Loyalty to the War-Band
Absolute loyalty to one's lord and shield-companions is the foundation of warrior honor.
The bond between a lord and his warriors was sacred. Warriors swore to fight for their lord unto death, and lords swore to provide for and protect their followers. Breaking this bond was the ultimate shame - the mark of a nithing.
A man owes his lord his life; a lord owes his men his treasure and his trust.
The lord-warrior bond was the foundation of Norse military society.
Battle of Maldon
Written about in
- What Norse wisdom says about friendship
The Battle of Maldon gives the bond its hardest form — a man owes his lord his life, a lord owes his men his treasure and his trust. Note that it runs both ways. A leader who collects loyalty without returning anything has already broken it.