The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. They were the descendants of the original Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group This article covers the culture of Romanized areas of Gaul. For the political history of the brief "Gallic Empire" of the 3rd century see Gallic Empire Their identity first emerged in the first half of the tenth century and gradually evolved over the succeeding centuries until they disappeared as an ethnic group in the early thirteenth century. The name "Normans" is derived from "Northmen" or "Norsemen", after the Vikings from Scandinavia who founded Normandy (Northmannia in its original Latin). Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who speak one of the North Germanic languages as their native language Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who speak one of the North Germanic languages as their native language Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome.
They played a major political, military, and cultural role in medieval Europe and even the Near East. They were famed for the martial spirit and for their Christian piety. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings They quickly adopted the Romance language of the land they settled in, their dialect becoming known as Norman, an important literary language. The Gallo-Romance branch of Romance languages includes French, Occitan, Arpitan, and several other languages spoken in modern France Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. The northern Norman can be classified in the septentrional Oil languages with Picard and The Duchy of Normandy which they formed by treaty with the French crown was one of the great large fiefs of medieval France. The Duchy of Normandy stems from various Danish, Hiberno-Norse, Orkney Viking and Anglo-Danish ( from the Danelaw) invasions of The Normans are famed both for their culture, such as their unique Romanesque architecture and their musical traditions, as well as for the military accomplishments and innovations. Regional characteristics of Romanesque architecture|Romanesque art Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which Norman adventurers established a kingdom in Sicily and southern Italy by conquest and a Norman expedition on behalf of their duke led to the Norman Conquest of England. The Norman conquest of Southern Italy spanned most of the eleventh century involving many battles and many independent players conquering territories of their own Norman influence spread from these new centres to the Crusader States in the Near East and to Ireland, Scotland, and Wales in the British Isles. The Crusader states were a number of mostly 12th- and 13th-century feudal states created by Western European Crusaders in Asia Minor, Greece and Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The British Isles (Irish variously Na hOileáin Bhriotanacha, Oileáin Iarthair Eorpa, Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór; Ellanyn Goaldagh Eileanan
In Russian historiography, the term "Norman" is often used for the Varangians, as for example in the term "Normanist theory". The Varangians or Varyags ( Old Norse: Væringjar Greek: Βάραγγοι Βαριάγοι Váraggoi / Varyágoi, Ukrainian Rus’ (Русь rusʲ Русичи Русы are an ancient people whose name survives in the cognates Russians, Rusyns, and Ruthenians In French historiography, too, the term is often applied to the various Viking groups which raided France in the ninth century before settling down to found Normandy.
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Characteristics
In a famous passage, Geoffrey Malaterra characterised the Normans thus:
Specially marked by cunning, despising their own inheritance in the hope of winning a greater, eager after both gain and dominion, given to imitation of all kinds, holding a certain mean between lavishness and greediness, that is, perhaps uniting, as they certainly did, these two seemingly opposite qualities. Goffredo (or Geoffrey) Malaterra was an eleventh century Benedictine monk and Chronicler of Norman origin Their chief men were specially lavish through their desire of good report. They were, moreover, a race skillful in flattery, given to the study of eloquence, so that the very boys were orators, a race altogether unbridled unless held firmly down by the yoke of justice. They were enduring of toil, hunger, and cold whenever fortune laid it on them, given to hunting and hawking, delighting in the pleasure of horses, and of all the weapons and garb of war. Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather "[1]
Their quick adaptability expressed itself in the shrewd Norman willingness to take on local men of talent, to marry the high-born local women; confidently illiterate Norman masters used the literate clerks of the church for their own purposes.
Normandy
- See also: Norman law
Geographically, Normandy was approximately the same region as the old church province of Rouen and what was called Brittania Nova as well as western Flanders. Norman law refers to the customary law of Normandy which developed between the 10th and 13th centuries following the establishment of the Rouen (ʁwɑ̃ in French) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital It had no natural frontiers and was previously merely an administrative unit. Historically, its population was mostly French. Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( Added on top of that were the Viking settlers who had begun arriving in the 880s, and who were divided between a small colony in Upper (or eastern) Normandy and a larger one in Lower (or western) Normandy. Events and Trends 885 — Vikings lay siege to Paris 886 — Alfred the Great of Wessex captures
In the course of the 10th century the initial destructive incursions of Norse war bands into the rivers of Gaul evolved into more permanent encampments that included women and chattel. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Personal property is a type of Property. In the Common law systems personal property may also be called chattels or personalty. The pagan culture was driven underground by the Christian faith and Gallo-Romance language of the local people. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world The Gallo-Romance branch of Romance languages includes French, Occitan, Arpitan, and several other languages spoken in modern France The small group of Vikings that settled there adopted the language and culture of the French majority. After a generation or two, the Normans were indistinguishable in some aspects from their French neighbours.
In Normandy they adopted the growing feudal doctrines of the rest of northern France, and worked them, both in Normandy and in England, into a functional hierarchical system. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed The Norman warrior class was new and different from the old French aristocracy, many of whom could trace their families back to Carolingian times, while the Normans could seldom cite ancestors before the beginning of the 11th century. The Nobility (la noblesse in France, in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period had specific legal and financial rights and The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolings, or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the Most knights remained poor and land-hungry; by 1066, Normandy had been exporting fighting horsemen for more than a generation. Knighthood before the time of the Crusades held little social status, and simply indicated that a man was a professional warrior and wealthy enough to own a war horse. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents Many Normans of France and Britain would eventually serve as avid Crusaders.
