The year 1066, a year of wasted dreams and tremendous triumphs, was a year that would dramatically alter the face of England for eternity. The 14th of October was a day that would make it into the history books, it was the day the fearsome French invaders conquered England. The Saxon army, defending their motherland, triumphed over Harald Hardrada’s ruthless Viking barbarians. Little did they realize, that just south of them, lay a formidable power restlessly waiting to get his hands on England. The true victor would be a cunning French warrior, who would unleash a force large enough to make the grounds vibrate and ocean lurch. This man was William the Conqueror.
Down in France, William of Normandy remained. Waiting for the winds to blow. The only thing protecting England was the wind, and when the wind finally surrendered to William and assisted him, Harold would face his final obstacle to remain as king. Three days into the victory celebrations at Stamford Bridge, the Earl of Wessex received word that the redheaded French had arrived at Pevensey on the 25th of September. As anticipated, William had come with a fleet of 700 and an insatiable desire for land. William’s
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The Saxons linked their shields and formed a shield wall. A foolproof battle plan if followed. As the Saxons were playing on the defensive the Normans were forced to attack first. The Normans stormed up the steep hill and hurled javelins, thrust missiles, dealt savage blows with their axes and shot arrows towards their opponents. The English were too strong. Arrows flew harmlessly over the Saxons or didn’t even reach the crest of the hill, missiles were blocked and despair seemed to fill the hearts of the French. Though drained of stamina, the Saxons were fighting with their hearts and souls. Putting their lives on the line for their king, for their country. “Imma get me a Frenchies leg’ grunted the English as they sliced the
Kapelle, W.E. ‘The Norman conquest of the North:The region and its transformation 1000-1135’ (Croom Helm 1979)
To set the stage for this battle, we must first understand what the British were thinking at the time. The British had not ...
David Howarth, 1066: The Year of the Conquest (New York: 1977),pp.170-1 The two armies clashed on that day and history tells us the outcome. But what forces go into creating an army of these sizes? The three main Anglo-Saxon troop types will be defined and the forces that created them will be examined below.
with the intent of widespread entertainment, elements of comedy and other aspects of entertaining film can, at times, cloud the message and content of the documentary. An anti-war advocate, Terry Jones’ presentation of matter so closely related to strong personal sentiments can also introduce a degree of bias in the presentation and approach taken to analyzing the events detailed in the series. However, the documentary incorporates the input and analysis of several highly-regarded medieval historians, including Jonathan Riley-Smith, Suheil Zakkar, Fikret Isiltan, David Lazenby, and Christopher Tyerman. This group of historians, all highly esteemed individuals in the field, are able to offer a balanced and likely unbiased account of what they believe to be true about the
William I, better known as William the Conqueror, began his medieval and political career at a young age when his father left him to go on a crusade. Effectively William became the Duke of Normandy. He had to fight against other members of the Norman royalty who desired William's land and treasure. William learned at an early age that the men who ruled Europe during the middle ages were primarily interested in their own greed at the expense of all else, including the concepts chivalry and honor. He soon became a feared military commander, conquering all in Normandy who would oppose his interests. Also an excellent statesman, William planed a visit across the channel to England, so that he might meet with the elderly King Edward the Confessor, who had no obvious successors to his throne. It is hard to say what actually transpired during that meeting, due to a lack of historical records. However, what we do know comes down to us from the magnificent Bayeux tapestry. Believed to have been commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, it is in fact not a tapestry at all, but a long (230 feet long, 20 inches wide) embroidery. The Bayeaux tapestry is a pictorial history of the events leading up to and including William's victory at the battle of Hastings in 1066. At any rate the tapestry tells us that William was given the consent of Edward the Confessor, King of England, to rule the country after Edward's death. Furthermore, the tapestry also shows scenes of the Earl of Wessex Harold, swearing, on relics, before William, that he would not take the throne of England. Edward died and Harold took the throne, in spite of any prior arrangement with William of Normandy. William, gathered his armies and set...
The lift of the Siege of Orleans really gave the French the morale they needed, with the help of Joan of Arc. After France gained a foothold at the heavily fortified position at Orleans, the English stood barely any match against France, which is why this great battle marks the turning point for the Hundred Year’s War.
