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Anglo-Saxons Flashcards

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1
Q

What were the powers of the King?

A
  1. Law-making
  2. Distribution of land
  3. Taxation
  4. Raising the fyrd
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2
Q

What is Divine right of kings?

A

That Kings were chosen by God to be His messenger and rule for Him

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3
Q

Who were the Witan?

A

A council of aristocrats such as
* Archbishops
* Bishops
* Earls
* Thegns
who acted as the King’s advisors

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4
Q

What did the Witan do?

A
  1. Discussed possible threats from foreign powers
  2. Resolved religious matters
  3. Approved new Kings
  4. Resolve land disputes
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5
Q

What was an Earl?

A

6 Wealthy landowners who owned a large area of land known as an Earldom

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6
Q

What were the Earls responsible for? (3 points)

A
  1. Collecting taxes
  2. Overseeing law and order
  3. Granted military powers
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7
Q

What are the names of the four main Earldoms?

A
  1. Wessex
  2. Northumbria
  3. East Anglia
  4. Mercia
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8
Q

What is a shire

A

Small divisions of an Earldom

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9
Q

What were shires divided into?

A

Hundreds (100 hides of land)

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10
Q

What were hundreds divided into?

A

Tithings (10 households)

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11
Q

What’s a Hide

A

120 acres of land

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12
Q

What was a Burh?

A

Trading centres in the main town of a shire, where taxed trade took place by law

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13
Q

Who are Shire-reeves

A

a man (Sheriffs) who was the representative of the King in a town, city, or a shire.

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14
Q

What were the roles of the shire-reeves (3 points).

A
  1. Collected geld taxes
  2. Enforced the law
  3. Provide men for the fyrd
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15
Q

What is collective responsibility

A

If one member of a tithing broke the law, the rest were responsible for bringing him to court or would be punished themselves.

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16
Q

What is hue and cry

A

Anyone in the community could call on all
the others to help them track down a criminal

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17
Q

What is trial by ordeal

A

God was asked to judge cases where community courts could not decide.

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18
Q

What was a blood feud?

A

A revenge system based on if someone was killed, the victim’s family had the right to kill someone from the murderer’s family

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19
Q

What was a wergild

A

Compensation paid to avoid blood feud based off of the severity of a crime and who the crime was against

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20
Q

What are thegns

A

Anglo-Saxon warrior/noble class
with five hides of land or more.

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21
Q

What were ceorls

A

Freer workmen that carried out services such as farming

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22
Q

What was the role of slaves

A

Treated as property: people who could be bought and sold

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23
Q

How did trade give England a strong economy?

A

It had strong trade links with Scandinavia, Normandy and Flanders

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24
Q

What is Subsistence economy

A

an economy in which people produce food, clothes, etc. for their own use

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25
Q

What is Exchange economy

A

When surplus supplies are produced and are able to be bartered (sealed) for goods

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26
Q

How did taxes gives England a strong economy?

A

The efficient tax system boosted the earnings of
the king and also the income of his nobles

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27
Q

How did the control of money give England a strong economy?

A

Burhs (trading centres) meant money was reliable as it kept its value and trade could be taxed

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28
Q

How did the Church contribute to Anglo-Saxon England?

A
  1. Provided education (as most people were illiterate)
  2. Arch/Bishops sat on the Witan advising the king
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29
Q

What was a Burh?

A

Trading centres in the main town of a shire

30
Q

What was the House of Godwin?

A

The Godwinson family

31
Q

How did the House of Godwin family increase their power and influence?

A
  • Political marriage
  • Vast amount of land
  • Accumulation of wealth (more than the king)
32
Q

Describe Harold’s embassy to Normandy

A

Harold ‘allegedly’ swore on holy relics that he would support Williams claim to the English throne

33
Q

Describe the early tension between Tostig and Harold

A

Tostig’s unpopular rule caused for Harold to replace him with Earl Morcar as Earl of Northumbria

34
Q

Why was there a revolt against Tostig?

A

Many Northumbrians believed that Tostig was abusing his power and authority in Northumbria

35
Q

Why was their a succession crisis

A

Edward the confessor had died with no heir

36
Q

What was Harold Godwinson’s claim to the throne

A
  1. Allegedly appointed successor by the King before his death
  2. Had full support from the Witan
37
Q

Why was Edgar Aethling’s claim to the throne weakened

A

Although Edwards nephew and natural heir he was only a teenager

38
Q

What was Harold Hardrada’s claim to the throne (3 points)

A
  1. A secret deal made
    between two other Vikings
  2. a descendant of King Cnut
  3. Had Tostig’s support
39
Q

What was William the conqueror’s claim to the throne (2 points)

A
  1. Edward had sworn on holy relics
  2. Had alleged support from the King and the Pope
40
Q

What was the reason for the Battle of Gate Fulford

A

Hardrada and Tostig marched up to York with 10,000 warriors to claim the English throne

41
Q

Describe the events of the Battle of Gate Fulford

A
  1. Edwin and Morcar were outnumbered (only had 4000 men while the opposition had 10,000)
  2. Battle was a defeat for Edwin and Morcar who managed to escape
42
Q

Describe the events of The battle at Stamford bridge

A
  1. Harold’s army surprised the Vikings at Stamford
  2. Both Tostig and Hardrada were killed in battle
43
Q

How did Harold win the Battle of Stamford Bridge (2 points)

A
  1. Vikings left their armour on their ships
  2. Hardrada and Tostig had less men and energy from the prior battle at Fulford Gate
44
Q

What were threats to King William’s control

A
  • Still needed to defend Normandy from enemies in France
  • Danger that the Vikings would invade
45
Q

