1066 - Castles And Defence

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• Middelbare school
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• Leerjaar 1

English History Week

Look at the image. Discuss with your neighbor. How was this castle defended? Name everything you can see!

Remember that titles became hereditary in the later Middle Ages. What does hereditary mean?

But what if a king dies, and he has no apparent heirs?

It's 1066 - king Edward the Confessor dies

He has no sons and there is no close family that could be crowned

Who would become king now?

But what if a king dies, and he has no apparent heirs?

There are three men who think they deserve the crown... Let's meet them:

Harold Godwinson

Harold was an earl, a nobleman, under Edward the Confessor. He was Anglo-Saxon, part of a tribe that had ruled over England for a really long time. He had fought against the vikings, who were also called the Normans, who were a constant threat to England. He was the favorite heir according to the English king's council, his most important advice givers.

Harald Hardrada

Harald Hardrada was a viking king of Norway. His claim to the throne was because his predecessor (=voorganger, the king before him) had a deal with Edward the Confessor's predecessor. The deal being that if the king died without any children, he could claim the English throne. The previous English king died without children, but named his half-brother Edward has his heir. When Edward also died without any children, Harald was the new king of Norway. His opinion was that the previous deal still stood, and he had the right to the English throne.

William of Normandy

William of Normandy was the duke of Normandy. He was of viking/Norman descent, but his ancestors had been the French king's vassals for a long time. The French region Normandy has been named for this. He therefore knew the feudal system really well. His grandmother had been the great-aunt of Edward the Confessor. Before Edward's death, he was supposedly told he was the heir to the throne because of this relation.

Who do you think has the right to the English throne?

Harold Godwinson

Harald Hardrada

William of Normandy

Two battles

•  The English named Harold Godwinson as their king
• Battle of Stamford Bridge - 25 September
• Harald attacked with an army, but was defeated
• Battle of Hastings - 14 October
• The Normans from Normandy attacked, and won

Read the source. Why did the English lose this battle, according to you? Name at least two things named in the source.

Continuity and Change

Feudalism and the Domesday Book

The Anglo-Saxon rulers before William didn't use the feudal system. William introduced it to England. He devided up the land and recorded everything in a book, called the Domesday book. The records show who loaned the land, how many households (serfs) lived on that land, what animals grazed the lands, etc. etc.

The Church

William brought a lot of French bisshops and priests with him to England, to reorganize the English church. He also built a lot of churches to French example, like the church you see here: Canterbury Cathedral

Castles

Before William there were almost no castles in England. William built quite a few castles. There are two important reasons for building these castles. One: for protection from outside invaders. And two: to intimidate the Anglo-Saxon people so that they wouldn't go into an uprising.

Two examples of Norman castles are: Dover Castle and Lewes Castle

Farming

The Anglo-Saxons would still use the same tools and the same means to farm their lands. It didn't matter who their lord were, they would have to eat. 

Curing illnesses

Before the Normans came the Anglo-Saxons used their best understanding to cure illnesses. For example they used herbs to put on cuts so it would heal faster. These cures would still be used after the Norman conquest.

Language

When William came over to England he still spoke French, and he made French the official language of the courts. Because of this there are still words in English that are like the French, and sometimes a word is different in different contexts.

For example:

Pig is used for the animal. (it's like the dutch word for a baby-pig: biggetje)

Pork is used for the meat. (porc in French)

This is because the French would only use the word for what they were eating.

Continuity

Change

Domesday worksheet