'Golden Age' What was England like in 1065?

'Golden Age' What was England like in 1065?

1. People

   • King
     • Owns most land
     • raises taxes
       • repairs roads, defends country, build burhs etc
     • Law & order
     • church
   • Earls
     • King's advisors
     • Formed Witan
     • no private armies
       • but led 'fyrd'
     • held courts
     • Harold Godwinson = most powerful
     • 6 Earls in 1065
   • Thegns
     • land owners
       • 250 hectares+
     • ran courts
     • collect taxes
     • some had burh-geats
   • Ceorls
     • Majority of population
     • mostly farmers
     • rent land from thegns
       • Richer ceorls owned land and house
     • Serve in fyrd (army)
     • took part in trials
     • Early democracy? - had some say in local decisions and helped in trials
       • Much less power by 1065
   • Thralls
     • slaves
     • 10% of pop
     • branded/ castrated
     • Made slaves by: capture in war, criminals, parents sell children
   • Women
     • legal right to own property
     • 'double monasteries' - women in charge
     • laws against sexual harrasment
     • Owned 5% of land
     • female slaves bought, raped & sold
     • low class women - work in fields

2. Religion

   • Churches and worship
     • independent from European church
       • parts of bible in English
       • made own saints
       • Christianity mixed with pagan practices
     • often worship outside
     • church teachings ignored
       • binge eating, drinking & sex
       • Belief in witchcraft & spells
   • 1. St Dunstan
     • Archbishop of Canterbury
       • Good man - devout christian
     • tries to improve church
       • End corruption
       • improve education
       • rebuild churches, monasteries etc
       • Made a saint after death BUT: Viking raids disrupted church - never as strong again
         • reforms not continued
   • 2. King Edward
     • Brought Norman priests to England
     • Made Robert of Jumieges Archbishop of Canturbury
     • English Earls protest - Godwin forces Edward to make Stigand Archbish of Cant.
   • 3. Stigand
     • Bad man!
       • Interested in money not religion
       • No attempt to improve church
     • Corruption
       • Simony - selling church jobs
       • Pluralism - has more than one church job - also Bish of Winchester
         • Pope tried to force him to give this up - Stigand ignored.

3. Culture

   • Buildings
     • most = clay, wood, straw
     • few = stone, fine buildings
       • Wilton nunnery
       • Ed' the Confessor's palace at Westminster
         • needed Robert of Jumieges' (a Norman) advice
     • Defensive
       • Only 3 motte and bailey castles
         • All built by Ed's Norman friends
       • burhs
         • Fortified (defended) villages
       • burh-geats
         • little burghs
   • Art
     • Famous for jewellery /metal work
       • Alfred Jewel
       • Fuller Booch
       • Expensive & rare
     • Stolen by Viking raiders
     • Skilled embroiderers/ weavers.
       • e.g. Bayeux Tapestry
   • Literature
     • Science
       • maps
       • calendars
     • Poetry
       • Beowulf
       • spoken not read
     • History
       • Anglo Saxon Chronicles
         • One sided
         • gaps
     • Rude riddles!
       • The Exeter Book