Marcher Earldoms

A
  • Didn’t have to pay taxes: Normans had more money increasing William’s support
  • Free to build castles: Creates a hierarchy and enforces Normanisation
  • Earls: complete control over legal system, similar rights to the king
  • Smaller in size so that earls had more control over the area
46
Q

How did William secure his power in England

A
  • Ordered soldiers to destroy homes to force surrender
  • Approach London slowly to cause more destruction to increase chance of surrendering
  • Kept Archbishops the same as he didn’t want to upset the Pope
  • Let Earls keep land and position to create a trusting image
47
Q

Role of motte and bailey castles

A
  • Motte was a mound of earth roughly five to seven metres high that the keep was built upon so they could see attackers from far
  • Had a moat so it would be more difficult for others to attack
  • Drawbridge could be pulled up making harder for an attacker to break in
48
Q

Why did the earls submit

A
  • Williams strategy of destruction made Anglo-Saxons afraid of him
  • William had captured the royal treasury so the earls couldn’t pay for support
  • England’s best warriors had been killed at Hastings
49
Q

How did King William award loyalty

A
  • Land - William as the king owned all the land but was able to reward it to Normans and Anglo-Saxons
  • Geld tax - William raised geld tax to gain enough to pay his mercenaries
50
Q

Why did William create marcher earldoms

A
  • To reward his followers
  • To increase his control of England
  • To minimise the threat of Wales
51
Q

What were the causes of the revolt of edwin and morcar

A
  • Both Edwin and Morcar had their lands shrunk and their power reduced
  • Geld tax was increased and was mostly payed by Anglo-Saxon earls
52
Q

Events of the revolt of Edwin and Morcar

A
  • Brothers gained support from nobles such as Edgar Aethling
  • Fled north and led a rebellion against William
  • William sent his private army to Mercia and Northumbria
  • Built castles in Warwick and Nottingham (Mercia)
  • The brothers surrendered
53
Q

Events of Edgar Aethling and the Uprising in York

A
  • Rebels of York kill their Norman governor
    *Edgar aethling and his troops leave Scotland to join rebels and they attack Norman Sherriff of York
  • William arrives with army and builds castle in York
  • William orders FitzOsbern to control the North
54
Q

Events of the Anglo-Danish rebellion

A
  • Edgar the Aethling allied with King Sweyn to capture North of England
  • Rebels laid siege to York
  • William retook control of York
  • Harrying of the North was a response
55
Q

How many people died due to the Harrying of the North

A

100,000 - 150,000

56
Q

Why did Hereward the Wake oppose King William

A
  • Edward the confessor exiled Hereward
  • When he returns a Norman lord has claimed his family land
  • William had replaced Archbishop of Peterborough with a Norman
57
Q

Describe the rebellion in ely

A

Danish fleet migrate to Ely which is different to navigate throught
Due Danelaw makes connection with Hereward the wake
* Hereward and Danes raided Peterborough Abbey of gold and silver
* King William the Conqueror besieged Ely, built castles and quickly raised an army
* Morcar joins
* Bribed monks to direct soldiers through the marshland
* Captured Morcar & Hereward escaped

58
Q

Why did the Rebellion of Ely fail

A
  • Loss of Danish raiders
  • Determination of William’s troops to cross the marshland
  • Norman bribery
59
Q

Revolt of the earls

A
  • Roger tells Waltheof the plan to rebel at Ralph’s marriage
  • Roger and Ralph believe Waltheof being Anglo Saxon would support
  • Waltheof contacted King Sweyn to provide the revolt Danish support
  • Earls wait till William leave for Normandy
  • Waltheof informs Lanfranc of the revolt and the Danish fleet arrive too late for the rebellion to be successful
60
Q

What are Tenants in chiefs

A

Consisted of Barons and Bishops

61
Q

What what were the roles of tenants in chiefs

A
  • Stop rebellions
  • Provide soldiers for William’s army
  • Reallocate/seize land
62
Q

Why did Anglo Saxons lose their land by 1087

A
  • Involvement of rebellions
  • Seized to create new earldoms
63
Q

What are under tenants

A

Knights which would pay homage and do knight service for tenants in chief

64
Q

How did William enforce his legitimacy

A
  • Edward the confessor promised William the throne
  • William was the cousin of Edward the confessor
  • Harold broke his oath by claiming the throne so Williams win at the battle of Hasting reaffirmed his legitimacy
65
Q

How did William maintain control of england

A
  • Domesday Book
  • Marcher earldoms
  • Castle building
  • Oath taking
  • Land owning
66
Q

Reasons for a need of reformation in church

A
  • Pluralism
  • Nepotism
  • Simony
67
Q

What are the forest laws

A

Protect animals for his pastime

68
Q

What is the domesday book

A

Commissioners enquire about land, wealth and animals.
* Can be used to locate resources and where to get more soldiers
* Can record holdings of each Tenant in chief

69
Q

How did Odo abuse his power

A
  • William rewarded him for his Loyalty
  • Got given the earldom of Kent
  • Abused his power by seizing church land
  • William pardoned him
70
Q

Odo’s rebellion

A
  • William Rufus was made king after William the confessor died
  • Odo believed this role should of gone to Robert Curthouse
71
Q

Why did Odo’s rebellion fail

A
  • Lack of support from Robert or nobles
  • Rufus sieged Rochester castle
  • Made agreements with the rebels satisfying them
72
Q

Robert Curthose rebellion

A
  • Robert gets into physical fight with his brothers
  • Angry that his father doesn’t punish his brothers so they attempt to capture Rouen castle
  • William’s enemy King Philip gives Robert a castle
  • Robert launches raids - William raises an army
  • Robert knocks William off his horse embarrassing him
  • Robert is reinstated as heir

History (4 decks)

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