Who were the Normans?

The Normans (from Nortmanni:

Northmen) were originally pagan
barbarian pirates from Denmark,
Norway, and Iceland who began to
make destructive plundering raids on
European coastal
settlements in the 8th century. During
the later 9th century their raids on the
northern and western coastlands of

France grew in scale and frequency,
and the Vikings had secured a
permanent foothold on Frankish soil in
the valley of the lower Seine River by
about 900.


Introduction
From his native civilization Norse
sagas we offer extensive
information: professing a
polytheistic religion with many
supernatural beings (this is no news
in the
Eddas), known runic writing, family
clans were organized and had
basic agriculture and livestock
based autarky, however they were
expert navigators, lighter and
stronger building boats. However,
contemporary accounts do not

mention Scandinavian social
structures as the thing (assemblies of
free men) or Hundreds on Norman
soil, but a typically feudal structure,
exist in Denmark and the Danelaw
of England

The Government Structure
William preserved much English
government machinery, partly
because of practical necessity,
because the Normans were always
ready to adapt what they found, and
because he considered himself the
legitimate successor to
the English crown. There was,
however, the almost complete
imposition of a new, French-
speaking group of officials, who
looked not to Scandinavia but
across the Channel to France. The
lands of defeated Englishmen
were
parcelled out, which explains why
lords, even the king, had scattered
estates. By the end of Williams reign
in 1087 there were only two
Englishmen of any consequence
left in nobility, and only three
prelates.
Duchy of Normandy
The Duchy of Normandy grew out
of various invasions of West Francia
by Danish, Norwegian, Hiberno-
Norse,
Orkney Viking, and Anglo-Danish
(from the Danelaw) in the 9th
century. Normandy began in 911 as
a fief,

probably a county, in the sense that
it was held by a count. It was
established by the treaty of Saint-
Clair-sur-Epte between King

Charles III of West Francia and Rollo,
leader of the Vikings, known as
Northmen, or Nortmanni in Latin.
Originally coterminous with the
ecclesiastical province of Rouen
that was centered around Rouen
on the Seine and composed of the
northern portion of the
province of Neustria, Normandy
was later expanded by Rollo's
conquests westward into Breton
territory and southward to include
the areas of vreux and Alenon.
Eventually the County roughly
corresponded to the present-day
regions of Upper and Lower
Normandy of modern France. In
addition, the Channel Islands

remain under the British crown as
successors to the dukes of
Normandy. All of mainland
Normandy is now part of France,
and the Duchy now consists solely
of
the Channel Island Bailiwicks of
Jersey and Guernsey, which are
Crown dependencies of the British
Monarchy. The British sovereign is
the current Duke of Normandy

Domesday Book

Date: 1806

Language: Latn
is a manuscript that records the
great survey of much of England
and parts of Wales completed in
1086. The survey was
executed for William I of England
(William the Conqueror): "While
spending the Christmas time of 1085
in Gloucester, William had deep
speech with his

counsellors and sent men all over
England to each shire to find out
what or how much each
landholder had in land and
livestock, and what it was worth

At Christmas 1085, William I
commissioned a survey of his English
dominions. His bureaucrats (seven
or eight committees of bishops and
earls) interviewed representatives
from all over England on the
ownership of land in their locality.
The results were compiled in "the
King's great book" soon known as
the Domesday Book.
It is not clear for what purpose
William wanted the information
collected (he died in 1087). But it
soon influenced taxation levels, as
the government became aware
how wealthy English localities were.
Whether or not the Anglo-Saxon
kings compiled similar surveys, since
lost, Domesday Book makes it clear
that William had inherited (or
rapidly created) an efficient
administration.
The King-
Tenants in chief - who held
their fiefs (feudi) directly
from the king, generally by
knight's service
(Until 1290,
Subinfeudation allowed
a mesne lord to enfeoff
tenants of his own).
Sergeanty which required
specific non-military
services, from artisans,
lawyers &c.
Frankalmoign - the
tenancy most often
granted to religious
institutions, giving them
land in return for spiritual
services.
Feudal tenancies
The Norman Conquest
Edward the Confessor died on 5
January 1066. He was buried the
following day, when Harold was
crowned king. William
sent Lanfranc to Rome to obtain
papal backing. He called his
magnates to councils, but it was
necessary in many cases to use
force of personality, together with
offers of land to be won in England.

