The Normans

Who were they?

• The Normans are descendents from Viking pirates who settled in northern France.

The Norman World

• By the year 1000 the Normans were established in Normandy and by the next century they began to extend their military power.

• They began to conquer the British Isle’s.

King Harold• Harold was the King of England at the time

and he though that the Normans would attack first so he placed his army at the south of England waiting for a battle.

• But William and the Normans didn’t show up. Instead the King of Norway had landed up north.

• King Harold marched his army north and defeated the king of Norway.

Battle of Hastings: 1066

• The Normans then arrived at caught King Harold of guard.

• There were 5000-7000 men in each army• In 1066 William the Conqueror defeated the

English at the Battle of Hastings

The Bayeux Tapestry

• The Tapestry is regarded as the Norman version of what happened in 1066.

• It is like a cartoon strip picture of the story of the Battle of Hastings.

• It is 50cms high and 70 metres long-it would stretch across the width of a football pitch

Ireland

• Dermot McMurrough was King of Leinster.

• He wanted to be high king one day.

• But he feared the king of Tyrone becoming high king first.

• Dermot invited the Normans to help him get more land and become high king.

Strongbow

• In 1169 the Normans came to help Dermot. • First 400 men came and helped him take over

Wexford.• In 1170 Strongbow came and with a Norman

army they took over Waterford and Dublin.• In return Dermot promised Strongbow that he

could be king of Leinster when Dermot died.

The marriage of Aoife (Dermots daughter) and Strongbow

THE MOTTE AND BAILEY

• Built for defence and attack

• Control of new territory

• Soon wooden keeps were replaced by stone

• Sometimes built on ring forts

Motte in Co. Tipperary

The moat of Ardscull is 16.5 metres high

Motte near Edenderry, Co. Offaly

Inside the keep

Spiral Staircase-Saved space and was useful for defence

The Portcullis was another defence feature

The Siege Tower was an important weapon in attack

The Catapult hurled huge boulders at the castle

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

PEASANTS

Norman weapons

A boy started training to bew a knight at the age of seven

At the age of fourteen he became a squire

At the age of 21 he became a Knight

Maynooth Castle was built by the Fitzgeralds

Murder Hole over entrance

A castle under siege

Jousting at Tournaments was a favourite pastime

Norman Ladies

Chess was a favourite indoor pastime

Legacy of the Normans

• Language: English• Law and Government: Our laws today and

based on English Common law which was brought by the Normans

• Towns: Many new towns were formed and they began to divide Ireland into counties

• Castles: Churches and abbeys/organisation of church

Legacy of the Normans

• Surnames: Fitz, De, Burke, Butler, Costello, Fitzgerald, Power, Roche, Walsh, Savage.