The Norman language was forged by the adoption of the indigenous oïl language by a Norse-speaking ruling class developed into the regional language which survives today. Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. The northern Norman can be classified in the septentrional Oil languages with Picard and Langues d'oïl is the linguistic and historical designation of the Gallo-Romance languages originating from the northern territories of Roman Gaul, Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age There are a number of languages of France. The French language is by far the most widely spoken and the only Official language of France, but several
Conquests
In Italy
- See also: Norman conquest of southern Italy, Arab-Norman culture, and Italo-Norman
Opportunistic bands of Normans successfully established a foothold far to the south of Normandy. The Norman conquest of Southern Italy spanned most of the eleventh century involving many battles and many independent players conquering territories of their own The term Arab-Norman culture (sometimes referred to as "Arab-Norman civilization" refers to the interaction of the Arab and Norman societies following the Norman conquest of The Italo-Normans, or Siculo-Normans when referring to Sicily, were the Italian -born descendants of the first Norman conquerors to travel to Probably the result of returning pilgrims' stories, the Normans entered the Mezzogiorno as warriors in 1017 at the latest. Geography Southern Italy forms the lower "boot" of the Italian peninsula containing the ankle (Abruzzo and Molise and southern Lazio the toe (Calabria and the heel In 999, according to Amatus of Montecassino, pilgrims returning from Jerusalem called in at the port of Salerno, when a Saracen attack occurred. For the emergency number see 999 (emergency telephone number. Amatus of Montecassino ( Amatus Casinensis) a Benedictine monk at the Abbey of Montecassino is one of three Italo-Norman Chroniclers Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Salerno is a town in southern Italy, capital of the province of the same name in the region of Campania. Saracen was a term used by Europeans in the Middle Ages for Fatimids at first then later for all who professed the religion of Islam. The Normans fought so valiantly that Prince Guaimar IV begged them to stay, but they refused and instead offered to tell others back home of the prince's request. Guaimar IV (c 1013 &ndash ass June 3 or 2 1052 was Prince of Salerno (1027&ndash1052 Duke of Amalfi (1039&ndash1052 Duke of Gaeta William of Apulia tells that, in 1016, pilgrims to the shrine of the Archangel Michael at Monte Gargano were met by Melus of Bari, a Lombard freedom-fighter, who persuaded them to return with more warriors to help throw off the Byzantine rule, and so they did. William of Apulia was a chronicler of the Normans, writing in the 1090s Michael (מִיכָאֵל Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Μιχαήλ Mikhaíl; Michael or Míchaël; ميخائيل Mikhā'īl) is an Monte Gargano is a mountain in Apulia, Italy forming the backbone of the peninsula Promontorio del Gargano on the Adriatic Sea. Melus (also Milus or Meles, Melo in Italian) (died 1020 was a Lombard nobleman from the Apulian town of Bari The Lombards ( Latin Langobardi, whence the alternative names Langobards and Longobards) were a Germanic people originally from
The two most prominent families to arrive in the Mediterranean were the descendants of Tancred of Hauteville and the Drengots, of whom Rainulf Drengot received the county of Aversa, the first Norman toehold in the south, from Duke Sergius IV of Naples in 1030. Tancred of Hauteville was an eleventh-century Norman petty lord about whom little is known The Drengots were a Norman family of mercenaries one of the first to head to the Mezzogiorno of Italy to fight in the service of the Lombards Rainulf Drengot (also Ranulph Ranulf or Rannulf was a Norman adventurer and the first count of Aversa ( 1030 &ndash 1045) Aversa is a town in the Campania region of southern Italy, about 15 kilometres north of Naples. Sergius IV (died after 1036 was Duke of Naples from 1002 to 1036 The Hautevilles achieved princely status when they proclaimed Prince Guaimar IV of Salerno "Duke of Apulia and Calabria". The family of the Hauteville ( French: Maison de Hauteville, Italian: Casa d'Altavilla) was a petty baronial Norman family from the Guaimar IV (c 1013 &ndash ass June 3 or 2 1052 was Prince of Salerno (1027&ndash1052 Duke of Amalfi (1039&ndash1052 Duke of Gaeta He promptly awarded their elected leader, William Iron Arm, with the title of count with his capital of Melfi. William Iron Arm (born before 1010 &ndash died 1046 was a Norman adventurer founder of the fortunes of the Hauteville family. Melfi is a town and Comune in the Vulture area of the Province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. Soon the Drengots had attained unto the principality of Capua and the Emperor Henry III had legally ennobled the Hauteville leader, Drogo, as dux et magister Italiae comesque Normannorum totius Apuliae et Calabriae in 1047. The Principality of Capua (Principatus Capuae or Capue was a Lombard state in Southern Italy, usually de facto independent but under the varying Henry III ( 29 October 1017 &ndash 5 October 1056) called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty Drogo of Hauteville (c1010 &ndash 10 August 1051) succeeded his brother William Iron Arm, with whom he arrived in southern Italy c
