Thegn

As Thane ( Anglo-Saxon, Germanic thegn " servant, child, student, disciple, hero, warrior "; related to German sword " young hero, warrior ", and ancient Greek τέκνον teknon "child" ) is called in the Middle Ages Anglo-Saxon follower.

Term change

Since the 9th century it became the designation of members of the royal service nobility, who had to have at least five hooves country. The higher Thanes possessed 40 hooves country. As a qualification less birth status were considered the contributions to the respective rulers. The thanes of the king possessed the highest privileges. To condemn himself as a murderer, one needed 12 oaths of his own class, while a lower Thane at comparable opportunity eleven oaths of his own class and a vow of a royal thanes required. Due to the encroachment of the modern feudal system of Thane went to the British Isles since the Battle of Hastings in the context of the acquisition of the Norman Feudalssystems to the 12th century in favor of Knight predominantly in the lower nobility on. Only in Scotland were the Thanes to the 15th century, the feudal lords of the king.

Others

Due to the traditional German translation in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth is borrowed either falsely Than, sometimes even tan, as it is found in many older encyclopedias, or chose the term feudal lord.