Hereward The Wake And Rebellion At Ely 1070-71 Flashcards
What was some background info on the rebellion ?
Spring 1070 king Swein of Norway brings a fleet to England threatening invasion
Where was the Danish fleet ?
Ely, at the time this was a small marshy island making it hard to attack
What happened to the isle of Ely?
Became a hub for English rebels and their leader Hereward
He proved a good rebellion leader but couldn’t of got support if he tried for king
What do we know about Hereward ?
Very little
It’s likely he was a Thegn but we really don’t know all that much about Hereward
Who happens to join the rebels in 1071?
Morcar joins the rebels at Ely
His brother Edwin had been murdered around this time aswell
How did William deal with the rebellion (Danes) ?
He dealt with it himself
- since the Danes only wanted money they could be bribed so he sent a message offering King Swein gold which worked- again !
The Danes leave
How did William deal with the rebels (English)? First and second attempt, what happens to Hereward and what happens to the rebels
He surrounded the isle of Ely
- ordered his men to build a causeway to cross the marshland however their first attempt does not work and many of his men on horse back drowned
- he makes a second bridge using boats and covering them with planks which works
- In the chaos Hereward slips away however we cannot be certain about this as there are no records of his fate
- Morcar yet again surrenders and is imprisoned for life, most rebels are mutilated
What did William do to the rebels that where captured ?
- he ordered for them to have theirs hands and/or feet cut off or have their eyes put out
- this acted as a strong incentive not to try and rebel