From these bases, the Normans were eventually able to capture Sicily and Malta from the Saracens under the famous Robert Guiscard, a Hauteville, and his young brother Roger the Great Count. The Cuba is a Palace in the Sicilian city of Palermo. It was built in 1180 by William II of Sicily in his great Royal Park as his Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands Robert Guiscard (from Latin Viscardus and Old French Viscart, often rendered the Resourceful, the Cunning, the Wily Roger I (1031 &ndash June 22, 1101) called Bosso and the Great Count, was the Norman Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101 Roger's son, Roger II, was crowned king in 1130 (exactly one century after Rainulf was "crowned" count) by Pope Anacletus II. Roger II ( 22 December 1095 &ndash 26 February 1154) was King of Sicily, son of Roger I of Sicily and successor to his Anacletus II, born Pietro Pierleoni, (died January 25 1138) was an Antipope who ruled from 1131 to his death in a schism against The kingdom of Sicily lasted until 1194, when it fell to the Hohenstaufens through marriage. The Kingdom of Sicily (Regnum Siciliae or Sicilie Regno di Sicilia, commonly abbreviated Regno) was a state that existed in the south of Italy
The Normans left their mark however in the many castles, such as the Iron Arm's fortress at Squillace, and cathedrals, such as Roger II's at Cefalù, which dot the landscape and give a wholly distinct architectural flavour to accompany its unique history. Squillace (Skyllision Skyllition is an ancient seaside town and Comune, in the Province of Catanzaro, part of Calabria, southern Italy Cefalù ( Sicilian: Cifalù, Greek:, Diod, Strabo, or, Ptol; Latin: Cephaloedium, or Cephaloedis Institutionally, the Normans combined the administrative machinery of the Byzantines, Arabs, and Lombards with their own conceptions of feudal law and order to forge a completely unique government. Under this state, there was great religious freedom, and alongside the Norman nobles existed a meritocratic bureaucracy of Jews, Muslims, and Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox.
In Byzantium
Soon after the Normans first began to enter Italy, they entered the Byzantine Empire and soon thereafter Armenia against the Pechenegs, Bulgars, and especially Seljuk Turks. Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani The Pechenegs or Patzinaks ( Turkish: Peçenekler, Hungarian: Besenyő, Greek: Patzinaki/Petsenegi or Πατζινάκοι/Πετσενέγοι/Πατζινακίται The Bulgars (also Bolgars or proto-Bulgarians) were a seminomadic people probably of Turkic descent originally from Central Asia, The Seljuq (also Seljuq Turks, Seldjuks, Seldjuqs, Seljuks; in Turkish Selçuklular; in Ṣaljūqīyān; in The Norman mercenaries first encouraged to come to the south by the Lombards to act against the Byzantines were soon fighting in Byzantine service in Sicily. They were prominent alongside Varangian and Lombard contingents in the Sicilian campaign of George Maniaches of 1038-40. The Varangians or Varyags ( Old Norse: Væringjar Greek: Βάραγγοι Βαριάγοι Váraggoi / Varyágoi, Ukrainian George Maniakes (Γεώργιος Μανιάκης transliterated as Georgios Maniaces, Maniakis, or Maniaches, Giorgio Maniace (d There is some debate concerning whether the Normans in Greek service were mostly or at all from Norman Italy and it now seems likely that only a few came from there. It is also unknown how many of the "Franks", as the Byzantines called them, were Normans and not other Frenchmen.
One of the first Norman mercenaries to serve as a Byzantine general was Hervé in the 1050s. Hervé was a Norman mercenary general in Byzantine service during the 1050s. By then however there were already Norman mercenaries serving as far away as Trebizond and Georgia. Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between They were based at Malatya and Edessa, under the Byzantine duke of Antioch, Isaac Comnenus. Malatya ( Hittite: Melid; Greek: Μαλάτεια Malateia; Armenian: Մալաթիա Malatia; Kurdish: Edessa ( Greek:) is the historical name of a Syriac town in northern Mesopotamia, refounded on an ancient site by Seleucus I Nicator Antioch on the Orontes (Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Δάφνῃ Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ Μεγάλη Antiochia ad Orontem also Isaac Komnenos or Comnenus was the nephew of the Byzantine Emperor Isaac I Komnenos ( 1057 - 1059) and the duke of Antioch In the 1060s, one Robert Crispin led the Normans of Edessa against the Turks. Robert Crispin (Crépin died 1071 called Frankopoulos, was a Norman mercenary and the leader of a corps of his countrymen stationed at Edessa under the Roussel de Bailleul even tried to carve out an independent state in Asia Minor and had the support of the local population, but he was stopped by the Byzantine general Alexius Comnenus. Roussel de Bailleul (also Roscelin or Roskelin de Baieul) called Phrangopoulos, a Norman adventurer (or exile travelled to Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Alexios I Komnenos, or Comnenus (Greek Αλέξιος Α' Κομνηνός (1048 &ndash August 15, 1118) Byzantine emperor (1081&ndash1118
