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ANGLOS SAXONS & NORMAN ENGLAND Flashcards

1
Q

What was Anglo-Saxon Social System like?

A
  • population of roughly 2 million people
  • Life expectancy was low
    -There was a clear hierarchy in society:
    1.King
    2. Earls
    3. Thegns
    4. Ceorls
    5. Peasants
    6. Slaves
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2
Q

What were Earls roles in society and how large groups were these?

A

-Very small
- 2nd most important people
- Controlled earldoms

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3
Q

What were Thegns roles in society and how large were these groups?

A

-4,000 to 5,000 in c1060
- local lords who lived in earldoms
-become a thegn, a person had to hold five hides of land

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4
Q

What were Ceorls roles in society and how large were these groups?

A

-Small
-peasant farmers who were free to work for another lord
- still had to work for their thegn in return for land to farm

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5
Q

What were Peasant farmers roles in society and how large were these groups?

A
  • majority of England’s population
  • ## paid their thegn rent to farm a small piece of land for their families
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6
Q

What were Slaves roles in society and how large were these groups?

A
  • 10% of the population
  • an accepted part of Anglo-Saxon society
    -bought and sold by thegns
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7
Q

What were the Powers of the king?

A

-LANDOWNERSHIP = Could give and take away land.
-MILIAITARY = Call an army or Navy
-LAW-MAKING = Make laws for England
-TAXES = Decided when taxes should be paid
-MONEY = Control the process of money being made

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8
Q

What were the duties of the people during Edwards’s rule?

A

-Follow laws
-No forgery
-age of 12 made an oath of loyalty to the king
-Thegns and earls had to provide soldiers for the king. Peasants had to fight for the king.
-had to pay taxes

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9
Q

Why was Edward the confessor so powerful?

A

RESPECTED:

  1. Gifted law-maker: made laws that stopped long-standing family feuds
  2. Very pious : society believed he was “God’s representative on Earth”

-Not a warrior king - Relied on earls to make sure thegns provided soldiers and lead military force.

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10
Q

How were DANELAW limits to Edwards power?

A

-DANELAW :
Vikings had settled in large parts of Northern England. accepted Edward as king but wanted their local leaders to have more power so established the Danelaw that used Danish laws and customs to govern.

HOW WAS THAT A LIMIT?
-had to respect : refused to allow Danish laws, the Anglo-Danish community could rebel
-made administration hard for Edward: people in the Danelaw spoke a different language/Peasants and ceorls had more freedom/paid less tax

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11
Q

How was The Earl of Wessex limits to Edwards power?

A

-Earl of Wessex was Godwin
Wessex was the richest earldom in England
-The House of Godwin was as rich as the king
-The land that the family owned made it a powerful military force

HOW WAS THAT A LIMIT?
-already attempted to rebel
In c1051, Edward exiled Godwin (bcs Disloyalty towards the king)

-Godwin’s power intimidated Edward
-returned from exile in 1052 with an army
-Godwin forced Edward to give the earldom of Wessex back to him
Edward’s acceptance undermined his power as king

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12
Q

Who were the Witan?

A

-Witan was a council of important English aristocrats including earls and archbishops

-advised the king on matters such as:
The threat of foreign powers
Religious issues
How to resolve land disputes

  • king did not have to listen to the Witan
  • a king died, it had to approve who would become the next king
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13
Q

How did Harold become earl beforehand?

A
  • Viking King of England Cnut chose Godwin to become the Earl of Wessex because of his honesty and loyalty
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14
Q

What royal powers did the earls possess in terms of taxes?

A

-collect taxes in earldoms
-keep 1/3 of what was collected
-use taxes to defend the earldom

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15
Q

What royal powers did the earls possess in terms of the law?

A

-be judge in criminal cases
-control and influence lives of people in the earldom

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16
Q

What royal powers did the earls possess in terms of military?

A

-be a military leader in battles
-Maintain pro-soldiers called housecarls
-ensure that thegns provided soldiers

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17
Q

What were the The Limits to Anglo-Saxon Earls?

