Alternate term for 'bannermen'

Vassal? Liegeman?

Vassal is the correct term in actual feudalism, but that covers everyone who holds a fief (parcel of land) for a lord. To mean the same thing as Martin's (his name is George btw, not Robert) bannermen you might want to call them Vassal Lords or something.

This might be helpful:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudalism#Vassalage

As I understand it, and I probably am wrong, "bannerman" is a translation of a Chinese term for a vassal who owed military service. There used to be an equivalent term in English, but it washed out. If you are looking for something along those lines, then the form of ownership of land that required that someone fight for the overlord was "knight fee" (as per the Magna Carta).

Retainers? Huscarls? Vassal is the English word that most directly indicates a feudal obligation, but as PeteMC says it's not restricted to a lord's military followers.

Depending on what implications you're going for (and what rank your noble is/how many followers of what rank they have), 'Levy' or 'Forces' might also work. 'Warband' is also a possibility - or there's the ancient 'Lord X's men' (or women, or band, or whatever)

~~

"Who's he?"
"Can't you see the blue and yellow on his arm? He's with Lord Mortimer's men."

Vassals or retainers are good general terms. You could also invent your own name based on something your leader gives lesser leaders when they join him. In China, vassals of the state might be given banners, war drums, special robes, special belts, or special medals indicating their status. Titles were given too. Maybe your leader gives all of his vassals a special title (this wouldn't include all the vassals own subjects, just the vassal himself).

You're right to avoid using Martin's term.Too derivative. But you're writing fantasy. Create your own term, and make it clear in context.

caw

Standard bearer.

Not standard bearer, unless they're all going around carrying flags instead of weapons. Which would be showy, but not much use unless they're special Magical Flags or something...

Bannerets

A Standard Bearer was one soldier out of a legion or regiment who carried the flag, so not that. Perhaps you could use Vassal Standard or something to indicate the military obligation?

benbenberi said:

Not standard bearer, unless they're all going around carrying flags instead of weapons. Which would be showy, but not much use unless they're special Magical Flags or something...

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Take a good long spear. Attach a small flag right under the spearhead. Magically, the blood no longer runs down the spear and making it too slick to grip properly. You can spear with it, signal with it, and spit-roast a chicken on it. What more magic would a fighting-man want?

what you describe is a spear with a bit of cloth dangling, not a standard (which by definition is meant to be easily seen & instantly recognized by a lot of people at a distance). Not equivalent. A real standard-bearer would point and laugh.

Well, my army may be doomed, but at least I have provided the enemy with a laugh.

TwoTrees said:

My fantasy world is medieval in flavor and I need a term for the forces that have a feudal obligation to a lord. I'd like to avoid Robert R. R. Martin's much used 'bannermen'. Suggestions?

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I'd recommend something to the effect of "liveryman." I would only use huscarls, druzhina, comitatus, solduri, hetairoi, and things to that effect when you're referring to a group bonded to the lord by something deeper than a mere vassal relationship. In medieval times, it was common for mid-level knights to be vassals of any number of "lords," some of whom they otherwise outranked.

"My bros"

When it was introduced ca. 900 the word "vassal" meant "boy" and "vassals" referred to a lord's followers in exactly the same way a mobster talks about "the boys", i.e. the armed henchmen who do whatever the boss needs to have done. The whole apparatus of oaths & fiefs & formal rules came much later. But "the boys" or "the posse" or "the entourage" convey exactly what the original, fundamental relationship was about - the boss and his gang ready to do whatever mayhem they could get away with.

For that matter, "henchmen" is a good term. It meant the guys/armed retainers who had a right to eat at the boss's/lord's expense while they were in service. Only much much later was it restricted to bad guys.

For a group of vassals obligated to fight for their mesne-lord, the proper saxon term was "fyrd." So you could consider "fyrdman" for an individual, even though it doesn't sound very dashing, or romantic. "Bondsman" is also out because of its U.S. connotations with the bailing of criminals. How about something like "oathsman," or "sworn-man"?

Swordpeeps.

Oath Men
Sworn Men
Knights ( really that is what they were, vassals to their lord)
House carls might work, but generally they were not fighters


Or

anything you can make work in the context of your world

Mr Flibble said:

House carls might work, but generally they were not fighters

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Sorry to contradict, but Housecarls (huscarls) were members of a Saxon, or Danish king's bodyguard (pre the Norman Invasion). They were very much fighting-men.