Who were the Normans and where did they come from?
The Normans were a group of people who descended from the Norwegian Vikings. They came to settle in the north of France. As a result, the Normans were made up of Vikings and native people to the region.
From the eighth century, Vikings terrorized continental European coastlines with raids and plundering, and that's initially how the Normans started out. However, During the later 9th century their raids on the northern and western coastlands of France grew in scale and frequency, and the Vikings had secured a permanent foothold on Frankish soil in the valley of the lower Seine River by about 900. Over time, the region began to become known as "Normandy", based on a simplified version of "Norsemen", as the Vikings became increasingly established in the region, and cultural exchange between both groups became more common. Finally, things became formalised: the Normans' right to their new territory was officially established by a 911 treaty between King Charles III of West Francia and Rollo, the leader of the Vikings.
Under this agreement, known as the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, Charles granted land along the lower Seine river in return for Rollo’s assurances that his people would defend the area from other Vikings and that they would convert to Christianity.
The territory allocated to the Normans was then expanded by Rudolph, King of France, and within a few generations a distinct “Norman identity” had emerged — the result of the Viking settlers intermarrying with the so-called “native” Frankish-Celtic population.In the later part of the 10th century, the region began to take the shape of a duchy, with Richard II becoming the area’s first duke. Richard was the grandfather of the man who would later become the most famous Norman of them all: William the Conqueror.
What were the Normans famous for?
The Normans have made a name for themselves in history for several interesting reasons. As a result, they make for an engaging topic and one that children will really enjoy.
They are well known for their invasion of England during the 11th century. And, later during the 12th century, they went on to invade Ireland.
The Norman Conquest, as it’s known, was first led by the Norman ruler William the Conqueror who eventually became the King of England. The most famous battle to take place during their conquest was the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Luckily for historians, this battle was documented on the Bayeux Tapestry which has helped piece together the events with great detail and accuracy. It has also given us an insight into the Norman ways of life. We can see from the tapestry what Norman people wore and the types of homes they lived in.
The Normans are also famous for their motte and bailey castles, many of which can still be seen around England and Ireland today.
And finally, you may have heard of the Domesday Book. This was a huge census ordered by William the Conqueror in 1086 to assess taxes and land-ownership in England - the first earliest public record of this kind in British history! It has taught us a lot about Norman history and is one of the biggest records of its time and long afterwards - it was the largest survey of this type until 1873.
