Norman conquest and control Flashcards
1
Q
What are the Anglo-Saxons?
A
Tribes that invaded England from Germany in 400 AD.
2
Q
Who are the Vikings?
A
Seafaring people from Scandinavia who raided countries across Europe.
3
Q
What is a monarch?
A
The King or Queen of a country.
4
Q
What is the Witan?
A
A collection of Anglo-Saxon noblemen who advised the king.
5
Q
What is a claimant?
A
One of three challengers to the throne.
6
Q
What is the succession?
A
A new monarch taking over the throne of the old monarch.
7
Q
What is it to be illegitimate?
A
To be born out of marriage, no royal blood
8
Q
What is an oath?
A
A promise witnessed by God.
9
Q
Who were the three claimants to the throne in 1066?
A
Harald Hardrada - King of Norway
Harold Godwinson - Anglo-Saxon
William Duke of Normandy
10
Q
In what year did Edward the Confessor die?
A
1066
11
Q
Why was there so much chaos caused by Edward the Confessor’s death?
A
He dies without any children to inherit the thrown so the succession was not clear.
12
Q
What makes a good monarch?
A
Work with the Church
Have a strong army
Defend the country
Keep law and order
Be a strong and resilient leader
Take the advice of the nobles
Marry and have healthy sons
Have a claim to the throne that people accept
Gain the respect of the people
Be an experienced warrior
13
Q
What does William say that Harold did in 1064?
A
He was said to have sworn an oath of loyalty to William in 1064 promising to support his claim to the English throne.
14
Q
Which claimant had the support of Tostig Godwinson?
A
Harald Hardrada
15
Q
Who supported Harold Godwinson’s claim to the throne?
A
The Witan.
16
Q
Who supported William’s claim to the throne?
A
The Pope.
17
Q
What was Harald Hadrada’s claim to the throne?
A
Hadrada claimed that the English throne belonged to the Vikings since the days of King Canute.
18
Q
Who is Tostig?
A
He was Harold Godwinson’s brother who supported Hadrada’s claim to the throne.
19
Q
Who had the best claim to the throne in 1066?
A
William:
1) Royal bloodline - William was a distant cousin of Edward’s. Although some argued he was illegitimate, he had royal blood and a blood connection to the English monarch.
2) Promise/Oath - He claimed that Edward had promised him the throne in 1051, before his later deathbed promise to Harold Godwinson, and that Harold had promised to support his claim under oath in 1064.
3) Qualities - William had the best qualities of a king of all the claimants because he had an army, he had already shown himself a strong leader in Normandy.
4) Support - He was a good Christian and The Pope even supported his claim.
Therefore, William had the best claim as a proven strong leader with a blood connection to Edward, who had already promised him the throne.
20
Q
Why did Tostig support Harald Hardrada?
A
Harold Godwinson stripped Tostig of his title Earl of Northumberland and he was bitterly angry.
21
Q
What were the two parts of the Anglo-Saxon army?
A
The Huscarls and Fyrd.
22
Q
Which part of the army were made up of untrained working men?
A
The Fyrd.
23
Q
Why did Harold Godwinson send his army home after 9 months of waiting for an invasion?
A
Because most of his army were normal working men, he couldn’t afford to keep them doing nothing and he sent them to gather harvest.
24
Q
Who did the Witan want to become king?
A
Harold Godwinson.
25
Which claimant was seen as illegitimate?
William of Normandy.
26
Which claimant was Anglo-Saxon?
Harold Godwinson.
27
When King Edward the Confessor died, he had been King of England for .... years.
24
28
What were Harold Godwinson's claim to the throne in 1066?
1) Edward had many times – including on his deathbed – promised the throne to Harold Godwinson, the most powerful noble in England. He had been the King's chancellor.
2) Harold’s sister was also married to King Edward.
3) He was popular among the Anglo-Saxon nobles and an excellent fighter.
4) Support - The Witan agreed Harold should be king and crowned him the day after Edward’s death. The Witan are an assembly of wise men made up of the most powerful men in England, it advised the king.
29
Who was Edgar the Aetheling in 1066?
He was an Anglo-Saxon prince and great nephew of King Edward.
Aged 15 - lacked the experience and support to become king.
30
What is the meaning of 'Hardrada'?
Hard Ruler.
31
What is the Bayeux Tapestry?
It is an embroidered cloth nearly 70 metres long that depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, led by William, Duke of Normandy challenging Harold II, King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings. It is thought to date to the 11th century, within a few years of the battle.
32
Was Halley's comet visible in 1066?
In 1066, the comet was seen in England and thought to be an omen: later that year Harold II of England died at the Battle of Hastings and William the Conqueror claimed the throne. The comet is represented on the Bayeux Tapestry and described in the tituli as a star.
33
When was the Battle of Stamford Bridge?