A

-Limited power:
Earls faced harsh punishments if they defied the king. Punishments included:
The loss of the earldom
Exile
Death

-Thegns could demand that the king remove an earl from his position:
EXP:
1065, Edward removed and exiled Tostig, the Earl of Northumbria and son of Godwin
The Northumbrian thegns protested against Tostig for the way he ruled Northumbria

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18
Q

How was the local area divided in Anglo-Saxon England?

A
  1. shires
  2. hundreds: BASED ON AROUND 100 HIDES But no all had this amount
  3. tithings: Group of 10 household
  4. hides: Smallest unit of land. Each hide had to provide taxes and provide military service to thegns and earls
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19
Q

What were the features of shires?

A
  • SOCIAL : Own courts to hear criminal cases
  • POLITICAL : political representative of the king. They were called shire reeves

-ECONOMIC : contained a burh which were the centres of trade for each shire

-MILITAIRY : had to provide soldiers for the army called the fyrd

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20
Q

What were The Shire Reeves and their duties?

A

-local government officials that operated in each shire
- Kings communicated to the shire reeves through letters with his royal seal on them

DUTIES:
-Collect rent
-Collect geld tax - Geld tax was a land tax that the king used to pay off Viking invaders
-Collect fines imposed by the shire courts
- Act as witnesses to oversee judgements in the shire courts
-Upkeep roads and walls

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21
Q

What was the Fyrd?

A

military force available to the king in times of war

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22
Q

What were the 2 types of Fyrd?

A

-The select fyrd
-The general fyrd

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23
Q

Explain the select fyrd.

A

-fight anywhere in England
-Consisted of thegns and their followers
-Well-equipped with weapons, armour and horses
-serve the fyrd for 40 days

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24
Q

Explain the general fyrd.

