Medieval Britain 1066–1509, Year 7: more practice

Christmas Day

HintIt fell just over two months after the battle.

The whyWilliam was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 25 December 1066. Choosing the abbey where Edward the Confessor was buried helped him look like a rightful king.

Normandy

HintThe people who invaded England in 1066 are named after it.

The whyThe name comes from "Northmen": the region was settled by Vikings in the early tenth century. By 1066 its dukes ruled as French-speaking lords.

Harald Hardrada

HintHis nickname meant "hard ruler".

The whyHarald Hardrada argued that an earlier agreement between kings of Norway and England gave him a claim. He landed in the north with a large fleet.

Earl of Wessex

HintHe was the most powerful nobleman in England, ruling the southern heartland.

The whyHarold was chosen by the Witan, the council of leading nobles and churchmen, and crowned the day after Edward died. He was the only claimant who was already in England.

Stamford Bridge

HintIt was fought near York, a long march from the south coast.

The whyHarold's army then marched hundreds of miles south to face William. The soldiers were tired and some had been left behind, which is one reason historians give for the English defeat.

The English

HintOne army had a large force of mounted knights and many archers.

The whyThe English formed a shield wall on a ridge. The Normans mixed archers, foot soldiers and cavalry, which gave William more ways to attack.

A raised mound of earth with a tower on top

HintThink of a small artificial hill.

The whyThe bailey was the fenced yard beside it. Together they could be built in days using local labour, which suited a small army holding a big country.

Timber (wood)

HintStone came later, once the Normans felt more secure.

The whyTimber castles could be raised quickly but could burn or rot. Many were rebuilt in stone over the next hundred years or so.

William the Conqueror (William I)

HintHe wanted to know what he now owned.

The whyThe survey was carried out in 1086, about twenty years after the conquest. It listed who held land and what it was worth, which helped William tax and control it.

Its judgement was final, like the Day of Judgement

HintThink of a verdict that cannot be appealed.

The whyDoom means judgement. Once an entry said who held a piece of land, nobody could argue with it, just as no one could argue with God's judgement on the last day.

The king

HintEveryone else held land from someone above them.

The whyThe king gave land to barons, barons gave land to knights, and peasants farmed it. Each level gave something back to the level above.

Work on his land

HintThey did not have much money.

The whyMany peasants worked a set number of days on the lord's fields as well as farming their own strips. They also owed payments in goods.