RALPH: The word thane derives from an old German word for boy or lad, and it originally referred to a servant in a religious setting, but often was used more specifically to refer to the twelve disciples of Christ. 

DAVINA: Later, particularly in Scotland, it came to mean a military servant of the king, like a knight, who was granted a castle and lands in return for maintaining armed soldiers in the service of the king. 

RALPH: You’re going to find that many of the thanes in our play resemble Judas more than the other 11 disciples.