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UNIVERSITATEA VALAHIA FACULTATEA DE STIINTE POLITICE,COMUNICARE SI LITERE ANUL 1 PAULESCU DANIELA ANETA

CULTURA SI CIVILIZATIE BRITANICA LECT. UNIV. DR. IOANA RAICU

VIKING INVASION OF BRITAIN 793- 106 DANES-versus-SAXON

The first Viking raid on England is reported to have started in 793 at the Lindisfarne monastery. In the subsequent 250 years the Danes (as the Vikings who invaded England are generally called),continued their raids but at the same time ,step by step turned from rampaging pirates to fellow Christians and citizens.Some wrought only destruction,but others,like the Saxons before them settled down and became civilized. The worst of the Viking depredations were undoubtedly during the ninth century and Alfred the Great is the central character during this crisis.At the beginning of his reign,the Saxon kingdom had nearly collapsed due to the destruction and dislocations of Danish raiders.Yet within a single generation, he had won a critical victory over the Danes and persuaded a number of them to become Christian and settle down peaceably along side the Saxons. These Danes, who often inhabited coastal regions, provided a buffer against further attacks, and helped restore some tranquility to the Saxon kingdom. Depredations continued during the tenth century, and there were several important battles including Brunanburh and Maldon, but by this time the Danes were no longer merely lawless marauders, but agents of somewhat more unified Viking Kingdoms, sent forth as armies to do battle for their kings rather than simply to loot and plunder. By the eleventh century, there was a long established Danish region in Northern England, and largely due to misrule by the Saxon King, a Danish King assumed the crown of England. The years of Danish rule lasted only twenty years, and then the throne was returned to the Saxons, but the reign of the Saxons was not destined to last much longer. In 1066 the last Danish invasion of England occurred, and almost immediately afterward, the Saxon kingdom fell permanently into the hands of the Normans, who were themselves, of Viking blood.

Lindisfarne monastery

Alfred the Great

Danish Marauders in Saxon England : 793-911


The first wave of Viking attacks on England was the most devastating to Saxon civilization. Prior to the Viking attacks, the Angle and Saxon kingdoms were not unified, and had no means of common defense. Shortly after the first Viking attack, the kingdom of Wessex was founded under Egbert the Saxon, when he united the kingdom of Mercia and Anglia under the headship of the Western Saxons. Part of the motivation for this was to provide a common defense against the Vikings, but the Saxons seldom had an opportunity to fight a pitched battle against the Vikings since they typically attacked at night and were gone before an army could be raised against them. By 870 however, a great wave of Danish invaders wintered in England and began to set up permanent colonies. The Saxons opposed them and won a few battles, but after successive invasions they were utterly dispersed. By the time Alfred the Great came to the throne, his whole kingdom was in chaos. In spite of great difficulties, he unified the Saxons, rallied his forces, and won a great victory over the Danes at Edington. As a result of this victory, Guthrum the Danish leader agreed to become Christian and settle peaceably within Alfred's realm. Eventually the region of Northumbria, which had been settled mainly by Angles, became heavily populated by Danes. Several more battles occurred between the Saxons and Anglo-Danish realms, but the worst of the Viking raids was past. Another important development during this same period was the unification of most of the minor Viking tribes under Harold Fairhair in Norway. The original Vikings had been petty seakings, each without any overlord, but henceforth, Viking armies were sometimes sent in service to their king rather than acting entirely independently.

Consolidation of the Saxon Kingdoms : 900-950


During the first half of the tenth century, the Saxon kingdom was well ruled by the sons and Grandsons of Alfred the great. During this period the Saxons regained territory that had previously fallen to the Danes. The battle of Brunanburh was particularly important because in it, the Danes and British Celts of Northumberland combined forces with the Scots, to do battle against the Saxons. The combined forces of all of the enemies of the Saxons at this time, could not prevail against them, and the dominance of the Saxon kingdom in England, over its rivals was assured.

Battle of Burnanburh

Decline of the Saxon Kingdoms : 990-1066

When the fortunes of the Saxon kingdom of Wessex began to fall, it was largely due to the misfortune of having a series of young and inexperienced kings on the throne. Aethelred the Unready had a particularly unfortunate reign, beginning with the battle of Maldon, which went against the Saxons and resulted in the payment of Danegeld or tribute to the Danish pirates. After several more years of misrule, Aethelred was driven from England by Sweyn, a vengeful Danish sea-king. A few years later, Canute, the son of Sweyn, and Edmund Ironside, the son of Aethelred fought a number of battles without resolution, and agreed to co-rule the kingdom. Edmund died shortly thereafter, leaving Canute the Dane to be sole-ruler of Wessex for a generation. Eventually the throne returned to the Saxon kings, but in 1066 the Danes again attacked and demanded more territory. They were soundly defeated by Harold Goodwinson, but he himself was shortly thereafter deposed by the William the Conqueror and his Normans, who were themselves of Viking stock.

