Anglo-Saxons Profile Why was 1066 a year of crisis?
England is named after them England Profile In early 1066 the King of England, Edward the Confessor, died; – Angleland; England was a rich country; He had no children and left no heir to Made up of the Angle, Saxon Most people worked on the replace him; and Jute tribes from land as farmers; Three men wanted to replace him… Germany; There was tin, iron, wool, honey, Invaded England in stages copper, timber and other between 600-800AD after the Earl Harold Godwinson: materials easily available; Romans had left; England was a Christian He was the most powerful Earl Fought the Vikings for control country and followed the ideas in England and very rich; of Eastern and Northern of the Catholic Church. England, known as the He was the brother of the King’s Danelaw; wife, Edith; King Alfred the Great He was English and popular. He defeated the Vikings in the Year 7 Learn Sheet had been successful in battle; 9th century AD BUT… The Witan had agreed that he Anglo-Saxon England had a Exam Week 1 should be king, and was Viking king between 1016- crowned in early 1066. 1035AD called King Canute; The Anglo-Saxons and the
All the big decisions in Norman Conquest England were decided by Duke William of Normandy: the King and his Witan (a William’s Leadership: William’s Preparation: council of key earls and He was a Norman (related to the
bishops). Proved to his men that he was Got the harvest in early to feed his Vikings and a cousin of Edward the alive in battle by taking off his men. They had a good meal before Confessor); helmet; the Battle; He was a ‘bastard’ (his mother and William’s Tactics: Changed his mind about the Built boats to hold horses, essential father were never married). Some He noticed that Harold’s fyrd tactics he was using. for his knights; thought he shouldn’t be Duke; would follow retreating Used the wood from boats to build He said that Edward and Harold had knights down the hill; William’s Luck: a castle as soon as he landed. promised him the throne of England; Used the method of a He was a very good war leader; Lucky that the wind blew at just the right time to feigned (pretend) retreat to He was ruthless, skinning 30 men alive Reasons why allow him to cross the English Channel; trick Harold’s men in thinking when they insulted his mother! William won Lucky that Harold’s army had gone north when he they had won, breaking up landed in England; the shield wall; the Battle of Was unhorsed at least 3 times in battle; Used archers to attack Hastings Lucky that Harold’s men were inexperienced. Harold – it worked! King of Norway, Harald Hardraada Hardraada means ‘fierce leader’; Harold’s bad luck: Hardraada invaded England in Sept. 1066: He had some support in the North William landed just when Harold had defeated Hardraada Battle of Stamford Bridge (near York) – and East of England where many in the north; Hardraada is beaten by King Harold people were related to the Vikings; His exhausted men had to march south in just 8 days; Godwinson’s army who have marched north He was promised the throne of Had to pick up inexperienced men (the fyrd) to fight; from the south coast of England. England by the old King of Norway, Was shot in the eye at just the wrong time! Meanwhile, Duke William invades England on Magnus. the south coast…