1. So WHAT happened to the Anglo-Saxons?

2. The END of the Anglo-Saxon rule
Anglo-Saxon rule came to an end in 1066
England was conquered by the Normans, a group of Vikings that lived in the North of France (“North-Men”)
Anglo-Norman (Old French) became the official language of the country
On January 5th, 1066, Edward, king of England, died with no heir left to the throne. The next day the Anglo-Saxon council of high ranking men elected Harold Godwin, Edward's brother-in-law to succeed him.
Problems for the newfound king QUICKLY arose.

3. Duke William of Normandy
Duke William did not agree with the voting of the new king.
William claimed that years earlier, Edward had promised the crown of England to him.
William also believed that he had strengthened his claim when in 1063 he had tricked Harold into swearing to support his claim to the English throne. Annoyed with Harold and England, William prepared to invade.

4. William was not his only problem…
Prior to Duke William’s attack, King Harold was attacked by the joining forces of his rival brother Tostig and Harold Hardrada, the king of Norway.
This battle was titled “The Battle of Stamford Bridge”
Harold’s army received victory on September 25th, defeating both Tostig and Harold Hardrada.
Key Facts:
Date: 25th September, 1066
War: Viking invasion
Location: Stamford Bridge, Yorkshire
Belligerents: Anglo-Saxons, Vikings
Victors: Anglo-Saxons
Numbers: Anglo-Saxons around 15,000, Vikings around 11,000 (and around 300 ships)
Casualties: Anglo-Saxons around 5,000, Vikings around 6,000
Commanders: King Harold (Anglo-Saxons), Harald Hardrada (Vikings)

5. Battle of Hastings
On October 1st Harold and his exhausted army marched three hundred kilometers south to battle with Duke William of Normandy.
At first, the Saxons weapons were advanced enough to keep up with the Normans, however, slowly they began to lose control.
King Harold was struck in the eye by a chance Norman arrow and was killed, but the battle raged on until all of Harold's loyal bodyguard were slain.
William then wielded the name ‘William The Conqueror'!
On Christmas Day 1066, William was crowned the King of England.

6. Medieval England
Medieval England started around 1066 with William gaining the English throne
By around 1072, the Norman hold on the kingdom was firmly established. Normans controlled most major functions within the Church and the State. 
1377 is usually seen as the end of Medieval England.

7. Coat of Arms
The principal part of a system of hereditary symbols dating back to Medieval Europe.
Used primarily to establish identity in battle. Arms evolved to denote family descent, adoption, alliance, property ownership, and, eventually, profession.

8. Medieval England Consisted of…
God
King: all-powerful overlord and landowner
“The bond between lord and vassal was affirmed or reaffirmed by the ceremony of homage. The vassal knelt, placed his clasped hands within those of his master, declared, ‘Lord I become your man’, and took an oath of fealty.”
1. Feudalism: Social, caste, property, and military system. Based on the religious concept of rank, with God as the supreme overlord.
Lord: Owned land, divided out for other goods
Vassal: (baron) Aristocratic dependent tenant who received land from a lord in exchange for military service and other expressions of loyalty. Vassals could serve higher lords and be a lord themselves.
Knights: armored warrior. Vassals had to provide their lords with military service for a certain period of time. The larger the fief (LAND), the more knights a vassal had to supply
Serfs: Peasants who worked on and were bound to vassals’ lands. Serfs were not involved in the complicated oaths of loyalty between vassals and lords

9. Knights
The primary duty of males above the serf class was military service to their lords. Boys were trained from an early age to become warriors (not every boy! Their parents had to be rich enough to buy them armor, a horse, and weapons.)
Training started around age 7: Good manners, social skills, and how to use a sword and shield.
At age 14: The boy would become a squire, a personal servant to a knight.

10. Knights (cont.)
When the boys training was completed, he was dubbed or ceremonially tapped on his shoulder. Once knighted he was a “Sir”.
Knighthood was grounded on the feudal ideal of loyalty and a complex system of social codes. Breaking any of these was considered an undermining of Knighthood as a whole.

11. Chivalry
Chivalry was a system of ideals and social codes controlling the behavior of Knights and gentlewoman.
The rules of Chivalry included taking an oath of loyalty to an overlord and keeping to certain warfare rules (never attacking an unarmed opponent).
In addition, adoring a particular lady (not necessarily ones wife) was seen as means of self improvement (this was to make the knight braver and nobler.)

12. Modern Chivalry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BPP4SGlbXk

13. Courtly love
The idea that adoring a woman made a knight braver and more noble is called Courtly love.
Courtly love (ideally) was nonsexual.
A knight was to wear his lady’s colors to battle, write sweet words to her, be inspired by her, but the lady must remain pure and out of reach.
The lady is set on a pedestal above the admirer

14. Famous example:
Sir Lancelot and lady Guinevere:
Sir Lancelot and Lady Guinevere cross the lines between courtly love and physical love causing King Arthurs “round table” to collapse. This leads to Camelot crumbling because that sexual code was broken

15. Women in Medieval times
With women not being warriors they had no political rights in the medieval time period due to its heavy military system.
A woman was always subservient to a man whether that be brother, father, or husband.
He husband/fathers social standing determined how much respect she commanded.
Peasant women: Child bearing, home chores, field work
Women of higher status: Child bearing and house supervision