normans

• William of Normandy


  Claimed he was the rightful heir to the King of England, Edward the Confessor
• Edward the Confessor


  King of England who died in January 1066
• Claimants to the English crown after Edward the Confessor's death

  • Harold Godwinson
  • William of Normandy
  • Harald Hardrada
  • Edgar Atheling
• After three major battles in 1066, Duke William of Normandy was crowned King William I of England
• Norman Conquest


  Beginning rather than the end, William had to fight hard to protect his kingdom
• Key themes of the Norman Conquest

  • Conquest
  • Consolidation
  • Construction
  • People
• Chroniclers


  Writing years after 1066 describe Harold Godwinson in negative terms
• Usurper


  Term used to describe Harold Godwinson
• Perjurer


  Term used to describe Harold Godwinson
• In 1064 Harold had sworn an oath to William of Normandy that he would support him as the heir to the English throne
• William's successful invasion, which climaxed in a decisive victory over Harold's forces at Hastings in 1066, was a huge moment
• Harold died, along with almost all the English nobility
• William faced major challenges to his authority between 1068 and 1070, the most serious rebellions took place in the north of England
• Harrying of the North


  William's incredibly brutal response to the rebellions
• Normanisation


  Process implemented throughout England after William's defeat of rebellious English earls
• French became the language of government and almost all the major landowners were Normans by 1075
• The change in land ownership from 1066 to 1086 was recorded in the Domesday Book which was the most extensive public survey in Europe at the time
• Romanesque style


  Architectural style introduced by the Normans to England
• Feudalism


  Social construct relied on castles and churches, with the king at the top deriving authority from God
• Castles were needed to remind ordinary people of their responsibility to their lord
• Key figures depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry

  • Edward the Confessor
  • Harold Godwinson
  • William the Conqueror
  • Bishop Odo
  • Archbishop Stigand
• Other key figures described in chronicles include Earls Edwin and Morcar, Harald Hardrada and William FitzOsbern
• Edward the Confessor


  King of England from 1042-1066, first English king after 25 years of Danish rule
• Exile


  Edward spent most of his early life in Normandy before becoming England's king
• Noble


  Earl Godwin was the most powerful Anglo-Saxon noble in England
• Celibacy


  Some Norman sources have suggested Edward took a vow of celibacy
• Claimants to the English throne in 1066

  • Harold Godwinson
  • William of Normandy
  • Harald Hardrada
  • Edgar Atheling
• Family ties


  One of the three main factors behind the claims to the throne
• Promises


  Another factor behind the claims to the throne
• Political realities


  The third factor behind the claims to the throne
• Harold Godwinson had the strongest claim based on promises, as he was likely promised the throne by the dying Edward
• Edgar Atheling had the strongest claim based on family ties as the last surviving member of the Royal House of Wessex
• Harold Godwinson had the strongest claim based on political realities as he had the support of the Witan and English nobility
• Witan


  England's high council that chose Harold Godwinson as the next King of England
• Earl of Wessex


  Harold Godwinson's position before becoming king
• Harold's alliance with the northern earls Edwin and Morcar meant he did not have to worry about civil war and could concentrate on fighting William of Normandy
• Harold took four major steps to secure his grip on the crown during his nine months as king
• Tostig Godwinson, Harold's exiled brother, returned with Harald Hardrada of Norway to try to take the English throne
• The Battle of Fulford was a major disaster for King Harold II, resulting in a decisive victory for Harald Hardrada
• Morcar, the brother of Edwin Earl of Mercia, eventually replaced Tostig as Earl of Northumbria