25th September 1066
34
Who was involved in the Battle of Stamford Bridge?
Hadrada sailed from Norway
300 ships
10,000 men
Fought King Harold Godwinson.
HG was victorious.
24 ships returned to Norway with son Olaf who was shown mercy and swore an oath to HG, promised never to invade again.
35
When was the Battle of Hastings?
14th October 1066.
36
Who was involved in the Battle of Hastings?
King Harold Godwinson fought off an invasion by William of Normandy.
Fleet of 700 ships and 7000 men.
William won the battle - became known as William the conqueror.
37
What does migration mean?
The movement of people from one place to another.
38
Which word describes the order historians put events from the past in?
Chronological.
39
What is it called when historians create their own account of what happened in the past?
Interpretation.
40
What religion did the Anglo-Saxons convert to?
Christianity
41
In what century did the Viking warriors invade England for the first time?
8th
42
What was the name of the army the Anglo-Saxon king Alfred did battle with?
The Great Heathen Army
43
Who was the first Viking king of England?
Canute
Became King in 1016
44
What is the Sutton Hoo burial site?
Sutton Hoo burial unearthed by archaeologists underneath a grassy mound in 1939.
This site was an Anglo-Saxon ship that had been laid in a trench as a burial place.
The wooden ship had rotted away but what was left were metal objects left with the dead for use in the afterlife.
This was probably the burial place of a king who died around 625 AD.
45
Who was King of England between 1043-1066?
Edward the Confessor
46
Name two men who were Earls in 1065.
Morcar, Edwin, Waltheof, Gyrth, Leofwine, Harold.
47
Who were the Scandinavian warriors who invaded England in the 9th century?
Vikings
48
What religion were the Anglo-Saxons?
Who converted them?
Christianity
Augustine
49
Which piece of evidence tells us about the events of the battle of Stamford Bridge?
Florence of Worcester/The Anglo-Saxon chronicle.
50
What is a shield Wall?
Barrier created by soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder, holding their shields in front of them.
51
Why did the Vikings lose the Battle of Stamford Bridge? Give 3 reasons.
1) Although Harold Godwinson had disbanded his army and was not prepared for a Viking invasion, he marched them up to Stamford Bridge so quickly he was able to take the Vikings by surprise. The Vikings were relaxing and celebrating after a previous victory at Fulford.
2) One third of the Viking army had gone to guard the Viking ships at Riccall. This meant the Vikings were not prepared for battle and out-numbered.
3) The Vikings had one advantage: that the Anglo-Saxon Fyrd had to cross a narrow bridge which meant one Viking was able to hold them up for long enough for the Vikings to form a shield wall. However, the Vikings were outnumbered and soon the shield wall was broken and both the Viking monarch Hardrada and Harold’s brother Tostig were killed. Without leadership the Vikings were quickly defeated.
The Vikings lost the battle because they were not prepared and outnumbered by Harold’s men leaving only two claimants left to claim the English throne.
52
What disadvantage did Harold Godwinson's army have to overcome before the Battle of Hastings began?
Harold’s army was exhausted and had shrunk in size after the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
53
Where was Harold Godwinson and his army positioned at the beginning of the Battle of Hastings?
The top of Selnac Hill.
54
What tactic did William’s army use to break the Anglo-Saxon shield wall at the Battle of Hastings?
Norman soldiers pretended to run away/retreat so that some of Harold’s Fyrd chased them, breaking the shield wall.
55
What stroke of luck did William enjoy at the end of September, prior to the Battle of Hastings?
When the unfavourable winds across the English Channel changed direction, allowing him to set sail.
56
How do historians form interpretations of past events?
Historians use as many sources as they can find to build up a picture and form accurate interpretations of the past.
57
Why do historians often form different interpretations to one another?
Different historians may use different sources or rely on some sources more than another historian.
58
Define a revolt.
To fight in a violent manner against a ruler.
59
Define harrying.
To repeatedly attack somewhere or someone.
60
What happened after the Battle of Hastings? How did William conquer the rest of England?
How many forms of control used by William can you identify?
Harrying of the north?
Burnt crops and villages in London and in York?
61
When was William crowned king of England?
Christmas Day 1066
62
What was the harrying of the north?
When William and troops entirely destroyed the northern shires of England in response to a revolt in 1069 – e.g. they burnt crops and land and killed all men and animals.
63
Why did William keep facing different revolts across England?
The more vicious William was to the people of England in putting down one revolt, the more angry he made them, leading to more revolts.
64
What did William and his troops do on the way from the Battle of Hastings to London?
They burnt crops and villages.
65
What are 3 elements we need to identify when we look at a source?
Content, origin, purpose.
66
Why do historians sometimes have to be careful when looking at a source as evidence of an historical event or person?