Picture a world shrouded in darkness and despair, where war is inevitable and its inhabitants live with a relentless sense of fear. Medieval Europe was not a peaceful or secure place, but rather a world filled with turmoil, suffering, and unrest. Commoners living in medieval Europe never strayed far from the security of their homes because evil and suffering lurked within every facet of society. The story of Beowulf recounts the life of an idealized warrior, whose desire for honor instills deep convictions of justified violence. In many ways, Beowulf’s attitude parallels the warrior instinct exhibited by the crusaders as they attempted to recapture the Holy Land. Hence, the world of medieval Europe painted suffering for a just cause as an honorable
O: Rage and revolt can describe the country of France at the time of the Revolution faced because of turmoil and struggle they faced. Different estates were formed based on what you did and your class in society. The people of society wanted more say in the government and decisions that King Louis XVI made. The public didn't approve with much of what King Louis did. His lack of ability to be a strong king and leader affected his reputation to the public eye. King Louis was tried for committing treason to the country of France. Treason is the attempt to kill a sovereign and overthrow the government. Some of the reasons were his attempt to flee to Varennes, living in Versailles which was not in Paris, and reforms he passed as a ruler. These actions performed by King Louis isn’t what a King does, but that doesn’t prove any
Crossley-Holland, Kevin, trans. Beowulf The Fight at Finnsburh, edited by Heather O’Donoghue. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
In winter of 1066 the king of England, Edward III died without any heirs to the throne. This sparked a bitter rivalry between Harold Godwin son, William Duke of Normandy and Herald Harridan, all of whom had claims to the throne. Eventually, Harold II was elected into power despite William’s claim to the throne. The Norman leader felt cheated because he had to have a blood tie to the throne, despite him being Norman and Edward III being Anglo-Saxon. In spring of 1066 the Normans sent a mission to Rome to seek Papal support for an invasion of England, the rivalry for the throne had escalated into a full-fledged conflict that would alter the course of history.
One of the various things that made King Henry V a great king was that he was a soldier king and was not afraid to fight for his kingdom. One example of this was the Battle of Agincourt. This war started on October 25, 1415 and lasted one day. To rescue England’s reputation along with his own lost during the Hundred Year War, Henry rides off alongside twelve thousand English soldiers to France. Things start to go wrong after arriving at France for this beloved king. First, half of the King’s men die of dysentery before they arrive anywhere close to Agincourt and so the wise king decided that he and his men had to retreat. Sadly, the brave English were ambushed by French forces and the English were greatly outnumbered, but the soldier king, Henry V, was intelligent. As French forces attacked, the English bombarded them with arrows. By the end of the day, six thousand French deaths greatly outnumbered the four hundred deaths that of the English (“Henry V,” History.com). “After the English soldiers took too many French captives, Henry broke the law and ordered their execution to all without...
There I was, Beowulf, standing tall and brave after the battle had ended. It was a bit strange to me seeing as I had once lived a very lonely life; I had killed other creatures before, I had fought small dragons, I had hunted wild boars, I had swam a race in the sea, but to me, this battle was much different. I had many villagers counting on me to defend their land. I prepared myself for everything, even the unthinkable, for seven days and seven nights in the halls of Hygelac the Geat. I had wished to go alone on this journey to slay Grendel and save Greatsland, but I was told to pick fourteen earls to take with me.
Due to the fact that Harold Godwinson overlooked the dead king's wishes. Edward the Confessor, sworn his loyalty to William of Normandy when he died not to Harold. Harold Godwinson promptly had himself proclaimed king. It was only a matter of months before William, Duke of the large and powerful duchy of Normandy in France, paid Harold a visit to bring to his remembrance his own claim to the throne. William raised an army of Normans by promising them land and wealth when he came into his rightful kingship.
In this essay, I will uncover the countless insights that can be learned about the characters in Beowulf, as well as the society as a whole, based on the weapons the characters choose to use in battle. During the Anglo-Saxon time, roughly between 400 and 1066, swords were considered the most precious weapon someone could own. Although it is not certain who wrote Beowulf, and when, many people believe it was composed in the middle to end of the Anglo-Saxon period. Analyzing the different weapons, and significance of each, in Beowulf, and comparing them to the weaponry at the time, provides the readers with a great deal of insight into the society during this period. The use of weapons in Beowulf not only provides the readers with insight into
With the need for war came the need for protection. Castles surrounded the king for his protection against enemies. In addition,...