Anglo-Saxon & Norman England

Question 1

What was the Social System?

Answer 1

King - Most powerful person in the country, made laws & could raise an army
Earls - They owned earldoms and competed for rewards from the King, collected taxes
Thegns - Local lords, controlling land in their area, lived in the local manor house
Peasants - farmers who worked for their local lord
Slaves - people at the bottom of society, seen as property

Question 2

The Witan

Answer 2

• A council of advisers to the king
• Made up of important people like earls and archbishops
• Discussed threats and disputes
• Chose the new king

Question 3

Earls

Answer 3

-Most important after the king
-They collected taxes
-In charge of justice and legal punishments in their earldom
-Great military power

Question 4

Shire reeves

Answer 4

-Carried out the king’s instructions in each shire
-They collected fines, enforced the law
-Provided men for the fyrd
-Collected geld tax

Question 5

Geld tax

Answer 5

Tax on land originally to pay off the Vikings

Question 6

Blood feuds

Answer 6

Grudges between families which lasted generations

Question 7

Blood feuds

Answer 7

Grudges between families which lasted generations

Question 8

The Wergild system

Answer 8

The victims family received compensation from the murderer’s family

Question 9

Burh

Answer 9

Fortified towns

Question 10

1066 & the Rival Claimants for the throne

Answer 10

Harold Godwinson - Appointed by Edward on his deathbed, family connection - STRONG (support by witnesses)

William, Duke of Normandy - An agreement made with King Edward & confirmed during Harold’s embassy 1064 - STRONG (Backed by the Pope)

Harald Hardrada - inherited claim from previous Viking kings - WEAK (Exiled Tostig allied with him for support)

Edgar Aethling - Edward’s nephew and heir - WEAK (too young)

Question 11

Harold’s coronation and Reign

Answer 11

• Harold was crowned quickly as the Witan feared an attack by William
• Challenged from powerful earls
• Tostig was looking for allies in Europe
• William was reportedly being prepared to invade

Question 12

Battle of Gate Fulford (1st)

Answer 12

-Harald Hardrada & Tostig vs Morcar & Edwin
- Edwin (Earl of Mercia)
- Morcar (Earl of Northumbria)
- Victory for Tostig & Harald Hardrada
- Their mistake was fighting just outside York, rather than within the city walls

Question 13

The Battle of Stamford Bridge (second)

Answer 13

• Harold heard about the invasion and marched north
• He surprised Hardrada & Tostig at Stamford Bridge
• Both of them were killed
• Harold won because:
  Vikings had left their armour on their ships
  Hardrada & Tostig had fought at Gate Fulford 5 days before
  Harold’s men broke the Viking shield wall

Question 14

The Battle of Hastings (Third)

Answer 14

• After leaving York, Harold stopped in London for around 5 days to gather troops
• He then continued south and met William
• Harold’s strong shield broke down
• Harold Godwinson and his brothers Gyrth & Leofwine held their position at the top of the hill
• Eventually they were killed

Question 15

Why did William Win?

Answer 15

William’s tactics and leadership:

• Cavalry to break up the shield wall
• pretending to retreat
• Stole food and destroyed houses

Harold’s leadership and bad luck:

• His army had been out since May
• He rushed south to fight William
• His men were poorly disciplined
• Harold’s men were tired after fighting up north

Question 16

The submission of the Earls 1066

Answer 16

• The submitted to William, swore an oat to obey him
• William was crowned king on Christmas Day
• William rewarded the anglo-saxons by having them keep their Earldoms
• William rewarded his own followers by promising them land and money

Question 17

Marcher earldoms

Answer 17

• Smaller which made them easier to control
• Had special rights that the king only had (creating towns & establishing churches)
• Had almost full control of the legal system
• Did not have to pay tax
• Free to build castles

Question 18

Building castles

Answer 18

• Built in strategic places
  Gatehouse - building that controlled access to the castle
  Palisade - strong wooden fence surrounding the castle
  Keep - strong wooden tower on top of the motte

Question 19

Difference between Burhs & Castles

Answer 19

• Burhs were public, castles were private
• castles were smaller & easier to defend
• castles were much harder to burn down as they were protected by earthworks
• Castles were designed to control people, burhs were meant to protect people

Question 20

Reasons for the revolt of Edwin & Morcar

Answer 20

• William had given parts of Morcar’s earldom to other people
• William broke his promise that Edwin could marry his daughter
• William’s heavy geld tax was hated
• Castles were hated (symbol of Norman control)
• Odo & William Fitzobern, had seized land illegally

Question 21

Then Anglo-Danish attack on York (1069)

Answer 21

• Edgar joined forces with a fleet sent by King Sweyn of Denmark
• They attacked York, destroying castles and killed around 300 Normans
• William paid the Danes a large amount of money to leave
• He then began the Harrying of the North

Question 22

The Harrying of the North (1069-70)

Answer 22

• Around 100k people died
• People starved or froze to death
• People resorted to cannibalism or slavery
• Reducing the threat of future Danish invasion
• Area would be wasted for years to come

Question 23

The Revolt of the Earls 1075

Answer 23

• This time Normans rebelled against William
• Ralph de Gael, loss of power and wealth
• Roger de Breteuil, loss of authority and land
• Waltheof, unclear

Question 24

The defeat of the revolt

Answer 24

• Ralph escaped to Brittany
• Roger was imprisoned for life (like Morcar)
• Waltheof thought he would be forgiven but he was executed