Some Normans joined Turkish forces and aided in the destruction of the Armenians vassal-states of Sassoun and Taron in far eastern Anatolia. Sason is also a spider genus ( Barychelidae) Sason ( Armenian: Սասուն Kurdish: Kabilcevz; formerly Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Later, many took up service with the Armenian states further south in Cilicia and the Taurus Mountains. Geography Cilicia extended along the Aegean coast east from Pamphylia, to Mount Amanus ( Gavurdağı Mount) which separated it from Syria For the Taurus Mountains on the moon see Montes Taurus. For Mount Taurus outside Cold Spring New York, see Bull Hill. A Norman named Oursel led a force of "Franks" into the upper Euphrates valley in northern Syria. The Euphrates ( ( Arabic: ar نهر الفرات; Turkish: tr Fırat Syriac: syr ܦܪܬ; Hebrew: he פרת Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية From 1073 to 1074, 8,000 of the 20,000 troops of the Armenian general Philaretus Brachamius were Normans — formerly of Oursel — led by Raimbaud. Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Philaretos Brachamios (Φιλάρετος Βραχάμιος Armenian: Փիլարտոս Վարաժնունի Pilartos Varajnuni; Latin: Philaretus Raimbaud was a Italo-Norman chief who served under Philaretus Brachamius from 1073 to 1074 They even lent their ethnicity to the name of their castle: Afranji, meaning "Franks. " The known trade between Amalfi and Antioch and between Bari and Tarsus may be related to the presence of Italo-Normans in those cities while Amalfi and Bari were under Norman rule in Italy. Republic or Duchy of Amalfi was a de facto independent state centred on the south Italian city of the same name during the tenth and eleventh Bari ( Barium in Latin, Bàrion or Vàrion in Greek, Bare in Neapolitan Tarsus ( Greek Ταρσός is a City, and a large district in Mersin Province, Turkey, from the city of Mersin and near (40
Several families of Byzantine Greece were of Norman mercenary origin during the period of the Comnenian Restoration, when Byzantine emperors were seeking out western European warriors. The Komnenian restoration is the term used by Byzantinists to describe the military financial and territorial recovery of the Byzantine Empire under the Komnenian The Raoulii were descended from an Italo-Norman named Raoul, the Petraliphae were descended from a Pierre d'Aulps, and that group of Albanian clans known as the Maniakates were descended from Normans who served under George Maniaches in the Sicilian expedition of 1038. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. George Maniakes (Γεώργιος Μανιάκης transliterated as Georgios Maniaces, Maniakis, or Maniaches, Giorgio Maniace (d
In England
- See also: Norman conquest of England, Anglo-Norman, Norman Yoke, and Domesday Book
The Normans were in contact with England from an early date. Not only were their original Viking brethren still ravaging the English coasts, they occupied most of the important ports opposite England across the Channel. This relationship eventually produced closer ties of blood through the marriage of Emma, sister of Duke Richard II of Normandy, and King Ethelred II of England. Emma (c 985&ndash March 6, 1052 in Winchester, Hampshire) was daughter of Richard the Fearless, Duke of Normandy, by Richard II (born 23 August 963, in Normandy, France &ndash 28 August 1027, in Normandy called the Good Ethelred II ( c. 968 – 23 April 1016 also known as Æthelred II, Aethelred II, Ethelred the Unready, Æthelred the Unready Because of this, Ethelred fled to Normandy in 1013, when he was forced from his kingdom by Sweyn Forkbeard. Sweyn I Forkbeard, in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in English Sven the Dane, also known as Swegen and Tuck, ( Old Norse His stay in Normandy (until 1016) influenced him and his sons by Emma, who stayed in Normandy after Canute the Great's conquest of the isle. } Canute the Great, also known as Cnut in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, or Knut ( Old Norse: Knútr inn ríki, Norwegian
When finally Edward the Confessor returned from his father's refuge in 1041, at the invitation of his half-brother Harthacanute, he brought with him a Norman-educated mind. King Edward the Confessor (c 1003 &ndash 5 January 1066 son of Ethelred the Unready, was the penultimate Anglo-Saxon King of England and the last Harthacanute ( Canute the Hardy, sometimes Hardicanute, Hardecanute, Hörthaknútr; Danish: Hardeknud) (1018 – 8 June He also brought many Norman counsellors and fighters, some of whom established an English cavalry force. This concept never really took root, but it is a typical example of the attitudes of Edward. He appointed Robert of Jumièges archbishop of Canterbury and made Ralph the Timid earl of Hereford. Robert of Jumièges (sometimes Robert Chambert or Robert Champart) (died 26 May 1052 or 1055 or between 1053 and 1055 was the first Norman Archbishop The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the Ralph the Timid (also known as Ralf of Mantes) was the Earl of Hereford from 1052 until his death in 1057 The title of Earl of Hereford was created six times in the Peerage of England. He invited his brother-in-law Eustace II of Boulogne to his court in 1051, an event which resulted in the greatest of early conflicts between Saxon and Norman and ultimately resulted in the exile of Earl Godwin of Wessex. Eustace II, (c 1015-1020 &ndash 1087 was Count of Boulogne from 1049-1093 fought on the Norman side at the Battle of Hastings, and afterwards received a Godwin of Wessex, also known as Godwine Goodwin Godwyn or Goodwyn (c
In 1066, Duke William II of Normandy, conquered England. William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The invading Normans and their descendants replaced the Anglo-Saxons as the ruling class of England. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south The nobility of England were part of a single French-speaking culture and many had lands on both sides of the channel. Early Norman kings of England were, as Dukes of Normandy, vassals to the King of France. They may not have necessarily considered England to be their most important holding (although it brought the title of King - an important status symbol). King Richard I (the Lionheart) is often thought to epitomise a medieval English King, but he only spoke French and spent more time in Aquitaine or on Crusade than in England.
