Norman Conquest

Norman Conquest
And the Subjection of

English
1066 ---- 1204
The Norman Conquest
Changed the Entire Course of
the English Language
The Origin of the Normans
Northern coast of France.

Northmen of the ninth and tenth
century.
Understanding between Rollo of the
Danes and Charles the Simple.
Originally of Scandinavian roots the
Northmen became absorbed in French
culture.
English and Normans became close.
1002 thelred the Unready married a

Norman wife.
1042 Edward the Confessor became king of
England.
1066
Edward the Confessor died childless.
Choice of Successor.
Godwin the Earl of West Saxon.
Edwards advisor.
Virtual ruler of England.
Harold.
Godwins son.
Day after Edwards death elected king.
Did not go unchallenged.
William, the Duke of Normandy.

From birth overcame many difficulties.
Illegitimate birth.
Father and a tanners daughter.
Became Duke of Normandy at age six.
Many assassination attempts.
Devoted care of regents kept him alive.
While in early manhood had to deal with.
Rebellious barons,
powerful neighbors,
and the French king.
Earned the name William the Great.
After calling in a number of favors and

sanctions from the Pope William landed,
unopposed, at Pevensey in September.
Battle of Hastings
Harold was off fighting another claimant

to the throne in the North.
Tostig, Harolds brother returning from
exile.(King of Norway)
Many of Harolds troops were forced to
leave due to the harvest.
Harold called on Earls in Mercia and
Northumbria, but they hung back.
Harold drew his forces on at hill at Senlac
near Hastings.
Harold had controlled the battle until a

feigned retreat by William gave the
Normans the advantage.
Harold was shot in the eye with an arrow
dying instantly.
Two of Harolds brothers were killed.
The British were leaderless.
Normans won the battle.
Normans burnt and pillaged until the

citizens of London decided not to
resist any longer.
William was named King.
Many of the English higher class had been

killed or treated as traitors.
At first William only accepted in the Southeast.
Rebellions in the southwest, west and north.
Williams embarked on many campaigns.
Often he was ruthless to make his point.
As a result English nobility was completely wiped out.
1072 only one of the twelve earls in England were
English (he was executed in 1076).
Norman influence seeped into all walks of life.
The two archbishops were Normans.
The abbots slowly changed over to Normans.
In 1075, thirteen of twenty-five Abbots were English.
In 1087, three of twenty-five Abbots were English.
Williams castles were garrisoned troops.
Richard I surrounded himself with foreign soldiers.
Creation of the Language
Use of French by the Upper Class.

Ruling class continued to use French.
200 years after the Norman conquest.
French soldiers learned English as a matter
of need.
As late as the 13th century the kings of
England were also the Dukes of Normandy.
William left Normandy to his eldest son
and England to his second son William.
Henry I reunited the two lands.
Henry II enlarged his holdings in both
areas.
Most of William and his heirs spent more

time in France than England.
Edward IV was the first king to have an
English wife (1460s).
English became the language of the lower class.
While resentment existed, relations seemed
calm.
At age 43 William the Conqueror attempted to
learn English.
Better rule and understand the people and
courts.
Most literature produced was French.
Upper-class spoke French.
Literature is a leisure activity.
Over time the language barrier

became blurred.
English would desire to speak
French.
Normans had to speak English out
of necessity.
Written English survived in
monasteries.
Middle class were required to be
fluent in both English and French.
Results of the Norman

Conquest
Political
Breaking up / replacing Earldoms
Replacing religious powers
Kings Court Central Figure
previous British Earls more or less
independent states
Strict feudal system
Organization
Records
Economic, Political, Religious

Closer to the continent
Commercial
Trade
Resources
Political
France
Allies
Religious
Roman Catholic Church
Norman Catholic Church
Introduction to cultural influence of the
continent
Normans
Intellectual; readiness / mobile spirit
self control / vigorous aggression
Zest for refined life
light hearted song
fancy clothes
beautiful manuscripts
graceful architecture
Chivalry
linked to feudal obligations
reverence of the Virgin Mary