A
  • fought in their local area
    -Consisted of the general population
    -limited weaponry such as pitchforks and clubs
  • serve the fyrd for 40 days
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25
What was a blood feud?
-a revenge system in Anglo-Saxon society -If a family killed a member of another family, the victim's family had the right to murder someone in the murderer's family -This is a cycle that continued for decades
26
Why were blood feuds an issue in Anglo-Saxon society?
-Blood feuds could continue for generations Blood feuds could almost wipe out entire families -Blood feuds affected whole communities Blood feuds could draw in other families Violence could spread across towns and villages
27
What was The solution to blood feuds?
the Wergild -The murderer's family had to pay compensation to the victim's family: A ceorl's family received 20 shillings A thegn's family received 1,200 shillings An earl or an archbishop's family received 3,600 shillings
28
What was the Hue and Cry?
-community's effort to hunt down a criminal: Each member of the tithing had to support the effort to find the criminal If a member of the tithing refused, they had to pay a fine
29
The men of the tithing had to enforce the good behaviour....
Collective responsibility means that law and order was everyone's duty
30
What Were Burhs?
Burhs were fortified towns in Anglo-Saxon England
31
How important were burhs in Anglo-Saxon England?
- 10% of the population lived in burhs by 1066 -Burhs were well-planned Burhs connected to other burhs by road -15 to 20 miles between each burh If a Viking attacked a person or a settlement, people could flee to another burh -Burhs were an important source of income for the king
32
What Beliefs did Anglo-Saxons have?
- c1060 believed in Christianity -Anglo-Saxons prayed to Anglo-Saxon and Celtic saints -Anglo-Saxons were very religious: worried about their afterlife/ spent significant time doing religious activities such as pilgrimages
33
What issues did bishops cause in Anglo-Saxon England?
Anglo-Saxons may not have trusted bishops Conflict between bishops and thegns Bishops selected priests
34
Edward the Confessor and the Church realtionship like?
-pious man -when the church anointed Edward, he became God's representative on Earth -England was prosperous. Edwrds blessings from God -Edward spent a lot of his later life dedicated to the Church
35
Who were the Godwins?
-an important aristocratic family in Anglo-Saxon England -Godwin was Earl of Wessex BCS helped Edward the Confessor to become King -Godwin died in 1053 He left the earldom of Wessex to his son, Harold Godwinson
36
What was Harold title, year of title and advantage of it?
-Earl of Wessex -1053 - had control of the richest earldom in England/king's adviser
37
What was Tostig title, year of title and advantage of it?
-Earl of Northumbria -1055 -had control in the North of England
38
What was Gyrth title, year of title and advantage of it?
-Earl of East Anglia -1057 -With his brother Leofwine, controlled the whole of East England
39
What was Leofwine title, year of title and advantage of it?
-Earl of a smaller earldom in the south-west Midlands -1057 -With his brother Gyrth, controlled the whole of East England
40
How did Edith bring more power to the Godwins family?
-She marries Edward the confessor
41
Why was the House of Godwin so Powerful?
1.) owned a vast amount of land in England 2.) By the 1060s, the Godwins had nearly as much money as Edward the Confessor -The Godwins held key areas of England:Wessex defended England from invasions and attacks from France 3.)The earldom of Hereford was used to launch attacks on Wales -earldoms also increased through political marriages Godwin's daughter Edith was the wife of Edward the Confessor 4.) -Harold's first wife, Edith the Fair, had claims to large areas of land in East Anglia 5.) 1066, Harold married a different Edith. She was the widow of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, the King of Wales
42
Who were the Two of their biggest rivals of the Godwins?
Aelfgar, the Earl of Mercia Llywelyn, the King of Wales
43
How did Mercia Threaten the Power of the House of Godwin?
-Aelfgar profited from Godwin's exile in 1051 STORY TIME: Edward gave Aelfgar the earldom of East Anglia Edward forced Aelfgar to return the earldom to Godwin in 1052 Aelfgar continued to fight for the control of East Anglia in the 1060s
44
How did Wales Threaten the Power of the House of Godwin?
Llywelyn was very powerful Llywelyn brought the whole kingdom of Wales under his control in 1055 In 1055, Llywelyn fought alongside Aelfgar against Edward the Confessor Aelfgar was the house of Godwin's biggest threat Llywelyn's involvement in the failed attack made Llywelyn an enemy of the Godwins In 1062, Aelfgar died Aelfgar's death left Llywelyn vulnerable to the house of Godwin Harold sailed to South Wales and Tostig marched an army to North Wales The Godwins' armies killed Llywelyn Harold sent Llywelyn's head to Edward Harold chose the new King of Wales to ensure they were loyal to him
45
Positives between the Godwins and Edward
-Edward relied on the House of Godwin to fight foreign threats. EXP:He made Tostig Earl of Northumbria instead of the rightful heir, Waltheof. Tostig was old enough to lead an army against the threat of Norway. Edward was married to Godwin's daughter, Edith. This made Edward a relation to the Godwins. Any sons that Edith and Edward produced would become claimants to the English throne
46
Negatives between the Godwins and Edward
Edward knew that the house of Godwin was too powerful. In 1050, Edward exiled Godwin. Godwin had refused to punish Dover after they attacked an embassy from Boulogne Edward had offered William, the Duke of Normandy, the English throne upon his death. Edward insisted this was on condition of William's support against Godwin
