þjón

þjón is an Old Norse word meaning "servant" or "thrall". It refers to a person in a state of servitude, often as a result of debt, capture in war, or birth. Thralls occupied the lowest social stratum in Viking Age and medieval Scandinavian societies. Their status was largely hereditary, and they were considered property, subject to the will of their owner.

The lives of þjón varied considerably depending on their owner and the tasks they were assigned. Some might perform agricultural labor, while others worked in households, as skilled artisans, or even as warriors. While their lives were certainly restricted and lacked freedom, they were not always treated with extreme cruelty. Owners had an interest in the well-being of their valuable property.

Manumission, the act of freeing a thrall, was possible, though not commonplace. This could occur through the owner's will, by the thrall earning enough to buy their freedom, or in recognition of exceptional service. Over time, the institution of thrall gradually declined and eventually disappeared, replaced by different forms of labor and social organization. The word itself has descendants in modern Scandinavian languages, though its meaning has evolved.