On 24 April, Halleys Comet blazed
for a week in the sky. An omen to
many, it appears on the Tapestry
near a worried Harold. The estuary
of the River Dives became the
assembly place for the fleet, said to
number 696 vessels, while the troops
began to
assemble nearby, but the wind
blew obstinately from a northerly
direction. Harold was guarding
family lands in the south, while an
English fleet, said to consist of 700
ships, patrolled the Channel.
On 8 September the English army
ran out of provisions and the fleet
was ordered to London to refit.
William took this opportunity to
move his ships some 160
miles eastwards along the coast to
Saint Valry-sur-Somme, but several
vessels were lost in storms.
Meanwhile, Harold had waited. In
early September came the threat
from Harald

Hardrada of Norway. Landing with
Tostig in the Humber, he defeated
Edwin and Morcars army at Gate
Fulford outside York on 20
September and demanded
hostages. Harold raced north,
surprised the Norsemen on 25
September and cut them to pieces
at Stamford Bridge. Hardrada and
Tostig were killed, but the south lay
unprotected.
The chroniclers assert that the wind
did not change direction until
about 27 September. However,
William may have deliberately
waited until the English army went
north,
before embarking. The horses
were presumably loaded using
ramps, the ships being brought
up at high tide, which was at
about 15:20 GMT.

The Landing
The fleet left before sunset,
probably about 17:00GMT, well
before low tide, assisted by
outflowing currents. Apparently
Williams ship, the Mora, a gift
from
his wife, moved so fast that it lost
sight of the others, so he dropped
anchor and called for a feast
aboard, to allay fears. As they
waited, the

ships came up. Two ships were
blown off course, to land near Old
Romney, where their crews were
killed by the English. The rest of the
ships crossed safely and, early next
morning the fleet arrived off
Pevensey.
In 1066 the town with its Roman
fortress lay on a spit of land on the
west side of a large tidal lagoon
with mud flats. The mouth of the
lagoon was partly closed by a
shingle bank. It is not clear where
the fleet disembarked.
In 1066 the town with its Roman
fortress lay on a spit of land on the
west side of a large tidal lagoon
with mud flats. The mouth of the
lagoon was partly closed by a
shingle bank. It is not clear where
the fleet disembarked.
There was a harbour, probably with
wharves, by the north wall of the
fort, and Williams ship, the horse
transports and garrison vessels may
have made for this. Some may
have come into the lagoon and
beached on the
flats at low tide, or else along the
shingle. When William landed he
stumbled and fell, a bad omen, but
a knight nearby told him he had the
earth of England in his hands.
There was no opposition, for Harold
was still in the north. The Normans
erected a perhaps prefabricated
timber castle in the Roman fortress.
It may have been the same day or
that following when William moved
the army
eastwards to Hastings. The town lay
on a peninsula between two
marshy river estuaries, ideal for a
protected camp
similar to the Viking habit of
camping on an island and the only
dry route was a prehistoric track
running north between the two river
valleys.

William now set about devastating
the area, not only to bring in food,
but to lure Harold south to avenge
his people.
The Norman Army
The Willams Army
The size of William's army has been
estimated as around 2000 cavalry,
800 archers and 3000 infantry
(dismounted men-at-arms).

Norman archers were lightly
clothed to allow quick movement
on the battlefield and easy use of
the bow. The standard weapon
used was the short bow, about four
feet in length and drawn to the
body
rather than the ear as with later,
more effective longbows. Against
chain mail, its effective range was
only about 50 yards. The Normans
were also recorded to

have used the crossbow, lethal at
over 300 yards, but none are
depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry
and it is unclear if any were used in
the battle.

Infantry wore chain mail hauberks,
(loose fitting knee length mail shirts
split at the front and rear for ease of
movement with
elbow length sleeves), leather
hauberks or no amour at all. Not all
had access to mail which was
expensive and time consuming to
make and hence, was much prized.
Helmets were of a

conical design with a nose guard
riveted to the front to provide facial
protection. The basic weapon was
the spear and sword.

The best soldiers of the Norman
army were the cavalry. Like the
infantry, their main weapons were
the spear (a lighter version), and
the sword for closer fighting. Similar
to the Viking sword,
made for cutting rather than
thrusting. Blunt instruments such as
the battle mace were also used.
Infantry and cavalry were both
equipped with the kite shaped
shield, measuring about 36 by 15
inches constructed from wood and
leather with
it was metal reinforcements. Its
longer length provided much more
protection to the vulnerable leg
area than the round shield,
particularly for

mounted troops. The horses,
however, were not armored. This
made them especially vulnerable
when attacking a shield wall, as the
Saxons were to employ. The rider
was forced to turn his mount side on
to be able to use his sword
effectively. As a result, the flank
of the horse was open to attack by
his opponent, a role for which the
Saxon axe was well suited. If his
horse was cut from under him, a
Norman knight in his heavy hauberk
was defenseless until he could
regain his footing.

