force of Danish troops brought to England by Swein and commanded by Thorkell's brother Hemming. The chronicle of Florence of Worcester claims that the 40 ships which deserted Æthelred to join Cnut's invasion force after its arrival in England, under the leadership of Ealdorman Eadric Streona of Mercia, were manned by Danish crews. If so, these may have been the residue of Thorkell's former followers who had remained in Æthelred's service when their leader left.

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