Historians should consider who made the source and if they are stating things as fact when they were not actually present at the time of the event, or if there is not enough information about a source available for the historian to understand why it was made or how they got their information.
67
Why did William order the harrying of the north?
William wanted to show that he was in control of all of England and terrify the English into obeying him.
68
What is a Motte and Bailey Castle?
A simple castle with a man-made hill surrounded by a clear defensive area.
69
What is Fortification?
A construction or building to defend a place against attack.
70
One of the first things the Normans did when they landed in England at Pevensey was build a Motte and Bailey castle. It was also the first thing they did when they got to London.
Why do you think this was?
To keep Normans safe in hostile areas and have a base to launch attacks from.
To control the surrounding countryside and ensure there were no rebellions.
To remind the English of the power of the Normans.
71
What material were motte and bailey castles originally made from and what material did they change to?
Wood then stone.
72
What are the defensive features of a castle?
The keep, the palisade walls, a moat, drawbridge, arrow slits.
73
Where did the Normans get the land to build castles?
William seized the land from the families of English noblemen and gave it to his Norman knights.
74
Who built the castles after William won the Battle of Hastings?
The English built the castles for the Normans.
75
What did the English think of these castles?
The English had never seen such large buildings and found them mysterious and scary although some sources said they brought security across England so that people could travel without fear.
76
Give two ways in which the Normans used castles to control the English.
To control surrounding countryside to prevent future revolt and to remind the English of the power of the Normans (they also provided a base from which to launch attack and defended the Normans from attacks).
77
What other method (apart from building castles) of control did William use over the English?
Terror e.g. harrying of the north
78
What happened to land belonging to Anglo-Saxon noblemen after the Battle of Hastings?
It was confiscated and given to Norman knights who built castles.
79
Castles were the key reason the Normans gained control. Agree or disagree?
Castles were key in the Norman’s bringing England under their control.
However, the Normans also used terror as a tool for control and both were equally important.
Motte and Bailey castles were completely new to the English. They were huge constructions of wood, built in clear areas with many defences, including a moat and a drawbridge and they must have seemed very intimidating to the English. They showed how powerful the Normans were.
From 1068, the Normans had faced revolts against their rule and castles alone could not have brought these under control. In 1069, William destroyed the city of York and its surrounding areas, killing men and animals and burning the land. This harrying of the north showed the English how brutal the new king was and the terrible consequences of revolt.
However, the revolts continued and wherever William’s armies went to face the English, they built castles and by 1070 the country was covered in them. At the same time, the revolts stopped.
Therefore, the combination of applying terror and building large military fortifications across England showed the natives that revolt was not worthwhile and allowed the Normans to establish their control.
80
What was the Feudal System?
The structure of medieval society, where land was exchanged for service and loyalty.
81
What was the Domesday Book?
A book ordered by William the Conqueror that details the possessions of every village in England - 1086.
82
William of Normandy the Conqueror had 4 major problems after his conquest in 1066. They were...
1) He had to reward his loyal followers
2) He needed money (the invasion was expensive!)
3) He needed an army in case anyone else tried to invade England
4) He had to show the English he was in control and stop any rebellions
83
How did William the Conqueror take control peacefully?
The feudal system
The Domesday Book to help him solve his problems by helping him understand England and organise its society into a hierarchy.
84
According to historians, William attempted to use the church to increase his own power in the following ways...
1) He convinced people the Anglo-Saxon church was corrupt
2) He claimed that new men needed to run the church
3) He stated that new church buildings were important
85
Who did William appoint as the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1070?
Lanfranc
86
What did the new archbishop decree that the English clergy were no longer allowed to do?
Marry
87
Why did the Norman church want to build cathedrals across England?
To show its power to the English, much like William and his barons had done with castles.
88
How important was the church in Norman England?
The church was extremely important in England because nearly every Englishman was a Christian and the church was very important to their daily life.
William wanted to create a Norman church in England. He felt that the English were not devout enough and he wanted more Normans running the church.
Although William was the head of state not the church, he had the support of the Pope and the ability to appoint a new Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1070, he did just this when he appointed his trusted advisor Lanfranc who began to make the church more Norman. He appointed many Norman abbots, passed religious laws that stopped English clergy from marrying and he began to build massive stone cathedrals to show the power of the new church across the country.
Therefore, the church was important as it was a very powerful institution in England and furthered Norman control.
89
Why did William remove Stigand as Archbishop?
To bring the church under greater Norman control, he appointed a trusted churchman from Normandy, Lanfrac.
90
Why did William feel particularly loyal to the Pope?
Because the pope had supported William’s claim to the English throne and his invasion in 1066.
91
What was the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury?
He was the senior churchman in England, in charge of spiritual matters in his country.
He worked for both the king and the pope. He had to weigh up keeping the king and country happy and doing the right thing according to the Christian church (even if it went against the king’s wishes).
