|
|
|
Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 20 general entries.
Special Topics
|
 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Norman Conquest
William the Conqueror . He reigned from 1066-1087. He died at the age of 60, and was so fat that his corpse burst open during his funeral! He is buried in Caen Cathedral in Normandy.
| Following the Battle of Hastings, William of Normandy became King of England. When was his coronation? | The Norman Conquest
|
25th December. He was crowned in Westminster Abbey, and became - at least in established English mythology - the last person to invade England.
most of the day, with a break for lunch. Believe it or not, they stopped for a meal, and then continued the battle. This was apparently standard practice in warfare. They used the time to regroup, recover and plan their next attack.
| According to tradition, and the Bayeux Tapestry, In which part of the body was King Harold injured? | The Norman Conquest
|
eye . We will never know if this is what really happened, but the Bayeux Tapestry shows Harold being killed as a single arrow pierces his eye.
| Popular tradition in England claims that for most of the battle the Saxons were winning but that the Normans managed to gain a sudden advantage. How? | The Norman Conquest
|
they pretended to run away. According to this popular version, the Normans advanced, and then pretended to run away. The Saxons chased them, leaving their strategic advantage of the ridge. This enabled the Normans to get behind the Saxon soldiers, and attack from all sides - so it is said.
| How were the English (Saxons) positioned at the start of the Battle of Hastings? | The Norman Conquest
|
on top of the ridge. The English were heavily outnumbered, but managed to hold the ridge from the Normans for most of the day.
| The Battle of Hastings took place on October 14th, just outside Hastings. Where exactly did the battle begin? | The Norman Conquest
|
Senlac Hill. The area now known as Battle was not named until after the Conquest. The Saxon troops spent the night of October 13th resting on Caldbec Hill, and massed on nearby Senlac Hill the following morning.
| Once he heard that William's army had arrived in England, Harold marched his army south to meet the Normans as quickly as possible. How long did the Saxons take to march the 240 miles to Hastings? | The Norman Conquest
|
10 days. The Saxons left York on October 3rd, and arrived at what is now Battle, near Hastings, on the evening of the 13th. Some of the soldiers left the march on the way, and went home to gather in the harvest. Harold did recruit new footsoldiers during these ten days. It was remarkably quick progress ...
all of these things (they went to Hastings to wait for Harold, they burnt towns and villages, they built a fort). They moved on to Hastings, burning and killing as they went. Once there, they had time to erect two wooden forts, and to prepare for Harold's arrival.
| Immediately after the Battle of Stamford Bridge, William's army landed in the south of England. Where did their ships land? | The Norman Conquest
|
Pevensey. They arrived on the English coast on September 28th, 1066. There was nobody there to prevent them from landing, as Harold's army was in the north of the country, fighting the Viking invaders.
Harold defeated Harald Hardraada. It was a hot day, so the Viking soldiers left their armour on the ships. I'm not a military tactician, but this doesn't strike me as the best plan! The English were outnumbered, but they defeated the attackers, and prevented a Viking conquest.
| Harold expected William to attack swiftly in the south of England. Why was the attack later than expected? | The Norman Conquest
|
poor winds stopped William from sailing. The Bayeux Tapestry shows that William had raised a strong army, and was using the enforced time delay to train for combat.
| The newly crowned King Harold was waiting for an attack from Harald in the north, or William in the south. Who attacked first? | The Norman Conquest
|
Harald. William was ready in Normandy, as shown in the Bayeaux Tapestry. But his crossing was delayed by bad weather and winds from the wrong direction. Harold gave up waiting for him, and marched his army north to meet Harald, whose troops had landed near York.
| Harold Godwineson was also threatened by William of Normandy, who was planning an invasion from the south. What was William's claim to the throne? | The Norman Conquest
|
all of these reasons (Harold Godwineson had promised to support him in 1064, he was Edward the Confessor's cousin, Edward had promised him the throne years previously). The Bayeux Tapestry shows the background to the story. As Edward's cousin, William had been promised the succession. Edward sent Harold Godwineson to Normandy to deliver a promise to support William when the time came. Harold's supporters claim that he was forced to swear allegiance to William. No-one will ever know the real truth.
| King Harold had to face major problems very soon after his coronation. Harald Hardrada was also claiming the throne, and was planning an attack on England. Where did he attack from? | The Norman Conquest
|
Norway. Harald was a descendant of Cnut, who had ruled England as part of the Viking empire years before. Harald saw the death of Edward as a chance to reunite this empire. He set sail from Norway in September 1066, and attacked in the north of England, but was defeated at Stamford Bridge (in Yorkshire - nothing to do with Chelsea FC's ground).
| Following the death of the English King, Harold Godwinson the Earl of Wessex, was crowned King. What relation was Harold to the previous king? | The Norman Conquest
|
brother-in-law. Harold was a rich and powerful Earl, from the south-west of England. His sister was the wife of Edward, known as Edward the Confessor, and Harold expected to be crowned King after Edward's death. In fact, he organised a swift coronation the day after Edward's funeral.
| Who was the King of England at the start of the year of the Norman Conquest? | The Norman Conquest
|
Edward the Confessor. Edward the Confessor, died on January 5th, 1066. Dying with no son and heir, his death sparked a series of struggles for the throne.
1066. Try the hilarious classic book "1066 and All That" by W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman.
|
Play Now! 