Chapter 1 Flashcards
Describe the role of slaves in Anglo-Saxon society
-10% of the population were slaves.
-They could be bought and sold.
-If slaves committed crimes they may not have been punished as much as it would affect their ability to work
-They were seen as property
Describe the role of Peasant farmers in Anglo-Saxon society
-The majority of the population were peasant farmers (around 89%)
-They rented out small farms and worked for themselves and their families
- If they did not do work for thegns they could lose the right to use the land
Describe the role of Ceorls in Anglo-Saxon society
-They were a group of peasants who were free to go and work for another lord if they wanted to
- They still had to carry out services for Thegns
Describe the role of Thegns in Anglo-Saxon society
-Thegns were local lords
-There were between 4000-5000 thegns by 1060
-They held more land than peasants and lived in the manor house with a tower and separate church
Describe the role of Earls in Anglo-Saxon society
-They were the most important men after the king
-The relationship between the earls and the king was based on loyalty
-Earls competed against each other to get more of the kings trust and respect
What were the powers to the king in the English monarchy 1060
Lawmaking
Money
Landownership
Military power
Taxation
What were the duties of the people in the English monarchy in 1060
-Obey the laws
-Using the kings coins (forging coins were a crime)
-Use land properly
-Landholders had to provide fighters for the army
-pay taxes
Why was Edward the confessor so powerful
-He had thegns and earls with strong military power
-He was a respected Law-maker
-He was very religious
What were the limits to king Edwards power
Half the country were ruled by Danish Vikings and under Danelaw
Earl Godwin was the richest earldom, and was richer than the king
Describe the role of the Witan in the Anglo-Saxon Government
The witan was a council that advised the king on issues of government, it was made up of the Earls, and archbishops. It discussed:
-Possible threats from foreign powers
-Religious affairs
-Land disputes and how to settle them
What powers did the earls have Economically
They were responsible for collecting taxes, and received a share of the revenue, this allowed them to use their economic power to rule their earldom
What powers did earls have socially
They oversaw justice and legal punishments in their earldom. This gave the earls strong social powers: controlling and influencing the way people lived
Explain the military power the earls had
They had great military power. They were the lords to many hundreds of thegns. They also maintained elite soldiers as bodyguards, known as housecarls
What were the limits to the earls powers
The earls powers relied on the strength of the thegns, this could lead to them being stripped from their title as earls if the thegns wanted to. e.g. Tostig lost his earldom
What were shire reeves
The shire reeves or sheriffs, were the kings local government officials and they worked within the earldom to look after the kings interests, such as:
-collecting tax and revenue from the kings land
-collecting fines from the shire court
-enforcing and witnessing law in the shire court
What was the fryd
It was a military service for the king:
-the select fryd gathered men to fight anywhere in England
-The general fryd gathered men to fight who didn’t travel outside their local area
When did Harold become earl of wessex
1053
When was Tostig made earl of Northumbria
1055
When was Harold’s embassy to Normandy
1064
When was the uprising against earl Tostig and when was Tostig exiled
1065
When was the death of Edward the confessor and when did Harold become king
1066
Explain Harold Godwinson’s succession as the Earl of wessex
-Harold succeeded his father as earl of Wessex this gave him riches and influence over hundreds of thegns
-In 1055, Tostig Godwinson became the earl of Northumbria
Why did King Edward allow the Godwinson’s to have so much power
-Edward married a member of the Godwinson family
-England was under threat from Norway, meaning that Edward needed earls to be strong military leaders
What happened during Harold Godwinson’s embassy to Normandy?
Harold travelled to France and spent time with William. Harold helped him with two military campaigns, which resulted in William giving Harold gifts of weapons and armour. This was seen as a symbolic relationship between a lord and his warrior
What were the different reasons on why Harold went to France
The Normans said that Edward commissioned Harold to go talk to William about plans for Williams succession
The Anglo-Saxon interpretation is that Harold went to recover two hostages from William
What were the reasons for the rising of Tostig
-Tostig’s friendship with the king of Scotland meant that he didn’t defend Northumbria from Scottish attacks. e.g in 1061 The king of Scotland caused a lot of damage while Tostig was away
-Tostig had been unjust when imposing new laws and abused his powers to get rid of rivals
-Tostig taxed Northumbria too heavily, areas with Danelaw resented this greatly
What happened during the rising against Tostig?
