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Afternoon Lessons (PDF) Key question 4: Would the Vikings do anything for money? Success criteria • I know the key events during the Viking period. • I can reach a valid judgement about who was in control of the country at different points within the period. • I can offer a valid opinion about who should become king in 1066. Who should become King in 1066? To describe main changes and most significant features in a period in history. To give reasons why changes may have occurred, backed up with evidence. The Viking period of British History began in 783 and continued until 1066 Start End 1066 783 During this time, power and control shifted between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings. For over two hundred years the Anglo- Saxons and the Vikings struggled for control of the lands which eventually became England. TASK 1: Use the timeline graph to research key events in this period of history. (The dates on the graph match up to the event cards attached as a PDF.) 1066 1042 1040 1037 1035 1016 1016 1016 1015 1014 1013 990- 1013 1002 Viking Anglo Saxon 990- 959- 1013 975 954 946 939 899 886 878 878 867- 874 783 On 5 January 1066, when the English king Edward ‘The Confessor’ died, there were no fixed plans for who would follow him as king. Edward had no children but several people claimed that they should be the next King. The Witan (a group of sixty of the most important people in England) had to make a decision about who should become the next king, and they had four candidates to choose from. WHO? • The Witan needed a King who would be strong and keep the kingdom united. (Remember when the there was a strong ruler the country prospered) • They needed weigh-up which candidate would help the country the most. • BUT they also had to judge how bad the consequences might be if they said no to someone. TASK TWO: As a member of the Witan, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each person and decide who you think should be made King of England. Be ready to put forward your argument to the council and remember to have reasons for your choices. Meet the four claimants to the English throne… Harold Godwinson, powerful noble, a good soldier and politician Harold was born and bred in England. He was the son of Earl Godwin, the Earl of Wessex, which at the time was the most powerful Earldom in England. Harold’s father was also a very important person in the Witan and his family were very rich. Harold was a leading Saxon Lord. He had won a number of battles for Edward and had also been an advisor to Edward while he ruled. Harold said that it was King Edward's dying wish that he, Harold, should have the crown (There were no witnesses to confirm Edward said this) Harold did not have a direct blood link to the king. Although he was not part of the royal bloodline, his children would be as his wife was Edith was Edward’s sister. Name of Claimant: Arguments to make him King: • • • Arguments not to make him King: • • • Harald Hardrada, Viking king of Norway Hardrada was king of Norway and a direct descendant of the kings of England. (He was related to King Cnut, the King of England from 1016-1032.) He claimed that the Vikings had a rightful claim to the throne of England. In 1016, the Viking King Cnut became King of England, Denmark and Norway. England was ruled by Scandinavian kings right up until 1042 when Edward the Confessor (the last Saxon King) snatched back the throne from them. Hardrada wanted to be King of England because he wanted more power and better land. Hardrada was unpopular, but very powerful and if he became king of England, he would control both Norway and England which would make them more powerful and less likely to be attacked by other countries. Name of Claimant: Arguments to make him King: • • • Arguments not to make him King: • • • Edgar the Atheling, closest blood claimant to Edward Edgar, a Saxon prince was a nephew of Edward. He was the grandson of King Edmund Ironside He was a direct descendent of King Alfred the Great - the most respected of all Anglo-Saxon Kings Edgar was often unwell. Edgar was young (a fourteen-year-old boy). Although he was part of the Saxon ‘royalty’, he did not have large amounts of land or an army under his command and he had not proved himself in any way as strong leader. He did not have the wealth, power or strength of Harold Godwinson He did not have anyone in the Witan to support or influence others. By many Edgar the Aetheling was not considered strong enough to hold the throne and defend the realm from the Normans and the Vikings. Name of Claimant: Arguments to make him King: • • • Arguments not to make him King: • • • William, Duke of Normandy, William was related to Edward the Confessor (Edward’s mother and William’s father were brother and sister) William claimed that both Edward and Harold had promised him the throne, but English supporters of Harold challenged this. When Edward was a boy in 1016, King Cnut took control of England and Edward ran away to Normandy for safety. Edward stayed in Normandy until he became King of England in 1042. Edward invited William of Normandy to his court in 1051 and is said to have promised to make him heir. After a shipwreck in 1064, Harold Godwinson was handed over to William, who forced him to swear an oath that he would support William to become the next king of England when Edward died. It was said that the oath was given over a box that contained the bones of a saint. Oaths were important guarantees that were considered legal in the Middle Ages. William had been a very successful ruler of Normandy he had won several battles and he had control of lots of land and a large army. Normandy had close ties of friendship with Wessex dating back to 988. Normandy was the closest land opposite Wessex separated by the channel and often traded and supported each other. Name of Claimant: Arguments to make him King: • • • Arguments not to make him King: • • • Thinking Deeper… Did the Witan have an easy decision? Explain… Who do you think posed the biggest danger to England if their claim was refused? Why? If the Witan looked at past events, which ones may have influenced their choices? Follow the link to find out what happened in 1066 and who actually became king. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/ ztyr9j6/articles/z8q487h.
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