Anglo-Saxon England and Norman Conquest Flashcards
What is the role of the Kings and Nobels?
King:
- Head of government
- Made all important decisions
- Good military skills
- Ensure laws made and obeyed
- Manage Nobels, cooperating with them and controlling them
Nobels:
- Most important were the 6 earls, very powerful landowners
- Asked them for advice at the Witan
What is the Witan
‘meeting of wise men’
Compromised the most powerful Nobles and they offered the King their views and advice. Can make a recommendation if King wanted advice on succession.
What is the role of the earls and thegns?
Earls:
- Controlled large areas of England - called Earldoms…
- most important ones were; Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria and East Anglia
- Governed their areas for the king and prevented rebellions, upheld laws and raised armies for the king
Thegns:
- Were Nobels who held their lands directly from the King in return for military service in war
- Less powerful than earls
What is a shire?
A country area in England
What is a hundred?
A subdivision of a shire, having its own court
Who controlled the shires and hundred?
Shire = Sheriff, The Chief officer of the crown in a shire, having various administrative and judicial functions
Hundred = Reeve, a local official, in particular, the chief law officer of a town or a district in Anglo-Saxon England
What is the role of the Ceorls, Peasants, and Slaves?
Ceorls:
- Free men who owned their own land. Had to serve in army if called on to do so
Peasants:
- Rented land from the Thegn and had to work on his land for three days each week
Slaves:
- 10% of the 2 million population were slaves, not free
- No land
- Worked for the Thegns as farm labourers or servants
Blood Feud
A lengthy conflict between families involving a cycle of killing from the other family, then you are allowed to retaliate and kill back. Retaliation without the courts. If it went on for too long then the King will have to step in.
Flaw… if you kill one of them for killing one of your family, then they are allowed to kill another of your family
Wergild
Compensation for taking someone’s life… can be bodily parts or money
Botgeld
Compensation for injuring or stealing something… Money or bodily
Capital Punishment
Death Penalty - those committed treason or betrayed their lord or ruler
Kinship
Loyalty to a family
Mutilation
When you commit a crime against the church, get mutilated. Reoffenders get mutilated… Injuring or disfiguring severely, especially cutting off body parts.
Tithing
group of 10 males who were responsible for each others’ behaviour… If one committed a crime, they all had to face the consequences.
Hue and Cry
a loud cry calling for the pursuit and capture of a criminal. In former English law, the cry had to be raised by the inhabitants of a hundred in which a robbery had been committed, if they were not to become liable for the damages suffered by the victim. If you heard the alarm and didn’t help then were punished.
What did Tostig do?
The Witan and the Reign of Harold Godwinson…
What happened at the Battle of Fulford and Stamford Bridge?
- Harald and Tostig sailed up the river Humber and the Ouse, camping outside York
- They defeated the forces of Edwin and Morcar at the battle of gate of Fulford on 20th September
