Why were the English forces defeated in the Battle of Hastings?

On the 14 of October in 1066 the 2 armies met on Senlac Hill near the town called Hastings. William attacked first but his infantry could hardly resist the brave English. They soon retreated passing the word that the battle was lost and William himself had been killed the English soldiers were jubilant with equal bravery they beat off the Norman cavalry.

And then came the error which changed the course the battle. When the Normand knights turned back to regroup Harold sold that they began to retreat. The English broke their front lines came down the Hill and began to pursue the Normans. William saw his chance. He ordered his men to turn round and attack. Now that the Anglo-Saxons broke their front lines, they were no longer the top of the Hill. It was easier to get them with arrows. The professional Normand archers advanced to the English and fired their showers of arrows high into the air.

The Anglo-Saxons were defeated. King Harold was struck by arrow in his eye as he tried to pull it out, a few Normand knights come up to him and cut him down with their swords.

Why is it said that the Battle of Hastings changed the course of English history?

The Battle of Hastings is the beginning of the Norman conquest. The N.C. changed the course English history. If the Normands hadn’t conquered an island it might had developed as the center of Scandinavian Empire adopting a completely different language and culture.

What marks the place of the battle?

William himself ordered the building of an abbey on the exact place of the Battle of Hastings to atone for the death of so many people. The abbey is called Battle Abbey. The mark is a stone plate with a written phrase on it taking that it's the place where King Harold fell.

27. What do you know about William the Conqueror?   William's claim to the English throne was based on his assertion that, in 1051, Edward the Confessor had promised him the throne (he was a distant cousin). William was crowned on Christmas Day 1066 in Westminster Abbey.

► confiscated most Anglo-Saxon estates and lands, as well as forests

► granted some lands to the Normans who took part in the Conquest

► gave lands to the Church making it one of the greatest landowners

► kept a lot of lands and forests for himself to make sure he was stronger than his nobles; forest laws

► abolished earldoms and divided the country into counties (shires); each county / shire was ruled by a sheriff

► the Witan was replaced by the Great Council the most important posts were taken away from the Anglo-Saxons and given to the Normans

► a castle-building campaign (to emphasise the Norman presence)

What did the Normans do to make themselves safe in the new lands?

The Normans felt very safe in the conquered land because it was under their control, the system was efficient, and everything worked very smoothly.

William the Conqueror organized the country according to the feudal system. The central idea of feudalism was that all land belonged to the king but it was held by vassals in return of military support and goods. The greater nobles gave part of their land to lesser nobles and knights, who were called freeman. There were also serfs, people who worked for nobles.

All the lands of England belonged to William the Conqueror. He also confiscated the estates of the Anglo-Saxons, granted some lands to the Normans, who took part in the conquest. However, those estates were excessively small and scattered about the country. That made it difficult to the greater nobles to collect their forces and resist the royal power. It was wise of William the Conqueror to keep enough land for himself to make sure he was much stronger than his nobles. The forest lands also belong to him, so some special forest laws about hunting were issued.

The Church helped William in strengthening his power, so it was given a lot of lands and became one of the largest landowners in the country. Many churches and cathedrals were built all over the country. 

New laws were passed to give the Normans more power. The Witan was replaced by the Great Council made up from Norman bishops and barons. The most important posts were taken away from the Anglo-Saxons and given to the Normans. The king abolished the great earldoms (Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex) and divided country into shires, each was ruled by a sheriff.

Castleswere built all over the country to emphasize the Norman cultural, resist attack, and defend the borders of country. Some of the best preserved Norman castles are The White Tower of the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Dover Castle.

What are some famous castles in Britain? What do you know about them?

The Tower of London(London, 1078)

~ Built by Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester

~ the last execution took place in 1747

~ In 1875 the Tower was opened to the public for the first time

~ Used as a prison up to the 20th century

Windsor Castle (Windsor 900 years ago)

Edinburgh Castle (the 6th century)

~ Northumbrian King Edwin                               

~ an impressive sight towering over the city                                             

~ Used as a royal residence and as an important place of refuge against the English

~ At the end of the 13th century the castle was at the centre of the struggle between Edward I and King Robert the Bruce

~ The castle now proudly houses the Stone of Destiny, a relic of the Scottish kings, seized by the English and only returned in 1996

What is the Domesday Book? What was it written for?

► was written in 1086

► is a fiscal document which contains information about the inhabitants of England and how much they possessed in land, cattle and money

►  is also the first registration of the population

► was needed to plan the economy – to know how much was produced and how much could be asked in tax

What languages were spoken in Norman Britain?

The Normans spoke Norman- French. This language became the official language of England and it was spoken by the Norman aristocracy. A lot of words were borrowed into English from Norman- French during the Norman ruled in England.

► feudal relations (e.g. noble, baron, obey)

► religion (virgin, vicar)

► administration and law (verdict, power, government, state, jury, council)

► military terms (surrender, occupy)

► entertainment (pleasure)

► food (beef, custard, bacon, mutton)