In the late 11c and 12c, the term for the pre-Conquest *heregeld, levied 1012-51 to pay the *lithesmen of the king's fleet. After 1066, the term was used of a general tax. 'Danegeld' is also used in modern history for the tribute paid to *Viking armies, esp. those paid by /Ethelred II (the Unready). Huge sums of money were paid: in three payments, /Ethelred handed over something like 94,000 lb of silver. (On one occasion some 20 million silver coins were handed over by Cnut to his army.) In 1155-6 Henry II collected the last Danegeld. -
Cf. Unraed
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.