Eventually, the Normans merged with the natives, combining languages and traditions. In the course of the Hundred Years war, the Norman aristocracy often identified themselves as English. The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior The Anglo-Norman language became distinct from the French language, something that was the subject of some humour by Geoffrey Chaucer. The Anglo-Norman language is a term traditionally used to refer to the variety of French used in England and to some extent elsewhere in the British Isles following the French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Geoffrey Chaucer (c 1343 – 25 October 1400? was an English author poet Philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and Diplomat. The Anglo-Norman and Anglo-Saxon languages eventually merged to form Middle English. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of
In Wales
- See also: Cambro-Norman
Even before the Norman Conquest of England, the Normans had come into contact with Wales. Cambro-Norman is a term used for Norman knights who settled in southern Wales after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Edward the Confessor had set up the aforementioned Ralph as earl of Hereford and charged him with defending the Marches and warring with the Welsh. In these original ventures, the Normans failed to make any headway into Wales.
Subsequent to the Conquest, however, the Marches came completely under the dominance of William's most trusted Norman barons, including Bernard de Neufmarché, Roger of Montgomery in Shropshire and Hugh Lupus in Cheshire. Bernard of Neufmarché or Newmarket (c 1050 &ndash c 1125 was "the first of the original conquerors of Wales. Roger de Montgomerie, known as Roger the Great de Montgomery, was the first Earl of Shrewsbury. Shropshire (ˈʃrɒpʃɪə/ /-ʃə alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated in print only Shrops, is a county in the Hugh d'Avranches 1st Earl of Chester (died July 27, 1101) was one of the great magnates of early Norman England. Cheshire (or archaically the County of Chester) is a county in North West England. These Normans began a long period of slow conquest during which almost all of Wales was at some point subject to Norman interference. Norman words, such as baron (barwn), first entered Welsh at that time. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic
On Crusade
- See also: Principality of Antioch
The legendary religious zeal of the Normans was exercised in religious wars long before the First Crusade carved out a Norman principality in Antioch. The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the Crusader states created during the First Crusade The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the dual goals of conquering the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and freeing The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the Crusader states created during the First Crusade They were major foreign participants in the Reconquista in Spain. The Reconquista (a Spanish and Portuguese word for "Reconquest" Arabic: الاسترداد, "Recapturing" was a period Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. In 1018, Roger de Tony travelled to Spain to carve out a state for himself from Moorish lands, but failed. Roger I of Tosny or Roger of Hispania was a Norman nobleman of the House of Tosny who took part in the Reconquista of Iberia. The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent In 1064, during the War of Barbastro, William of Montreuil led the papal army and took a huge booty. The War of Barbastro (also known as the Siege of Barbastro) was an international expedition sanctioned by Pope Alexander II, to take the Spanish city of William of Montreuil (Guillaume de Montreuil was an Italo-Norman freebooter of the mid-eleventh century
In 1096, Crusaders passing by the siege of Amalfi were joined by Bohemond of Taranto and his nephew Tancred with an army of Italo-Normans. Amalfi is also a town in the Antioquia Departament in Colombia. Bohemond I (also spelled Bohemund or Boamund; c 1058&ndash 3 March 1111) Prince of Taranto and Prince of Antioch Tancred ( 1072 - December 5 or December 12, 1112) was a Norman leader of the First Crusade who later became Prince Bohemond was the de facto leader of the Crusade during its passage through Asia Minor. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black After the successful Siege of Antioch in 1097, Bohemond began carving out an independent principality around that city. For other uses please see Siege of Antioch (disambiguation The Siege of Antioch took place during the First Crusade in 1097 Tancred was instrumental in the conquest of Jerusalem and he worked for the expansion of the Crusader kingdom in Transjordan and the region of Galilee. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the This article is about the Christian kingdom For the history of the city see History of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian The Emirate of Transjordan ( Arabic: ar إمارة شرق الأردن) was a former Ottoman territory incorporated into the British Mandate of Palestine "Galil" redirects here For the weapon see IMI Galil. Galilee (הגליל ha-Galil, lit the province,
In Scotland
- See also: Scotland in the High Middle Ages and Scoto-Norman
One of the claimants of the English throne opposing William the Conqueror, Edgar Atheling, eventually fled to Scotland. The history of Scotland in the High Middle Ages covers Scotland in the era between the death of Domnall II in 900 AD and the death of king Alexander III The term Scoto-Norman (also Scotto-Norman, Franco-Scottish or Franco-Gaelic) is used to described people families institutions and archaeological artifacts William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages Edgar ( the) Ætheling, also known as Edgar the Outlaw (c 1051&ndashc King Malcolm III of Scotland married Edgar's sister Margaret, and came into opposition to William who had already disputed Scotland's southern borders. Máel Coluim mac Donnchada ( Modern Gaelic: Maol Chaluim mac Dhonnchaidh) called in most Anglicised regnal lists Malcolm III, and in later centuries Saint Margaret (c 1045 – 16 November 1093 was the sister of Edgar Ætheling, the short-ruling and uncrowned Anglo-Saxon King of England. William invaded Scotland in 1072, riding as far as the Abernethy where he met up with his fleet of ships. Abernethy ( Obar Neithich) is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, situated eight Miles south-east of Perth. Malcolm submitted, paid homage to William, and surrendered his son Duncan as a hostage, beginning a series of arguments as to whether the Scottish Crown owed allegiance to the English King. Donnchad mac Maíl Coluim ( Modern Gaelic: Donnchadh mac Mhaoil Chaluim) anglicised as Duncan II (before c
