We are going to branch out from American Military History for today’s word: Freelance.

Now, as you might expect the word freelance does have a root in the old men in armor on horse using lances to beat on each other. It is a term that was first used to describe knights for hire, or mercenaries. The men were free to use their lances for the highest bidders.  So yes all the you “freelancers” out there are basically mercenaries. Welcome to the club.

Now the really cool part. When do you think the term first came into use? I’ll give you ten seconds…….

Nope. You guessed the Middle Ages (or Dark Ages) or threw out a random century. The fact is the term was first coined my Sir Walter Scott in his 1820 classic Ivanhoe which took place in 12th century England. He decided that the term was much friendlier (less friendlier?) than the actual name for those mercenaries, free companion. The fact that your snickering right now shows he was probably right.