How did William become the King of England


William became King when he won the battle at Senlac Hill (most commonly known as the Battle of Hastings). In 1064 Harold, Earl of Wessex, Harold was shipwrecked on the coast of Normandy. William captured him and he would only let him go if he swore to support Williams claim to the throne. When Edward the confessor died the witenagemot (the Royal council) elected Harold King of England. Determined to become king, William recruited an army to lead an invasion. On September 28 1066 William landed at Pevensey. On the 14 of October the Normans prepared for the battle between William and Harold II. Harold II had just defeated his brother, Tostig Earl of Northumbria, at the battle of Stamford Bridge. At 9:00 a.m. the battle started. The English axemen were able to stop a Norman cavalry attack. Norman infantry retreated after an attack but some of the English soldiers broke ranks and followed the retreating Normans. Other Normans quickly surrounded them and destroyed them. Because of the lack of rules between the English soldiers William the Conqueror ordered a Norman retreat. Like before the English soldiers chased after them. Again more Norman forces trapped the large group of English soldiers. This weakened the English defences. Also Harold II received a deadly arrow in the eye. The English abandoned the military plans. William won the Battle of Hastings.

Battle of Hastings

Who was William the Conqueror


William I was the first Norman King of England. He was the son of Robert the 1st, Duke of Normandy, and Arlette. When Williams dad died the Normans accepted William as his successor. Almost straight after, People rebelled against their decision. His position wasnt secure until the King of France, Henry the 1st won a battle against a rebel force near Caen. During a visit to England to see his childless cousin, Edward the confessor, king of England, in 1051 he agreed on that William should become the Next King of England. In 1053 William married Matilda of Flanders who was a descendant from King Alfred the Great which made his claim to the Throne Stronger. Henry the 1st feared the bond between Normandy and Flanders and tried to defeat William, once in 1054 and again in 1058. But both times William defeated Henrys army.

William the Conqueror

How did William the Conqueror change England


William the conqueror changed England by bringing feudalism. There are three different characteristics in the feudalism agreement, lords, vassals and fiefs. The lord owned land and he granted the land to a vassal who in exchange provides military service to the lord. The lord couldnt give land to anyone. The lord had to have a ceremony for the person, to make them a vassal. This was called a commendation ceremony. In the agreement the vassal had to fight for the lord when he needed him to and to had to be faithful to him. The lord sometimes had to fulfil wishes of the vassal. Since the lord hadn't given land away, he to maintain it for the vassal and protect it from harm. The vassals also had to provide a counsel so if the Lord had to make a big decision he would ask his vassals to come and hold a council. The vassal also was needed to grind his wheat and make bread in the mill. The feudalism agreement revolves round a fief. A lord could grant bigger or smaller area of land. The lord could also give land to a bishop. There are different levels of feudalism like William I was almost like lord to the other lords and so on.

What-did-William-do-after-he-became-king-of-England
In 1067 William went on a tour of England where he confiscated lands and also built castles and organised law and order. In 1069 King Sweyn of Denmark lead raids on the north of the country. Then Sweyns fleet sailed to York and burnt it. Williams army forced him to retreat. Then he burnt property, houses and crops between York and Durham. Some people said that the area was turned into a desert because the people died of starvation. The rebellion finished when Williams army captured him. William reorganised churches. Lanfranc became archbishop of Canterbury. Another rebellion force opposed him lead by Hereward. He had captured the isle of Ely William lead the Norman army against him. William punished the rebels with a life of imprisonment then William built a castle at Ely. William went back to Normandy in 1073 and later that year conquered Maine. While he was away Waltheof and Ralph, earl of Norfolk began to plan ideas to defeat William but Geoffrey of Coutances, a good friend of William led a fight against Waltheof and Ralph and ordered that all rebels had to have their right foot cut off. When William came back to England in 1076 Waltheof was executed. Ralph, Earl of Norfolk escaped to Brittany. In 1077 Williams oldest son, Robert Curthose, said to William that William should let him be the ruler of Normandy and Maine. But William refused. Robert curthose rebelled and tried to siege the town of Rouen. But Robert failed and fled to Gerberoi. In 1080 William sieged Gerberoi and caught him but Williams wife persuaded them to stop their arguments. William went back to Normandy soon after and he had left Odo of Bayeux but in 1082 William heard complaints about Odo. When William returned Odo was arrested for misgoverning and stay in there for Five years. In 1083 William had defeated a rebellion lead by Hubert de Beaumont in Maine. Then in 1084 William returned to England to defeat an invasion by King Cnut of Denmark while waiting for the invasion William ordered a survey of his kingdom. There where a couple of reason for this. One to find out how much he could charge them in taxes. Two, to find out the population of the kingdom to find out the soldiers he would need to defend and Three, to find out the amount of land he owned so he could give it to people who where fighting over it. Officials where sent to each town to ask each family now much land they owned, have much farm equipment they had and how many animals they owned. The information was collected in seven months and was sent to Winchester and then it was written into a book called the Domesday book (mentioned above in what were Williams greatest achievements).

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