Normans came into Scotland, building castles and founding noble families who would provide some future kings such as Robert the Bruce as well as founding some of the Scottish clans. Robert I King of Scots ( 11 July, 1274 &ndash 7 June, 1329) usually known in modern English as Robert the Bruce ( Scottish clans (from Scottish Gaelic clann, "children" give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations King David I of Scotland was instrumental in introducing Normans and Norman culture to Scotland, part of the process some scholars call the "Davidian Revolution". David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim ( Modern: Daibhidh I mac Chaluim; b The Kingdom of Scotland ( Gaelic: Rìoghachd na h-Alba, Scots: Kinrick o Scotland) was a State in northwest Europe The Davidian Revolution is a term given by many scholars to the changes which took place in the Kingdom of Scotland during the reign of David I of Scotland (1124-1153 Having spent time at the court of Henry I of England (married to David's sister Maud of Scotland), and needing them to wrestle the kingdom from his half-brother Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair, David had to reward many with lands. Henry I (c 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman Matilda of Scotland (born Edith c 1080 – 1 May 1118) was the first wife and Queen consort of Henry I. Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair or Máel Coluim mac Alasdair ( Malcolm Alexander's son) was the son of King Alexander I of Scotland and enemy of King David The process was continued under David's successors, most intensely of all under William the Lion. William I ( Mediaeval Gaelic: Uilliam mac Eanric; Modern Gaelic Uilleam mac Eanraig) known as the Lion or Garbh, "the Rough" The Norman-derived feudal system was applied in varying degrees to most of Scotland. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed
In Ireland
- See also: Norman Ireland, Castles in the Republic of Ireland, and Hiberno-Norman
The Normans had a profound effect on Irish culture and history. The later medieval period in Ireland (" Norman Ireland " was dominated by the Cambro-Norman invasion of the country in 1171. Castles in the Republic of Ireland is a link page for any Castle in the Republic of Ireland. The term Hiberno-Norman is used of those Norman lords who settled in Ireland, admitting little if any real Fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers Initially (that is, the twelfth century) the Normans maintained a distinct culture and ethnicity. Yet, with time, they came to be subsumed into Irish culture to the point that it has been said that they became "more Irish than the Irish themselves. " More Irish than the Irish themselves " ( Níos Gaelaí ná na Gaeil iad féin, Hiberniores Hibernis ipsis) was a phrase used in the Middle Ages " The Normans settled mostly in an area in the east of Ireland, later known as the Pale, and also built many fine castles and settlements, including Trim Castle and Dublin Castle. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The Pale ( An Pháil in Irish) or the English Pale ( An Pháil Sasanach) was the English-controlled part of Ireland that had reduced by the late Trim Castle (Caisleán Bhaile Atha Troim Trim County Meath, Ireland, on the shores of the Boyne has an area of 30000 m² Dublin Castle (Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, is a major Irish governmental complex formerly the fortified Both cultures intermixed, borrowing from each other's language, culture and outlook. Norman descendants today can be recognised by their surnames. Names such as French, De Roche and Leacy are particularly common in the southeast of Ireland, especially in the southern part of County Wexford where the first Norman settlements were established. Wexford (derived from Old Norse Veisafjǫrðr (in some sources spelled "Waes Fiord" – veisa meaning "mudflat stagnant pool" Another common Norman-Irish name was Morell (Murrell) derived from the French-Norman name Morel. Morell is also the modern name for the Medieval Irish name of MacMurchada and MacMurrough.
Rulers
- List of Dukes of Normandy
- List of Counts and Dukes of Apulia and Calabria
- List of Counts of Aversa
- List of Princes of Capua
- List of Dukes of Gaeta
- List of Princes of Taranto
- List of Kings of Sicily
- List of Princes of Antioch
- List of Officers of the Principality of Antioch
- List of Kings of England
Culture
Architecture
The Normans' architecture typically stands out as a new stage in the architectural history of the regions which they subdued. For other buildings in Normandy see Architecture of Normandy. They spread a unique Romanesque idiom to England and Italy and the encastellation of these regions with keeps in their north French style fundamentally altered the military landscape. Regional characteristics of Romanesque architecture|Romanesque art Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which Encastellation (sometimes castellation, which can also mean Crenellation) is the process whereby the Feudal kingdoms of Europe became dotted A keep is a strong central Tower which is used as a dungeon or a fortress Their style was characterised by rounded arches (particularly over windows and doorways) and massive proportions. An arch is a structure that spans a space while supporting weight (e
In Italy, the Normans incoporated elements of the native Islamic, Lombard, and Byzantine architecture into their own, initiating a style known as Sicilian Romanesque. Islamic architecture has encompassed a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day influencing the design and construction The Lombards ( Latin Langobardi, whence the alternative names Langobards and Longobards) were a Germanic people originally from Byzantine architecture is the Architecture of the Byzantine Empire. In England, the period of Norman architecture immediately succeeds that of the Anglo-Saxon and precedes the Early Gothic. Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the History of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid- 5th century until the See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period.