47
How was Edward Connected to Normandy?
-His mother was from Normandy -Vikings seized his father's throne and exiled Edward and his family to Normandy in 1016 -Edward lived in exile in Normandy for 25 years -continued his connection with Normandy after he became king in 1042 He brought Norman friends into the royal court
48
Why did Edward's Connection with Normandy Annoy the Godwins?
In 1042, Edward appointed some Norman aristocrats to key positions in England Robert, abbot of Jumièges, became the bishop of London in 1043 The appointments of Normans angered English earls like Godwin The earls did not like their power being taken away by Normans It led to Godwin's defiance of the king and his exile in 1050
49
Harold's Embassy to Normandy
1. Lands in Ponthieu between normanday and flanders 2. Count guy of ponthieu captures harold. William persuades Guy to hamd harold over 3.Harold assists william in 2 militairy campains. Williams gift harold in amour and weapons 4. Harold passes message from edward to william. Harold swear oath an oath to williamon holy relics
50
Why was Harold's Embassy to Normandy Important?
Edward trusted Harold on important missions The embassy shows the close relationship between England and Normandy Harold gained a reputation as an oath-breaker
51
Why was the earldom of Northumbria difficult to rule?
-There were key differences in the Danelaw >There were more ceorls in the Danelaw >This meant peasants had more freedom -The people in the Danelaw paid less tax >Geld tax originally paid the Vikings not to attack England >As many Vikings settled in Northumbria, the tax was not taken from them - language barrierS
52
Tostig as earl of northumbria.
Edward the Confessor gave Tostig the earldom of Northumbria in 1055 Tostig ruled Northumbria for ten years Tostig's style of rule caused a rebellion against him in 1065
53
Causes of the uprising against Earl Tostig
Edward chose a southerner to become the Earl of Northumbria = Northumbrians felt the South was interfering with the Danelaw. tostig increased taxes in Northumbria=The Danelaw had been exempt from high taxes. The increase angered the Northumbrians tostig accused his enemies of false crimes to take money and land away from them=abusing his power as earl Tostig had a friendship with Malcolm III, King of Scotland=Malcolm raided Northumbria in 1061. Tostig agreed to peace terms instead of seeking revenge. In 1064, Tostig murdered two of Gospatric's followers. Gospatric was an important Northumbrian aristocrat=Tostig had invited Gospatric's followers to York as guests. Killing people under hospitality was a serious offence.
54
The events in the uprising against Earl Tostig
Northumbrians rebels march to York The rebels kill tostigs follower Tostig declared outlaw by rebels. They do not consider him as earl Rebels ask morcar to rule northumbria
55
Edwards and the witan Response to the Rebellion Against Tostig
Northumbrian uprising against Tostig began in October 1065 Edward assembled his advisers to decide how to react to the uprising They decided: Tostig's actions in Northumbria were wrong Harold, should meet with the Northumbrian rebels and agree to peace terms Edward should exile Tostig Tostig's exile began on 1st November
56
Harolds response to the rebellion against tostig?
Tostig’s brother, Harold Godwinson )was sent to deal with it but ended up accepting the rebels’ demands — betraying Tostig.
57
Did the Rebellion Against Tostig Weaken Edward the Confessor's Power?
YES -ordered his earls to raise an army to support Tostig BUT Harold and the other earls ignored the king's demands -Edward was not a warrior king -had to accept the peace terms UNDERMEINING HIS POWER AS KING
58
What Caused the Death of Edward the Confessor?
-Edward was unwell in 1065 -roughly 63 years old when he died on 5th January 1066
59
Why did Edward the Confessor's Death Cause a Succession Crisis?
1.) Edward and his wife Edith did not have any children meaning no heir 2.)Several people had claims to the English throne leaving up to witan
60
What was Harold Godwinson's Claim to the Throne?
Harold believed that Edward's dying wish was for him to become King of England
61
What was Harold Strength of his claim?
-His sister, Edith, was married to Edward the Confessor gave family connection to the king - most powerful earl meaning power over witan -Witnesses heard Edward's deathbed promise to Harold -proven himself as a skilled military leader.
62
What was Harold's Weakness of his claim?
- not a blood relative -King Edward did not fully trust Harold Godwinson -witnesses were loyal to Harold meaning they could have lied
63
What was Edgar Aethling's Claim to the Throne?
-Aethling was King Edward's great-nephew
64
What was Edgar's Strength of his claim?
- blood connection to Edward + (Aethling' meant 'prince of royal blood) -father died in 1057, Edward took care of Edgar during his childhood implying personal relationship
65
What was Edgar's Weakness of his claim?
-very few political connections. He had no powerful earls on his side -Edward did not do anything at this time to boost Edgar's chance of succession implying didn’t back him -Edgar was only a teenager (15)
66
What was Harald Hardrada's Claim to the Throne?
-Using the claims of earlier Viking rulers linked to England
67
What was Harald Hadrada's Strength of his claim?
-Harthacnut lost Norway to Magnus. After Harthacnut's death, Magnus tried to claim England but failed. Hardrada ruled Norway and later claimed the English throne. -'Hardrada' meant 'stern ruler.' England would have a warrior king again -support of Tostig Godwinson - Hardrada had a large army. He has around 15,000 warriors and 300 longships.
68
What was Harald Hadrada's Weakness of his claim?
-incredibly weak claim
69
What was William

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