Books: The Normans - Power, Conquest and Culture

 (Drivebycuriosity) - The Normans shaped Europe´s history in the middle ages. Where did they come from? How did they come in power? How did they influence Europe´s political & economical system? The book "The Normans: Power, Conquest and Culture in 11th Century Europe" by Judith A. Green answers these and many more questions ( amazon).

The  Normans where descendants of the Vikings, who - coming from Norway, Sweden & Denmark - pursued  frequently but independently raids to England and Europe´s north-west coast. They descended from brutal & violent men, who were military enormously successful. The Norman expansion might have been supported by their genes: Very violent men, physically very strong fighters and the talent for organizing battles. The Normans were led by men who were brutally efficient in seizing territory, towns and cities, writes Green. 

She praises their mastery of sieges and their ability to assemble fleets and to use them both for transport, in sieges, and in battle, which really stands out. Ships were essential for transport to England and Sicily, and for campaigns in the Mediterranean. Where not available, they had to be built.

 

                      Quick Integration

In today`s France the earliest reference to a Viking fleet was in 820 in the mouth of the Seine, and from 840 the raids intensified, with attacks on Rouen and the churches. The raids become more regular over time and some Vikings/Norman started to establish themselves in today`s Northwest France and blended with the population. The incomers were relatively few and integrated with the Frankish population relatively quickly.

Slowly the Scandinavians, originally pagans, converted to Christianity and overtook more or less French culture and language. The origins of Normandy lay in a Scandinavian settlement, whether as a grant by regional leaders or, more likely, a recognition of existing reality.

 

                     Fatal Mistake 

In the 11th century the Vikings/Normans extended their expansion. Famously William I, the Duke of Normandy, later named the Conqueror, overtook England and turned the island into a French colony. The invasion was possible because the Duke won the battle of Hastings against England`s ruler Harold, who might have made a strategical and fatal mistake (Green describes this extensively). So the invasion could have been based on luck - but who cares a millennium later. 

 

The Invasion changed England fundamentally and the English overtook French law & language. According to Anglo-Saxon law, freemen of good reputation were able to clear themselves of charges swearing oaths supported by their neighbors. The Normans, however, fearing that oath-swearing meant that Englishmen would be able to wriggle out of charges by having the support of their countrymen, introduced trial by combat instead. The idea that serious offenses were not simply offenses against the individual but more generally against the king’s peace grew.

                    Southwards

  

Simultaneously the Normans infiltrated Italy and overtook many Italian cities and then Sicily plus parts of North Africa. Palermo became the capital of Sicily and seat of the Norman rulers, today still documented by impressive castles & churches.

There is a sharp contrast between the Norman conquests in Italy and the English invasion, in context, numbers, and consequences. In the initial stages the differences were not as marked. In Italy the Normans were mercenaries, invited to serve, according to their apologists. England´s invasion of 1066, led by Duke William himself, brought migration on a much larger scale.

 

In today´s England you can still see a lot Norman buildings, including Westminster & Tower of London, and notice Norman elements in English law and Language. In the south not so much (except Palermo).

I learned a lot - not just about the Normans.