Posted on 10/14/2014 5:24:26 PM PDT by ConorMacNessa
Learning history as a series of dates doesn’t really interest most students. We must take a more tongue in cheek assesment of things as they are recalled by those took the course. “1066 And All That: A Memorable History of England, Comprising All the Parts You Can Remember, Including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings, and 2 Genuine Dates” by Walter Carruthers Sellar, Robert Julian Yeatman, John Reynolds(Illustrator)(first published in the 1930s) is just such a tome. I first read this book sometime in 1950-60s and just reread it last month. A truly enjoyable repeat.
I’d like the story to be centered on England such as it was. William himself could be seen behind his helm during all scenes instead of a major actor. Harold’s short reign including quashing of the northern revolts and then turning south to face William, then taking an arrow in the eye before being dismembered. Totally fascinating political chaos with a spectacular ending with the crowning of a bastard king.
Harold was the rightful king of England.
William the Bastard LIED. When Harold was in his power, he was forced by William to take the Oath on Holy Relics. An oath extracted under threats, even tacit ones, are not binding.
Unlike Achilles, he wouldn’t even turn over Harold’s remains to u is grieving family.
There is no tomb over the grave of Harold Godwinsson, true King of England.
The only good to come out of that battle was the Plantagenets,
England’s greatest kings.
Trivia. The Norman Cavalry were steady because they were the first to use stirrups attached to their saddles which gave them a tactical advantage over the Saxons.
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The Normans (Northmen) were basically of the same blood as the Angles and Saxons; they spoke French because of where they lived. The Battle of Hastings was the last successful invasion of England until the British elected representatives allowed in an invasion of Muslims.
Thanks,Conor, for the info on the Battle of Hastings. Learned a lot.
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Some of us commemorate today as the Feast of St. Harold, Last Orthodox King of England, and those with him.
There is an argument, generally accepted by very traditional Russian Orthodox Christians and by English-speaking Orthodox Christians, that England, and in general the British Isles, remained Orthodox until their local churches were brought under papal rule by the Normans. The English church had been out of communion with Rome over an investiture issue at the time of the mutual anathemas in 1054. The Saxon coronation rite used to crown Harold Godwinson used the Creed in its original form, without the filioque. The Normans invaded with a papal blessing to reduce the English church to obedience to the Roman Papacy. And, finally, most Saxon nobility who fled the Norman invasion went not to Latin Europe, but to Constantinople, where many took service in the Varangian Guard, or to Kiev, including St. Harold’s daughter, who married Prince Vladimir Monomakh.
As you point out, all the contenders for the crown of England were descendants of the leaders of an earlier generation of Viking conquests. In the short run, if you were an average resident of England, not much changed other than names of the rulers.
However, in the long run ...
If William the Conqueror and his descendents were not viewed to some extent as “outsiders”, would the Noblemen have risen up and forced the king to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, a document that distinquished British monarchy (ever so slightly at first) from the absolute monarchy that was prevalent on the continent?
If the England wasn’t ruled by the Plantagenet family who had ties to both England and continental France, would the set of conflicts alliances have played out that resulted in the Hundred Years War and the creation of France as a great nation?
Would the blowback from the loss of the Hundred Years War have caused the War of the Roses, which ended with Tudors on the throne of England, including the unique personalities of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I?
Would we here in America be speaking English and governing ourselves the way that we do, if Harold had taken his brothers advice and waited for reinforcements on October 14, 1066?
Perhaps history would have played similarly with just the names and faces changed, but perhaps we would be living in quite a different world.
So cool!
Though I see your point, I think his struggle for dominance in Normandy, his winning of Mathilda and his claim to the throne need to be established then followed by the conquest, submission and his lasting influence in England.
His life story is epic...especially for the eleventh century.
I’m sure the kids emerging from our schools know little about this or other events in history.
Years ago the New York Times had a section for New Yorkers to write about their day in the city. One New Yorker wrote approximately: “ I was at my local grocery store and when they rang up my groceries the girl said the total was 10.66.
I replied, “The Battle of Hastings.” In response I got a blank look. So I repeated, “The Battle of Hastings, 1066.” The blank look continued. So I explained that an important historical event happened in the year 1066.
She gave me my change and then said, “Can you do that for every year?”
Interesting. Thanks.
Also, there was the 1100 Charter of Liberties which says death taxes and writing laws which exempted the lawmakers was "evil and oppressive". Many scholars believe violations of the 1100 Charter of Liberties led to the Magna Carta.
BTTT
Interesting
William the Bastard almost lost. If Harald had only waited for the rest of his army from Stamford he would have won. Even without it had the shield wall held its position and not been lured out and had he not been shot with the arrow,he might have won anyway.
A well-disciplined well trained infantry force can usually hold off any cavalry unless they are horse archers which the Normans were not.
Saw the death effigy from Eleanor of Aquitaine’s sarcophagus in New York at the Museum of Art. It was awesome. Would like to visit Normandy and Anjou the home of the loddly Plantagenets.
I will cut the guy some slack. He had just force-marched his army to the north to repel another major invasion (in a victory which ended the "Age of The Vikings"), and then had to immediately turn his forces south again and confront the largest maritime assault ever assembled. Actually, he did this after having just defeated the previous largest-ever-assembled armada.
He’s a very controversial character even now, but yes it would be a good idea. He’d make an excellent anti-hero.
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