Closer Relations with people,
government, and church
Rome / France / Papacy
Superior Architecture
Replaced Romanesque with Gothic
Founding of Oxford and Cambridge
Broaden intellectual horizons
Literary and cultural centers of the
country
Derived from French / Latin / Latin

folklore
Essential features
Seven
1) Lack of verisimilitude (reality)

Exaggeration of Human voice
Idealization of virtues
Ideality of adventures
Passion for
Strong
Marvelous
Impossible
Improbable
2) Emphasis of supreme devotion to the

fair lady
Sentimental woman worship
Courtly love
3) Past scenes of manners / morals /
chivalry
4) Presences of a quest
5) Religions / supernatural appearances
6) Characters are typical / not individual
7) Lack of consecutiveness
The Normans Influence on English

Language
1066 1204: English in decline
In 1066 the Normans invaded England,
and the French of Normandy, together
with Latin, was to become the
language of court,
English was still used by the majority of
common people, but it had no prestige
and there was no literature written in
English for 200 years.
few written records of early Middle
English, especially between1100 and
1200
Situation of the ruling class speaking one

language, and their subordinates another,
could not last. Normans had to learn some
English in order to communicate. Norman
kings set off to the Crusades in the 12 th
century- they had to persuade people to go
there; would have used English for
propaganda- just like Alfred.
the use of French by the upper class; nobility,
aristocrats and finally its influence on the
Middle class;
the extensive use of French literature in court
and the
Royal family's role in the promotion of French
poetry
Words which are mostly related to

Law, government, politics.
Antiquate, and royal court.
accuse ,arrest
Parliament, treasure
soldier, lieutenant
ambulance , ballet, biscuit,
camouflage, chauffeur, coup
d'etat,, coupon, crayon, debris,
dentist, detour, diplomat, route,
entrepreneur,, envoy, espionage,
memoir, menu, regime, salvage,
souffl, souvenir, splendid,
wardrobe
attach attach
au contraire
au naturel
avant-garde
Innovative,
blond"fair-haired
bon apptit"good appetite
bon voyage"good trip"
caf au lait"coffee with milk"
cerise"cherry"
c'est la vie"that's life"
chaise longue"long chair"
charg d'affaires"charged with business
charg la'afemme
Absence of Standard Dialect(11661400A.D)

Due to fall of Anglo-Saxon Kingdom ,the
language scene of England became
uncertain.
Thre languags in London:
The Southern dialect West Saxon
Northern EnglishNorthumbrian
Mercian Midland dialect (side by side
of Anglo-French
Latin continued impact(language of
intellectually snobbish to learn language
and literature)
Changes in the Old English

Middle English is not a language of
separate identity
Form of Old English
Largely and initially due to the impact
of Norman-French language on AngloSaxon
Two of the English alphabets K and Q
were introduced around 1240 by
Norman French masters
Latterly, Parisian French language
started to influence Anglo-Saxon

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Norman Conquest

And the Subjection of

The Origin of the Normans

Northern coast of France.

1002 thelred the Unready married a

William, the Duke of Normandy.

After calling in a number of favors and

Harold was off fighting another claimant

Harold had controlled the battle until a

Normans burnt and pillaged until the

Many of the English higher class had been

Creation of the Language

Use of French by the Upper Class.

Most of William and his heirs spent more

Over time the language barrier

Results of the Norman

Economic, Political, Religious

Introduction to cultural influence of the

reverence of the Virgin Mary

Derived from French / Latin / Latin

1) Lack of verisimilitude (reality)

2) Emphasis of supreme devotion to the

The Normans Influence on English

Situation of the ruling class speaking one

Words which are mostly related to

Absence of Standard Dialect(11661400A.D)

Changes in the Old English

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