Medieval Britain 1066–1509, Year 7: more practice

Christmas Day

提示It fell just over two months after the battle.

为什么William 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

提示The people who invaded England in 1066 are named after it.

为什么The 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

提示His nickname meant "hard ruler".

为什么Harald 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

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

为什么Harold 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

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

为什么Harold'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

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

为什么The 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

提示Think of a small artificial hill.

为什么The 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)

提示Stone came later, once the Normans felt more secure.

为什么Timber 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)

提示He wanted to know what he now owned.

为什么The 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

提示Think of a verdict that cannot be appealed.

为什么Doom 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

提示Everyone else held land from someone above them.

为什么The 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

提示They did not have much money.

为什么Many 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.