Norman Conquest

• The English Church: Used old English to write and speak. different traditions and art. Important meeting place.
• Missionaries: people who work to spread their religious beliefs, mainly from Ireland
• education: few could read or write. Relied on priests to teach moral values + meaning of bible.
• what were priests criticised for? drinking, eating and sex. ignored the churches teachings.
• Beliefs


  believed in spirits + elves
• St. Dunstan: tried to reform the church + set high standards for behaviours of priests. Made a saint after his death; his influence died with him.
• Edward the Confessor (1042-1066): Deeply religious, set high standards. Put Stigand in place as archbishop of Canterbury.
• Stigand: Anglo-Saxon Archbishop of Canterbury. Hated by pope, seen as corrupt.
• Sheriffs


  Ran shires, collecting: taxes, fines + soldiers
• Anglo-Saxons: People who had settled in England after the Romans had left Britain. Came from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
• King: Most important. Defended his country from attacks, passed laws. power over churches.
• Earls: Powerful lords; owned huge areas of land. The kings advisers, ensured kings laws were enforced in their regions. raised men for the kings army.
• Thegns: These were knights, but were landlords as well, chartered by the King to manage a large plot of land on which peasants worked and paid him for rent.
• Ceorls


  'Free' peasant farmers not tied to their land
• Peasants: people who worked the land or served the nobles. 70% population. Rented small areas of land and made enough money to survive.
• The Witan: group of elders which helped advice and council the King of England, most powerful men in the country
• Women: Legal right to own land and property. Could leave husband if he'd committed adultery. high-status women known as ladies. laws and fines for sexual harassment.
• negative aspects for women: Gangs of men bought women slaves, raped them and sold them on.
• slaves: Not free. No land. Worked on their lords land or in his house as servants. Their lives were dictated by their masters.
• Earls personal estate: Large wooden hall for entertainment + feasts, gold and valuables were on display. Store houses, guest houses, bake-house/kitchen, stone-built chapel, enclosures for animals and a training ground.
• Rivers


  teamed with fish, good food source.
• Eels


  medieval delicacy
• Church building


  most important building.
• villages


  12-15 houses. owned by Ceorls or peasants.
• village houses: made of wattle and Daub. The house was one large room with a fire in the centre so smoke could escape from a tiny hole in the ceiling.
• wattle and daub: woven sticks covered with clay or mud
• punishments: society could be violent; punishments tried to prevent further violence so were not severe. Death penalty was rare.
• Economy wealth


  relied on successful agriculture
• food: just enough to go around. Basic; fish, bread, wheat, rye, potatoes and carrots, etc.
• Town: Important for trade, crafts people sold their goods to the rich. Towns were small.
• Golden Age: Plenty of food, equality, clean water, decent housing, sculptures, jewels, literature and churches/buildings.
• golden age culture: precious metal work and books decorated with gold and jewels. remarkable structures. christian values, Women had rights. Alfred Jewel. Fuller brooch. Kings justice.
• anti-golden age culture: Slaves treated like animals. vast majority of population could not read or write. gangs of men raping and selling female slaves. people didn't follow religion strictly (binge drinking, over eating and sex). conflict between earls. buildings made from wattle and daub.
• The Fuller Brooch: made of silver, represents: sight, taste, smell, touch and hearing. shows immense skill and free time.
• The Alfred Jewel: made from gold, connotations of a rich and skilful society
• The Bayeux Tapestry: a tapestry that recounts the battle of hastings, skill and craftsmanship made by english women for the frenchmen.
• Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: A history of Britain that is still used by historians today
• English customs about the Succession: 1) being a blood relative

  2) being identified as his successor by the previous king

  3) being accepted as king by the english nobles
• William, Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror): Experienced leader, Rich, Owned land, powerful background, experience of conquering land, French.
• Wergild: "Money for a man"- the amount you paid if your murdered someone. It depended on how high ranking their status was, the amount increased the higher the rank. E.g. slaves/thralls had no value, but kings were worth 18000 shillings