Who Were The Normans? 6 Fun Facts to Start Your Topic
The Normans were Vikings who settled in France
By the year 900AD, the Vikings from Norway, Denmark and Iceland had been focusing their raids along the northern and western coasts of France for some time (and probably having a great time doing it too!).
At this time, a tribe called the Franks had made France their home, and their leader King Charles III the Simple (he liked to keep things straightforward) had got sick of the Vikings pestering them, taking their valuables and all round being mean. So in the year 911, Charles signed a treaty with a Viking leader called Rollo.
In this treaty, the Franks gave the Vikings some nice land around the mouth of the River Seine. In return the Vikings agreed not to carry out their raids on France any more. Phew!
The name Normans means "North-Men"
The Vikings loved their new settlement in France. They called themselves "Nortmanni" (along with similar variations) which translates as "north men" or "norse men". From this, they became known as the Normans. And the land they lived in became known as Normandy.
Despite this, by the year 1000 the Normans had fully blended and mixed with the Franks. They spoke the French language, married Frankish people and even adopted a new religion called Christianity.
The Normans had an unbeatable army and loved to invade foreign lands
The rulers of Normandy called themselves counts or dukes and could be brutally cruel. And much like their Viking ancestors, they loved to invade foreign lands. But the Normans upgraded their fighting style from the basic axe-wielding, longship sailing approach of their forebears.
Instead, the Normans often fought on horseback, using small but violent armies that could advance quickly over the land. Their tactics were so effective, they often defeated armies much larger than their own.
They migrated to places like southern Italy and Sicily, being paid by local rulers to fight off attacks from the Arabs and Byzantines.
The Normans ended the rule of Anglo-Saxons in England
In 1066, the Duke of Normandy, often known as William the Conqueror, decided to invade England. This was called the Norman Conquest of England. This invasion wasn't just a spur of the moment thing - William was convinced he had been promised the throne of England. At the same time, the Vikings also decided to invade England, for the same reason. As you'd imagine, the Anglo-Saxons in England were pretty overwhelmed by this. They managed to fight off the Vikings but were defeated by the Normans at the Battle of Hastings.
William the Conqueror was crowned King of England on Christmas Day 1066. He stripped the Anglo-Saxon nobles of their titles and lands and gave them to Norman knights instead.
The Normans loved building Motte and Bailey castles
The Anglo-Saxons were rightfully a bit miffed by this Norman invader turning up and taking over their country. Because of this, they had an annoying habit of rebelling against William and his armies. But William wasn't concerned - as a defensive strategy, he had castles built across his new kingdom and housed bands of Norman soldiers there to defend against any rebels.
The Normans introduced a new type of castle structure called a Motte and Bailey. They were built on top of a large mound of earth, called a Motte, and were made up of a tall tower, called a Keep, surrounded by a courtyard enclosed by wooden fences and stakes, called a Bailey.
These castles were quick and easy to build, provided security and gave the Norman soldiers a height advantage over their enemies. They were incredibly effective and helped the Normans maintain power and control over England.
We know a lot about the Normans because of the Bayeux Tapestry and the Domesday Book
The Bayeux Tapestry and the Domesday Book are important historical documents that are jam-packed with information about the Normans, including what life was like for the everyday person, the way their army battled, the armour they used, how Norman society was set up and more.
The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered piece of cloth, likely crafted in the 11th century, nearly 70 metres long and 50 centimetres high. The designs on the cloth show the events leading up to William the Conqueror's invasion of England and the defeat of the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of Hastings.
The Domesday Book (the medieval spelling for Doomsday), is a handwritten document that records the results of a massive survey William the Conqueror carried out. It lists every home in England, every property owner, the number of people who live in each home and, importantly for William, how much tax should be paid.
