The Collaborative International Dictionary
Housecarl \House"carl`\, n. [OE. huscarle. See House, and Carl.] (Eng. Arch[ae]ol.) A household servant; also, one of the bodyguard of King Canute.
Wiktionary
n. (context historical English) A member of the Scandinavian royal household troops.
Wikipedia
In medieval Scandinavia, husmän (, singular húskarl; also anglicised as housecarl or huscarl ( Old English form) and sometimes spelled huscarle or houscarl) were either non- servile manservants, or household troops in personal service of someone, equivalent to a bodyguard to Scandinavian lords and kings. This institution also existed in Anglo-Saxon England after its conquest by the kingdom of Denmark in the 11th century. In England, the royal housecarls had a number of roles, both military and administrative; they are well known for having fought under Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings. The original Old Norse term, húskarl, literally means "house man"; see also the Anglo-Saxon term churl or ceorl, whose root is the same as the Old Norse karl, and which also means "a man, a non-servile peasant". These were well trained men who were paid as they were full-time soldiers. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle uses hiredmenn as a term for all paid warriors and thus is applied to housecarl but it also refers to butsecarls , and lithsmen as well. It is not clear whether these were types of housecarl too or different altogether.
Usage examples of "housecarl".
Ereven, the housecarl, was in the doorway almost before Morray had let go of the bell rope.
Kethol had never paid the housecarl much attention, but he had never seen him other than freshly shaved, and Kethol assumed that he had had to do that both day and night.
In the week since they had come to serve at Crydee, the boys had discovered their bane: Housecarl Samuel.
Nicholas had been running errands all morning for the Housecarl, and had finally stolen into the kitchen to eat a quick lunch that Magya had prepared for the Squires, and then had left to see what he could do with his time off.
Robin, a page who had worked for Housecarl Samuel, picked his way through the crowded room and sat next to the two Squires.
Then suddenly something he had been told by Housecarl Samuel struck him, and his tears turned to laughter.
The housecarl had a tray heavily laden with small loaves of bread and a huge wedge of blue-veined cheese balanced on one hand, a bottle of wine and two glasses in the other, and a glum expression on his face.
Emma, the daughter of Ereven, the housecarl, was in the doorway almost before Morray had let go of the bell rope.
Durine walked in as the housecarl walked out, and sat himself down in a chair next to the hearth.
Even the servants had been dismissed and sent to the kitchens under the eye of the housecarl, with orders to keep them there until they were sent for.
Already Tykir was leading Adam toward a trestle table where a housecarl was pouring mead for them.
Then she downed the contents of her goblet in one long swallow, belched loudly, and waved to a housecarl for a refill.
Gorm was off patrolling his estates, and a housecarl had brought him a morning meal of honey cakes and ale a short time ago.
Lady Eadyth stood chastising a young housecarl, whose wet hair bespoke his recent return from the bathing pool.
Swein raised this stone in memory of his housecarl, Skardi, who had roamed the west but now has met his death at Hedeby.