anglo saxon society Flashcards
when was edward the confesser king
1042-1066
what were the kings powers
law making, coin making, landownership, the fyrd, taxation
witan
the kings advisors but he had control over him
the powers of the earls
collecting taxes- they kept a third, overseeeing law and order, leading parts of the army
how was land divided
kingdom- earldoms- shires(one hundred hides)- tithes(ten hides)
shire reeves
recived writs from the king, collected fines and geld tax, responsible for defending the shire and overseeing the shire court
law and order in anglo- saxon england
collective responsibility, hue and cry- the community tracking down a criminal
thegns
0.3% warrior/noble class, to become one you need 5 hides of land
ceorls
90% peasant farmers who depended on theygns for land and work
slaves
9.7% who could be bought and sold like property
features of the church
bishops were rich and important and made up the witan, church provided kings clerks and record keepers
the godwinsons
earl godwin was king of wessex, and they ruled all but mercia out of the major earldoms
why is their a rising against tostig
taxation, customs, killing gospatric, malcoms invasion
the rising agaisnt earl tostig
1065- norhtumbrians thegns revolt, king edward orders earls to put down rising but they dont, harold replaces tostig with morcar
harolds embassy to normandy
1064/king edward sent harold to normandy with a message, taken prisoner in pontheiu but william rescued him, harold swore a serious oath
what to norman sources say about the oath
harold swore that william should be king next
what to english sources say about the oath
he was recovering two hostages and the oath wasnt to do with sucession
why was the embassy important
showed that harold was edwards right- hand man, it gave william a better claim to the throne, harold was called an oath-breaker
when was edwards funeral
6 january 1066 - same day harold was crowned
harolds claim to the thone
appointed successor on edwards deathbed - supported by witan and good in battle
edgar aethlings claim to the throne
edwards nephew but was too young
harald hadradas claim to the throne
decendent of king cnut(king 1016-35) and had a good army
william of normandys claim to the throne
promised by edward, backed by the pope
what did harold do after coronation
went to york to get support from the north and put together the largest english army ever