Visual arts
In the visual arts, the Normans did not have the rich and distinctive traditions of the cultures they conquered. However, in the early eleventh century the dukes began a programme of church reform, encouraging the Cluniac reform of monasteries and patronising intellectual pursuits, especially the proliferation of scriptoria and the reconstitution of a compilation of lost illuminated manuscripts. The Cluniac (Clunian Reform was a series of changes within medieval monasticism, focused on restoring the traditional Monastic life encouraging art and caring for Scriptorium, literally "a place for writing" is commonly used to refer to a room in medieval European Monasteries devoted to the copying of manuscripts by monastic An illuminated manuscript is a Manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration such as decorated Initials borders and The church was utilised by the dukes as a unifying force for their disparate duchy. The chief monasteries taking part in this "renaissance" of Norman art and scholarship were Mont-Saint-Michel, Fécamp, Jumièges, Bec, Saint-Ouen, Saint-Evroul, and Saint-Wandrille. Mont Saint-Michel ( English: St Michael's Mount) is a rocky Tidal island in Normandy, France. Fécamp is a commune of the Seine-Maritime département, Upper Normandy in France. Jumièges is a commune of the Seine-Maritime département, in Normandy, France. Saint-Evroul-sur-Ouche ( Saint-Evroult-sur-Ouche Saint-Evroul-en-Ouche Saint-Evroult-en-Ouche Abbaye de Saint-Evroult Sanctus Ebrulphus Uticensis) is an Abbey Saint-Wandrille-Rançon is a commune of the Seine-Maritime département, in France. These centres were in contact with the so-called "Winchester school", which channeled a pure Carolingian artistic tradition to Normandy. Winchester or Winton ( archaic) is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40000 within a radius of its centre See also Carolingian architecture Carolingian art is the roughly 120-year period from about AD 780 to 900 &mdash during the reign of In the final decade of the eleventh and the first of twelfth century, Normandy experienced a golden age of illustrated manuscripts, but it was brief and the major scriptoria of Normandy ceased to function after the midpoint of the century.
The Wars of Religion in the sixteenth century and French Revolution in the eighteenth successively destroyed much of what existed in the way of the architectural and artistic remnant of this Norman creativity. The French Wars of Religion (1562 to 1598 between French Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots involved both civil infighting The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an The first by their violence caused the wanton destruction of many Norman edifices; and the second by its assault on religion caused the purposeful destruction of religious objects of any type and by its destabilisation of society resulted in rampant pillaging.
By far the most famous work of Norman art is the Bayeux Tapestry, which is not a tapestry but a work of embroidery. The Bayeux Tapestry (Tapisserie de Bayeux is a 50 cm by 70 m (20 in by 230 ft long embroidered cloth which explains the events leading up to the 1066 Norman invasion of Tapestry is a form of Textile art. It is woven by hand on a vertical Loom. Embroidery is the Art or Handicraft of decorating fabric or other Materials with designs stitched in strands of thread or It was commissioned by Odo, the Bishop of Bayeux and first Earl of Kent, employing natives from Kent who were learned in the Nordic traditions imported in the previous half century by the Danish Vikings. Odo of Bayeux (c 1036 &ndash February 1097 Palermo) Norman Bishop and English earl was the half-brother of William the Conqueror, and was for The Peerage title Earl of Kent has been created eight times in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format The term Dane may refer to People with a Danish ancestral or ethnic identity whether living in Denmark, emigrants or the descendants of emigrants A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas
In Britain, Norman art primarily survives as stonework or metalwork, such as capitals and baptismal fonts. The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of Civilization - creating Buildings structures and Sculpture using stone from the earth Metalworking is craft and practice of working with Metals to create individual parts assemblies or large scale structures A column in Structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural A baptismal font is an article of church Furniture or a Fixture used for the Baptism of children and adults In southern Italy, however, Norman artwork survives plentifully in forms strongly influenced by its Greek, Lombard, and Arab forebears. Of the royal regalia preserved in Palermo, the crown is Byzantine in style and the coronation cloak is of Arab craftsmanship with Arabic inscriptions. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Many churches preserve sculptured fonts, capitals, and more importantly mosaics, which were common in Norman Italy and drew heavily on the Greek heritage. Lombard Salerno was a centre of ivorywork in the eleventh century and this continued under Norman domination. Ivory is formed from Dentine and constitutes the bulk of the Teeth and Tusks of animals such as the Elephant, Hippopotamus, Finally should be noted the intercourse between French Crusaders travelling to the Holy Land who brough with them French artefacts with which to gift the churches at which they stopped in southern Italy amongs their Norman cousins. For this reason many south Italian churches preserve works from France alongside their native pieces.
