housecarl
/ˈhaʊskɑrl/
noun
- A member of the household guard or personal bodyguard of a medieval Scandinavian or Anglo-Saxon lord or king.
- King Harold's housecarls fought bravely at the Battle of Hastings.
- The housecarl stood watch outside the chieftain's hall.
- In Viking society, a housecarl was a loyal warrior who lived in his lord's household.