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Normans

The Normans, descended from Vikings in northern France, played a significant role in English history after the death of King Edward the Confessor in 1066. William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings, ending Anglo-Saxon rule and establishing Norman dominance in England. Over time, the Normans and English cultures blended, influencing architecture and language, while subsequent migrations continued without further invasions.

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22 views1 page

Normans

The Normans, descended from Vikings in northern France, played a significant role in English history after the death of King Edward the Confessor in 1066. William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings, ending Anglo-Saxon rule and establishing Norman dominance in England. Over time, the Normans and English cultures blended, influencing architecture and language, while subsequent migrations continued without further invasions.

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luciegreen7
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Normans

The Normans were a group of people from the Normandy area of northern
France. Descended from Vikings that settled in France in the early 10th century,
the Normans had a similar culture to the people of England, they themselves
being a good mix of Anglo-Saxon and Viking people.

When the Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor died in 1066, there
was uncertainty over who should rule. The English nobles elected Harold
Godwinson as their new king but Harald Hardrada, a Norwegian Viking
king, believed he had a better claim. The two fought a battle in the north
of England at Stamford Bridge. Harold Godwinson won, but his army
was left weakened and out of position when the Duke of Normandy, a
young man named William, attacked England from the south.

William defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings, marking the end of


Anglo-Saxon rule over England. William the Conqueror would be the
first of the Norman kings of England. William was a skilled king, if
harsh. He built strong castles all across England to keep power in the
hands of the Normans and brutally put down rebellions in the north
by killing and starving people.

The Normans spoke French and most official things were written in
Latin, meaning that the Normans had little interest in learning the
English language. For the first years of Norman reign, England was
very much ruled by Normans who separated themselves from the English
people. This changed over time however. The two cultures mixed, giving us
a country full of French-inspired architecture and an English language full
of French words such as ‘castle’.

1066 would be the last time that invasion bought migrants to


England. Although some have tried since, Britain has not been
invaded by another leader since William. That does not mean
that migration has stopped though; factors other than invasion
have influenced many people to come to Britain since.

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