Music
Normandy was the site of several important developments in the history of Western music in the eleventh century. Western music is the genres of Music originating in the Western world (Europe and its former colonies including Western classical music, American Fécamp Abbey and Saint-Evroul Abbey were centres of musical production and education. Fécamp Abbey (Abbaye de la Trinité de Fécamp is a Benedictine abbey in Normandy, northern France Saint-Evroul-sur-Ouche ( Saint-Evroult-sur-Ouche Saint-Evroul-en-Ouche Saint-Evroult-en-Ouche Abbaye de Saint-Evroult Sanctus Ebrulphus Uticensis) is an Abbey At Fécamp, under two Italian abbots, William of Volpiano and John of Ravenna, the system of denoting notes by letters was developed and taught. Saint William of Volpiano ( Guillaume de Volpiano; William of Dijon; William of Saint Benignus) (June/July 962— January 1, 1031 It is still the most common form of pitch representation in English- and German-speaking countries today. Also at Fécamp, the staff, around which neumes were oriented, was first developed and taught in the eleventh century. Neumes are the basic elements of Western and Eastern systems of Musical notation prior to the invention of five-line staff notation Under the German abbot Isembard, La Trinité-du-Mont became a centre of musical composition. La Trinité-du-Mont is a commune in the Seine-Maritime département of the Haute-Normandie region of northern France
At Saint Evroul, a tradition of singing had developed and the choir achieved fame in Normandy. Under the Norman abbot Robert de Grantmesnil, several monks of Saint-Evroul fled to southern Italy, where they were patronised by Robert Guiscard and established a Latin monastery at Sant'Eufemia. Robert de Grantmesnil (or Grandmesnil) son of Robert I of Grantmesnil and Hawisa d'Échauffour abbot of Saint-Evroul-sur-Ouche in Normandy which he helped Sant'Eufemia d'Aspromonte is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about There they continued the tradition of singing.
References
- ^ Malaterra in Peter Gunn, Normandy: Landscape with Figures.
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Elisabeth van Houts, ed. The Normans in Europe Manchester Medieval Sources, Manchester 2000.
- Medieval History Texts in Translation from the University of Leeds. The University of Leeds is a major teaching and research University in Leeds, West Yorkshire; one of the largest in the United Kingdom with
Secondary literature
- Bates, David. Normandy before 1066, London 1982
- Chalandon, Ferdinand. Histoire de la domination normande en Italie et en Sicilie. Paris, 1907.
- Chibnall, Marjorie. The Normans, The Peoples of Europe, Oxford 2000
- Crouch, David. The Normans: The History of a Dynasty. Hambledon & London, 2003.
- Douglas, David. The Norman Achievement. London, 1969.
- Douglas, David. The Norman Fate. London, 1976
- Gillingham, John. The Angevin Empire, end ed. , London 2001.
- Gravett, Christopher, and Nicolle, David. Christopher Gravett is a British Historian specialising in the Military history of the Middle Ages, with an interest in the Arms David Nicolle is an Historian specialising in the Military history of the Middle Ages, with a particular interest in the Middle East. The Normans: Warrior Knights and their Castles. Osprey Publishing: Oxford, 2006. Osprey Publishing is an Oxford (UK-based book publisher specializing in military history
- Green, Judith A. The Aristocracy of Norman England. Cambridge University Press, 1997.
- Gunn, Peter. Normandy: Landscape with Figures. London: Victor Gollancz, Ltd, 1975.
- Harper-Bill, Christopher and Elisabeth Van Houts, eds. A Companion to the Anglo-Norman World Boydell Press. 2003
- Haskins, Charles H. Norman Institutions, 1918
- Maitland, F. W. Domesday Book and Beyond: Three Essays in the Early History of England. 2d ed. Cambridge University Press, 1988. (feudal Saxons)
- R. Mortimer, Angevin England 1154—1258, Oxford 1994.
- Muhlbergher, Stephen, Medieval England (Saxon social demotions)
- Norwich, John Julius. John Julius Cooper 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO (born 15 September 1929) is an English historian travel writer and television personality The Normans in the South 1016-1130. Longmans: London, 1967. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar.
- Norwich, John Julius. John Julius Cooper 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO (born 15 September 1929) is an English historian travel writer and television personality The Kingdom in the Sun 1130-1194. Longman: London, 1970. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
- Robertson, A. J. , ed. and trans. Laws of the Kings of England from Edmund to Henry I. AMS Press, 1974. (Mudrum fine)
- Painter, Sidney. Sidney Painter (1902-1960 was a twentieth-century American Medievalist at Johns Hopkins University. A History of the Middle Ages 284−1500. New York, 1953. The City of New York Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
External links
- Dudo of St. Quentin's Gesta Normannorum, English translation
- The Normans, a European People, by the European Commission
- Breve Chronicon Northmannicum (Latin). The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union.
- The Normans Jersey heritage trust (pdf)
- Wales History — The Norman Wars.
- Patrick Kelly The Normans: their history, arms and tactics
- Regia Anglorum Who were the Normans?
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