Definitions for "Thegn"
Keywords:  thane, saxon, anglo, warrior, noble
Thane. See Thane.
Originally meaning a Military Companion to the King. It has come to mean a land holding administrative office. (MEDIEV-L. Medieval Terms) Pre-Conquest noble below the level of earl; local estate owner with at least 5 hides of land and a residence. Richer ones had grand halls behind large defences. Backbone of the royal army. Cite, 214 3) A member of the late O.E. noble or upper class. (Reynolds, Susan. An Introduction to the History of English Medieval Towns, 200) Related terms: Thane
a VASSAL, usually a manorial LORD, holding land by military or administrative services in Anglo-Saxon and early Norman England.