Normans Flashcards
Who were the 3 claimants to the throne after Edward the confessor died?
Harold Godwinson
Harald Hardrada
William Duke of Normandy
When was the Battle of Stamford Bridge?
September 1066
Stamford bridge battle: what was the size of Harold Godwinson’s army and how far did they travel?
10,000 men
300km
Name Godwinson’s supporters (earls)
Morcar and Edwin
When the Saxons attacked the Vikings, how many men did a single Viking deserter kill?
40
How was the Viking berserker defeated?
A Saxon warrior floated under the bridge and wounded him with a spear
Who won the battle of Stamford Bridge?
Harold Godwinson
Where did William of Normandy land?
Pevensey
How far did Godwinson match his army south for the battle of Hastings?
300km
How did Godwinson defend against the Norman attack?
He set up a shield wall on a nearby hill
How did William defeat the shield wall?
False retreat - Norman’s faked running away, Saxons chased down hill and were surrounded
How was Godwinson killed?
Arrow to the eye (supposedly)
When and where did William crown himself king, William the Conqueror?
Christmas Day, 1066
London
What did William build after becoming king?
Castles and cathedrals
How many castles were there by 1086?
Over 100 across England
What were the castles made of before the Normans replaced them with stone keeps and stone walls?
Motte and Bailey wood
What was William I’s palace and when was it finally finished?
The white Tower (Tower of London)
1504
Why did the Norman’s build cathedrals at Durham and York?
To promote Christianity in England and show support to the pope in Rome
Who ruled shires?
Barons
What order is the feudal system? Lowest to highest
Peasants
Knights
Barons (nobles)
King
Why did William give his best barons land?
So the barons would provide William with knights and taxes from each shire
How did feudal system work?
Peasants would pay taxes and work on land owned by knights. Knights rented land to peasants. Barons gave loyal knights land. Barons gave William knights and taxes.
What was the Domesday book for?
To record the amount of land, money, and livestock the people of England owned.
Where did monks and nuns live?
Monasteries and nunneries
What did monks and nuns do?
Grew herbs for medicine and brewed beer
How much was the tax for churches?
A tenth of the food grown each month
What else did monks do?
Created books/manuscripts and illustrated them
What specialist workers were at markets? Give and example location.
Blacksmiths, carpenters, weavers.
Ledbury.