Harold's Army
The elite of the Saxon army was
made up of the housecarls (the
king's bodyguard), formed by King
Cnut 50 years earlier. In normal
circumstances, Harold would have
had around 3000 to call on but
after Stamford
Bridge, just weeks earlier, would be
closer to 2000. His brothers Leofwin
and Gyrth were estimated to have
command of about 1000 each. This
gives Harold around 4000 highly
trained and armed troops, possibly
the best fighting men in

Europe. While mounted troops, they
fought on foot and were slow
moving and vulnerable to missiles
on the battlefield.
Their armor was chain mail, similar
to that used by the Normans. While
expensive and prized, there was
likely to be a substantial supply
available from the plunder of
Stamford Bridge so most would
have been similarly protected. The
Saxon housecarls, therefore could
expect to be better protected than
the Norman infantry. Each would
also wear a helmet, possibly similar
to the Norman

style with a nose guard. The Beaux
tapestry shows a mixture of shield
types, the Norman kite design and
the traditional round shield.
Captured round shields of the Norse
may well have replaced kite shields

broken during the battle at
Stamford Bridge.
The main weapon was the great
two handed axe of Viking origin - a
sharp curved blade of one foot
diameter on a handle over three
feet in length. This weapon could
deliver a devastating blow which
no shield or armor of its day could
withstand. As a two
handed weapon, the user would
have wedged their shield into the
ground before them for protection
while wielding their weapon. Many
were also armed with lances and
swords similar to the Normans.

The rest of Harold's army was made
up of fyrdsmen, part time soldiers
who were called up for two months
a year to
defend their land. Under the Saxon
system, each five hides of land
were to provide a man and 20
shillings for his wages for defense of
the realm.1. This compares to the
feudal system employed

by the Normans who could call on
full time professional soldiers.
Theoretically, up to 15-20,000 of
these part time soldiers could be
called on but it is unlikely that
anywhere near this were present at
the battle. It is estimated that
around 4000 made the

field giving Harold an army of
around 8000, larger than Williams
but with a lower percentage of full
time professionals. These
fyrdsmen were less well armed than
the housecarls, few possessed
chainmail with most wearing
hardened leather and carrying a
range of weapons from spears,
short axes, homemade swords and
farm implements. Shields would
have been round shields or
whatever could be improvised.

Few archers were available to the
Saxons at Hastings. While present as
Stamford Bridge, the lightning rush
south meant that
few made it to the battle. Even in
the latter Middle Ages when the
English archer ruled supreme, they
were rarely wealthy with access to
horses. In his haste to meet William
in battle, Harold was

forced to leave them behind and
didn't delay in London long enough
for others to be raised. As a result,
the Normans were strongest where
the Saxons were weakest, in mobile
cavalry and archers.

Norman Soldier
They were very tough warriors who
often fought on horseback. They
were trained in the use of weapons
and were often armed with a lance
and sword.
Armour
They wore a long mesh shirt, carried
a kite shaped shield and wore a
conical helmet with an iron naval to
protect their face.

In 1066, William brought an army of
2000 knights and 3000 archers and
squires with him to Britain.
The Norman Women
The Norman Conquests
In Italy
As mercenaries arrived from
Normandy, the Normans fought
during the wars between the
princes local Lombards and
Byzantines. Over time, the feuds
they received in payment became
more powerful than the local
nobility, which
ended up winning, after expulsion
of the Byzantines. In Sicily, fighting in
the name of Catholicism,
conquered the Emirate Aghlabid
established by Muslims. Finally,
under Roger II of Sicily, the Normans
in the various states south of the
Italian peninsula were united in the
Kingdom of Sicily.
In Bryzantium
One of the first Norman
mercenaries to serve as a Byzantine
general was Herv in the 1050s. In
the 1060s, Robert Crispin led the
Normans of Edessa against the
Turks. From 1073 to 1074, 8,000 of the
20,000
troops of the Armenian general
Philaretus Brachamius were
Normans formerly of Oursel led
by Raimbaud. The Normans
attacked Dyrrachium from land and
sea, devastating

everything along the way.
Immediately before the battle the
Venetian fleet had secured a
victory in the coast surrounding the
city. The city's garrison resisted until
February 1082, when Dyrrachium

was betrayed to the Normans by
the Venetian and Amalfitan
merchants who had settled in the
city. Dissension among the high
ranks coerced the Normans to
retreat in Italy; they lost Dyrrachium,
Valona and Butrint in 1085 after the
death of Robert