In 1065 There was an Uprising against Tostig lead by important Northumbrian thegns
When was the rising against Tostig
1065
What was Harold’s response to the uprising
Harold agreed Tostig went too far, this resulted in Tostig accusing of Harold conspiring against him.
Harold and the other earls also made excuses to King Edward claiming their armies were occupied
Explain the significance of the rising against Tostig
The Rising of Tostig was very significant as it weakened England and caused Harold to increase his control and power over England
What happened after the death of Edward the Confessor
After king Edwards death there was a dispute over the successor of the king as Edward had no children
What was the Motives and claim of Harold Godwinson to be King
His claim was that he was appointed as King Edwards successor by the king himself. Harold also had many connections to king Edward
What was the Motives and claim of Edgar Aethling to be King
Edgar was the nephew of king Edward, however he was only a teenager and lacked power and tactics to defend against foreign threats
What was the Motives and claim of Harald Hadrada to be King
He claimed he made a secret deal alongside the other Vikings with Edward to be king. Although his claim was weak, Hardrada had a strong military with 15,000 warriors and 300 ships
What was the Motives and claim of William of Normandy to be King
William claimed he had an agreement with Edward to become king. Despite of him lacking evidence, Williams position to invade and conquer England was far greater than Hardrada’s
What role did the Witan play in the succession crisis?
The Witan chose who would be the next king , however the witan would be influenced by the needs of the kingdom
Describe the coronation and reign of Harold Godwinson
Harold had many challenges alongside his coronation such as:
-Other powerful Anglo-Saxon earls, wanted to become king
-Tostig, was travelling, looking for allies against Harold
- William of Normandy, there were reports that William was building an invasion fleet
What happened during the Battle of Gate Fulford
It was a battle between Hardrada and two Earls Edwin and Morcar, the battle fell towards Hardrada Because of his well prepared army
What was the significance of the Battle of Gate Fulford
The battle was significant as it meant Harold’s army had to March to Hardrada’s army, meaning that Harold and his army weren’t in place to stop Williams army from invading.
Edwin and Morcar’s strategic errors lead to Harold losing many men
Edwin and Morcar were weakened after the battle so they couldn’t fight in the battle of Hastings
What happened during the Battle of Stamford Bridge
It was a battle between Harold’s and Hardrada’s army. Harold’s army were victorious because of several reasons
What was the significance of the battle of Stamford bridge.
Harold’s success at taking Hardrada by surprise might have made him over confident. Instead of waiting for William to fortify his base, his army rushed into battle facing fatal consequences
Harold’s march south again must have made his remaining army less prepared than William’s calvalry.
What were the reasons why Hadrada’s army won the battle of gate fullford
Hardrada and Tostig launched an attack on eastern England, Hardrada’s fleet had 200-300 ships and 10,000 Vikings.
The battle ended in a defeat for Edwin and Morcar because:
-They were outnumbered by 3,000 soldiers
-Hardrada’s soldiers were battle hardened veterans, with clever tactics
-Edwin and Morcar’s troops were stationed in front of a marsh land, so they had no where to run too
What were the reasons for the defeat of Hardrada’s army in the battle of Stamford bridge
The Viking army had left their weapons and shields with them but left their armour on the ship
Harold had taken their army by surprise
Hardrada’s army had fought the battle of gate Fulford 5 days prior
Harold’s army had broken through Hardrada’s shield wall
What were the reasons for William’s victory in the battle of Hastings
- Harold didn’t achieve a surprise attack - Williams scouts informed him about Harold’s advances
- William sent his foot soldiers in first - The Norman foot soldiers had
- William showed his face - There was Rumors that William had died, when William revealed his face, the soldiers felt motivated and pushed on
- The Feigned retreat - As progress was slow William decided to fake a retreat. This caused the Shield wall to break up and allowed William’s soldiers to pick off Harold’s soldiers
What were the advantages and disadvantages of Williams Cavalry
+
They had a height advantage to strike down in combat
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Horses were vulnerable to attack
What were the advantages and disadvantages of Harold’s Housecarls
+
Had heavy axes which were effective against Cavalry and Shield walls
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Depended on discipline and endurance
Describe Williams Army
William had:
800 knights
4000-6000 foot soldiers
Describe Harold’s army
6000-7000 men
