William the Conqueror and the Norman
Invasion
In 1066, Edward the Confessor, King of England, died without any children to succeed
him. Edward had promised the throne to Duke William of Normandy, Edward’s cousin
across the English Channel. However, during this time the power of kings was becoming
more limited and the Anglo-Saxon assembly had the power to choose Edward’s
successor. The assembly chose Harold Godwinsson, Edward’s brother-in-law. Even
though Harold had previously sworn to William that Harold would support William’s
becoming king, Harold broke his promise and wanted to become king. However he faced
two competitors: William of Normandy and Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, who had
also inherited rights to the English throne.
Hardrada loved the thrill of battle, and decided to go to war against Harold in order to
win the right to be king of England. Harold is described in this way in 1066, the year of
the Conquest.
The word berserk has survived from the Norsemen’s language. A man who went
berserk was seized by a battle-madness far beyond courage: he killed and killed, without
mercy, reason or fear, and did not stop until there was nobody left to kill, or until he fell
dead himself..... Harold in one word was berserk: the most celebrated, feared and
admired berserker of that century.
Harold of England and his army met Hardrada and his soldiers at Stamford Bridge, on the
northeast coast of England, in September 1066. Harold’s English army was victorious;
and Hardrada, the great warrior, was killed with an arrow in his throat.
In the meantime, in a stroke of luck for William, the wind was favorable for his ships to
set sail across the channel to invade England, just two days after the Battle of Stamford.
Harold’s soldiers most of whom fought on foot, had to march 250 miles south and try to
replenish themselves before a fight with against William’s army. In comparison to
William’s army, Harold’s troops were not very well organized or equipped. William had
divided his soldiers, many of whom fought on horseback, into horsemen, archers, and
infantry. Harold’s army used weapon called the two-handed battle-ax an instrument that
could inflict devastating injury on the victim. To evade their blows, William’s archers
remained at a safe distance and fired flurries of arrows. The Normans shouted “God’s
help!” while the English shouted “God Almighty!” Both sides believed God was on their
side. But William’s army was the cleverer one: his forces pretending to retreat then
turned around and attacked Harold’s unsuspecting forces. Using this strategy, the
Normans were able to break the “shield wall” of Harold’s men. Finally, King Harold was
killed by a Norman Knight on horseback, and William the conqueror won the battle and
became king of England.
The story of William’s conquest of England was recorded in a tapestry in the 11th
century. Odon of Countville, the Bishop of Bayeux, and half brother of William the
Conqueror, supervised the manufacture of the Bayeux Tapestry, embroidery on a linen
cloth. A unique masterpiece, it is over 225 feet long and close to a foot high.
William the Conqueror’s rule brought many Norman traditions and ways of life to
England. The French language, Norman castles, churches, clergy, and monasteries, and
techniques of weaving all became part of English life. At the same time, William retained
many English customs, particularly the increasingly important tradition of consuling with
an advisory council before making decisions. William was able to act as a powerful
leader, while taking the opinions of the nobles into consideration. In 1086, William
decided to order his officials to make a detailed survey of England, so he could find out
what land each tenant held, what the tenants owned, and what taxes he could expect. The
results of this census are recorded in two large volumes called the Doomsday Book.