A Brief History of the Normans

Video

Discover the origins of the Normans, the story behind the dispute between Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings, and the Norman army’s subjugation of England.

The Normans were descended from Norse raiders from Scandinavia who settled in the north of France in the 9th century and early 10th Century calling their new homeland Normandy. When the king of England, Edward the Confessor died in 1066, the leader of Normandy Duke William the II claimed he had the right to the thrown of England.

However, Edward’s brother in law Harold Godwinson also claimed he had the right to the thrown and was crowned king of England. This didn’t bode well with William who raised an army and set sail for England’s south coast landing on the 28th September 1066. This let to the famous Norman invasion of England, a clash of arms 950 years ago famously knows as the 1066 Battle of Hastings.