Fiche de révision : Medieval England and the Norman Conquest

📋 Plan du Cours

1. La succession et la conquête normande
2. Le contrôle royal et l’oppression normande
3. La société féodale anglaise
4. La tapisserie de Bayeux
5. Le développement du Londres médiéval
6. Le vocabulaire militaire et guerrier
7. La royauté et la féodalité
8. La société et la vie quotidienne
9. Les objets et récits historiques

📅 Repères chronologiques

1. 1066Edward the Confessor died without an heir.
2. October 14th, 1066Harold’s Saxon shield wall broke after its troops pursued the Normans downhill; the Normans turned back and crushed the exposed Saxons.
3. Christmas Day 1066William the Conqueror was crowned King of England after Harold was killed at Hastings.
4. 1069After Yorkshire rebelled, William ordered the Harrying of the North, during which food stores were burned, crops destroyed, and herds slaughtered, causing a deadly famine.
5. 1086William’s Domesday Book recorded every acre, house, barn, and animal in the kingdom to establish the financial worth of his territory.
6. 1191London gained the right to self-government.
7. 1192London elected its first mayor, and rich merchants became an extremely powerful social group.

📖 1. La succession et la conquête normande

★ À maîtriser

• The Witan chose Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex and the richest English nobleman, as king; William, Duke of Normandy, was Edward’s cousin, and Norman chronicles claimed Edward had chosen him as heir and Harold had sworn fealty to him.

Compléments

• Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, was defeated by Harold Godwinson at Stamford Bridge just days before Hastings.

• At Hastings, Harold had about 8,000 exhausted infantrymen, while William had about 10,000 fresh, skilled warriors including cavalry and archers.

💡 Astuce mémo

Stamford Bridge précède Hastings, puis le couronnement

📖 2. Le contrôle royal et l’oppression normande

★ À maîtriser

• The Normans built 500 castles across England, including early motte-and-bailey earthworks such as Pleshey Castle and later stone castles such as Richmond Castle.

Compléments

• Norman castles reminded the Saxons of their powerlessness and secured military control.

💡 Astuce mémo

La révolte du Yorkshire entraîne la dévastation du Nord

📖 3. La société féodale anglaise

🔑 Notions clés & Définitions

• Feudal system : The feudal system was a strict social hierarchy introduced by William after the conquest, under which all land belonged to the king by right of conquest.

★ À maîtriser

• The king stood at the top of the feudal hierarchy and granted land to his closest supporters.

• Barons and bishops, called tenants-in-chief, received large territories from the king and owed him loyalty, taxes, and military forces.

• Villeins and serfs made up 90% of the population and worked the fields and the lord’s land, cooked food, paid heavy taxes, and received basic protection.

Compléments

• Knights were professional mounted warriors who received smaller manors from barons in exchange for military service.

💡 Astuce mémo

Une pyramide place le roi au sommet et les paysans à la base

📖 4. La tapisserie de Bayeux

🔑 Notions clés & Définitions

• Tapisserie de Bayeux : The Bayeux Tapestry is a wool embroidery on linen, nearly 70 metres long and 50 centimetres tall, depicting the Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings.

★ À maîtriser

• Odo, William’s half-brother, commissioned the Bayeux Tapestry.

Compléments

• The Bayeux Tapestry is thought to date from the 11th century, shortly after the Battle of Hastings.

📖 5. Le développement du Londres médiéval

★ À maîtriser

• Around 1200, London became the official capital when the royal government permanently moved to Westminster Hall.

• Trade along the River Thames helped London grow, and its population increased from 15,000 in 1100 to 80,000 in 1300.

Compléments

• Medieval London had narrow, dirty, winding streets and mostly wooden houses, making fires a constant danger alongside the deadly plague.

💡 Astuce mémo

Commerce et croissance face aux incendies et à la peste

📖 6. Le vocabulaire militaire et guerrier

🔑 Notions clés & Définitions

• Warrior : Warrior signifie un guerrier.
• Knight : Knight signifie un chevalier.
• Foot soldier / Infantryman : Foot soldier / Infantryman signifie un fantassin, c’est-à-dire un soldat à pied.
• Bodyguard : Bodyguard signifie un garde du corps.
• Cavalry : Cavalry signifie la cavalerie.
• Sword; Axe; Spear / Lance : Sword signifie une épée, axe une hache, et spear / lance une lance.
• Bow and arrow; Shield wall; To break ranks : Bow and arrow signifie un arc et une flèche, shield wall un mur de boucliers, et to break ranks rompre les rangs.

📖 7. La royauté et la féodalité

🔑 Notions clés & Définitions

• Heir; Nobleman; An Earl : Heir signifie un héritier, nobleman un noble, et an Earl un comte.
• To claim / A claim; To swear fealty; To be crowned : To claim / a claim signifie revendiquer / une revendication, to swear fealty jurer fidélité, et to be crowned être couronné.
• Motte and bailey; Earth mound; To harry : Motte and bailey signifie une motte castrale (château féodal primitif), earth mound une butte de terre, et to harry dévaster / ravager.

📖 8. La société et la vie quotidienne

🔑 Notions clés & Définitions

• Powerful / Huge : Powerful / huge signifie puissant / immense.
• Famine and disease; Unsanitary / Sanitation : Famine and disease signifie la famine et la maladie, et unsanitary / sanitation insalubre / l’assainissement (l’hygiène publique).
• To plough fields; To be exhausted : To plough fields signifie labourer les champs, et to be exhausted être épuisé.
• To cope with; To stand no chance : To cope with signifie faire face à / gérer, et to stand no chance n’avoir aucune chance de réussir.

📖 9. Les objets et récits historiques

🔑 Notions clés & Définitions

• embroidery; The needlework / The stitching : An embroidery signifie une broderie, et the needlework / the stitching le travail à l’aiguille / la couture.
• chronicle : A chronicle signifie une chronique, c’est-à-dire un récit médiéval.
• To commission / To order : To commission / to order signifie commander quelque chose, comme une œuvre ou un bâtiment.