In England
Not only were their original Viking
brethren still ravaging the English
coasts, they occupied most of the
important ports opposite England
across the Channel. This
relationship eventually produced
closer ties of blood through the
marriage of Emma, sister of Duke
Richard II of Normandy, and King
Ethelred II of England. In 1066, Duke
William II of Normandy conquered
England killing King Harold II at the
Battle of Hastings. The invading
Normans and their descendants
replaced the Anglo-Saxons as the
ruling class

of England. Early Norman kings of
England were, as Dukes of
Normandy, vassals to the King of
France. King Richard I (the
Lionheart) is often thought to
epitomise a medieval English King,
but he only spoke French and spent
more time in Aquitaine or on
Crusade than in England.

Eventually, the Normans merged
with the natives, combining
languages and traditions. The
Anglo-Norman language became
distinct from the French
language, something that was the
subject of some humour by
Geoffrey Chaucer. The Anglo-
Norman language was eventually
absorbed into the Anglo-Saxon
language of their subjects (see
Old English) and influenced it
helping (along with the Norse
language of the earlier Anglo-Norse
settlers and the Latin used by the
church) in the development of
Middle English which would gain
much vocabulary of French origin. It
in turn evolved into Modern English.

In Ireland
Both cultures intermixed, borrowing
from each other's language, culture
and outlook. Norman descendants
today can be recognised by their
surnames. Names
such as French, (De) Roche, D'Arcy,
Treacy and Lacy are particularly
common in the southeast of Ireland,
especially in the southern part of
County Wexford where the first
Norman settlements were
established. Other

Norman settlements were
established. Other Norman names
such as Furlong predominate there.
Another common Norman-Irish
name was Morell (Murrell) derived
from the French Norman name
Morel. Other names beginning with
Fitz (from the Norman for son)
indicate Norman ancestry.

In Scotland
King Malcolm III of Scotland married
Edgar's sister Margaret, and came
into opposition to William who had
already disputed Scotland's
southern borders. King David I of
Scotland, whose elder brother
Alexander I had married Sybilla of
Normandy, was instrumental in
introducing Normans and Norman
culture to Scotland, part of the
process some scholars call the
"Davidian Revolution".

In Wales
Even before the Norman Conquest
of England, the Normans had come
into contact with Wales.
Subsequent to the Conquest,
however, the Marches came
completely under the dominance
of William's most trusted Norman
barons, including Bernard de
Neufmarch, Roger of Montgomery
in Shropshire and Hugh Lupus in
Cheshire. Norman words, such as
baron (barwn), first entered Welsh
at that time.

Architecture
The Normans' architecture typically
stands out as a new stage in the
architectural history of the regions
which they subdued. They spread a
unique Romanesque idiom to
England and Italy and the
encastellation of these regions
with keeps in their north French style
fundamentally altered the military
landscape. Their style was
characterised by rounded arches
(particularly over windows and
doorways) and massive proportions.

In Italy, the Normans incorporated
elements of the Islamic, Lombard,
and Byzantine architecture into
their own, initiating a style known as
Sicilian Romanesque. In England,
the period of Norman architecture
immediately succeeds that of the
Anglo-Saxon and precedes the
Early Gothic.

Bayeux Tapestry
Is an embroidered clothnot an
actual tapestrynearly 70 metres
(230 ft) long, which depicts the
events leading up to the Norman
conquest of England concerning
William, Duke of Normandy, and
Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of
England, and culminating in the
Battle of Hastings.
The Tapestry was conceived by a
designer who would have worked
with the patron together with one
or more others who related the story
as it was to be told.
The Conqueror's Successors
The Norman Kings
William the Conqueror
It was Duke of Normandy from 1035
as William II of Normandy. He
conquered England in 1066 and
took the throne to Harold of Wessex,
claiming a legitimate on the island
to be a cousin of Edward the
Confessor, Anglo-Saxon king of
England, and installing there the
Norman dynasty. He was called
William the Bastard to 1066.

William II of England
The third son of William the
Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders,
was King of England from 1087-1100,
Henry I of England

Also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King
of England from 1100 to 1135. Henry was
the fourth son of William the Conqueror
and was educated in Latin and the liberal
arts.
By: Mary Correa Abalo