The Normans

I feel it is important to take a quick side step away from Britain in the 10th Century and reign of the Anglo- Saxons to talk about the Normans.

The Normans (derived from Norse Men), as they would come to be known, were originally Norse Vikings who began settling in Northern France in the 880's, about the same time as Alfred the Great was regaining his control over Wessex and London. They were kinsmen to the Vikings who Alfred was constantly fighting across the Channel, and as such had close ties with them.

After initially settling in small groups, they came to dominate what is now Normandy, subduing the inhabitants there and even the monarchy of France. During the 900's they adopted some of the customs and the language of the locality to create a unique Norman culture. They converted to Christianity, partly for religious and partly for political reasons, and became wealthy through trade and commerce. One such item of trade was Norman warriors who were effective mercenaries being as they were highly trained and battle hardened. They even created the notion of a 'Knight', one who is brave and chivalrous.

By the mid 11th century Normandy was wealthy and had substantial military might. While technically it was only a Dukedom of France in many ways it was entirely separate and free to do as it pleased. With all the wealth it had earned through trade it could afford a large navy and army, with many hundreds of the famous Norman Knights serving within it. It was also highly regarded within the Christian religion, and as such it's Duke would obtain a papal blessing to invade England in 1066. That Duke's name was William II, but that's a story for another blog entry...