noun
- Plural of danegeld: a tax levied in medieval England to pay tribute to Danish invaders or to maintain a defense against them.
Usage: historical; archaic
Examples
- The Anglo-Saxon kings collected danegelds to appease the Viking raiders.
- Danegelds were among the earliest forms of systematic taxation in England.
- The burden of danegelds fell heavily on the English peasantry during the 10th and 11th centuries.
- Historical records show that danegelds were eventually discontinued after the Norman Conquest.
- Medieval chroniclers documented the collection of danegelds across various English shires.