Norman Conquest And the Subjection of English

Norman ConquestAnd the Subjection of English1066 ---- 1204The Norman Conquest Changed the Entire Course of the English Language The Origin of the NormansNorthern coast of France.Northmen of the ninth and tenth century.Understanding between Rollo of the Danes and Charles the Simple.Originally of Scandinavian roots the Northmen became absorbed in French culture.English and Normans became close.

1002 thelred the Unready married a Norman wife.1042 Edward the Confessor became king of England.1066Edward the Confessor died childless.Choice of Successor.Godwin the Earl of West Saxon.Edwards advisor.Virtual ruler of England.Harold.Godwins son.Day after Edwards death elected king.Did not go unchallenged.

William, the Duke of Normandy.From birth overcame many difficulties.Illegitimate birth.Father and a tanners daughter.Became Duke of Normandy at age six.Many assassination attempts.Devoted care of regents kept him alive.While in early manhood had to deal with.Rebellious barons, powerful neighbors,and the French king.

Earned the name William the Great.

After calling in a number of favors and sanctions from the Pope William landed, unopposed, at Pevensey in September.Battle of HastingsHarold was off fighting another claimant to the throne in the North.Tostig, Harolds brother returning from exile.(King of Norway)Many of Harolds troops were forced to leave due to the harvest.Harold called on Earls in Mercia and Northumbria, but they hung back.Harold drew his forces on at hill at Senlac near Hastings.

6Harold had controlled the battle until a feigned retreat by William gave the Normans the advantage.Harold was shot in the eye with an arrow dying instantly.Two of Harolds brothers were killed.The British were leaderless.Normans won the battle.Normans burnt and pillaged until the citizens of London decided not to resist any longer.William was named King.

Many of the English higher class had been killed or treated as traitors.At first William only accepted in the Southeast.Rebellions in the southwest, west and north.Williams embarked on many campaigns.Often he was ruthless to make his point.As a result English nobility was completely wiped out.1072 only one of the twelve earls in England were English (he was executed in 1076).Norman influence seeped into all walks of life.The two archbishops were Normans.The abbots slowly changed over to Normans.In 1075, thirteen of twenty-five Abbots were English.In 1087, three of twenty-five Abbots were English.Williams castles were garrisoned troops.Richard I surrounded himself with foreign soldiers.

Creation of the LanguageUse of French by the Upper Class.Ruling class continued to use French.200 years after the Norman conquest.French soldiers learned English as a matter of need.As late as the 13th century the kings of England were also the Dukes of Normandy.William left Normandy to his eldest son and England to his second son William.Henry I reunited the two lands.Henry II enlarged his holdings in both areas.

Most of William and his heirs spent more time in France than England.Edward IV was the first king to have an English wife (1460s).English became the language of the lower class.While resentment existed, relations seemed calm.At age 43 William the Conqueror attempted to learn English.Better rule and understand the people and courts.Most literature produced was French.Upper-class spoke French.Literature is a leisure activity.

Over time the language barrier became blurred.English would desire to speak French.Normans had to speak English out of necessity.Written English survived in monasteries.Middle class were required to be fluent in both English and French.

Results of the Norman ConquestPoliticalBreaking up / replacing EarldomsReplacing religious powersKings Court Central Figureprevious British Earls more or less independent statesStrict feudal systemOrganizationRecords

Economic, Political, ReligiousCloser to the continentCommercialTradeResourcesPoliticalFranceAlliesReligiousRoman Catholic ChurchNorman Catholic Church

Introduction to cultural influence of the continentNormansIntellectual; readiness / mobile spiritself control / vigorous aggressionZest for refined lifelight hearted songfancy clothesbeautiful manuscriptsgraceful architectureChivalrylinked to feudal obligations

reverence of the Virgin MaryCloser Relations with people, government, and churchRome / France / PapacySuperior ArchitectureReplaced Romanesque with GothicFounding of Oxford and CambridgeBroaden intellectual horizonsLiterary and cultural centers of the country

Derived from French / Latin / Latin folkloreEssential featuresSeven1) Lack of verisimilitude (reality)Exaggeration of Human voiceIdealization of virtuesIdeality of adventuresPassion forStrongMarvelousImpossibleImprobable

2) Emphasis of supreme devotion to the fair ladySentimental woman worshipCourtly love3) Past scenes of manners / morals / chivalry4) Presences of a quest5) Religions / supernatural appearances6) Characters are typical / not individual7) Lack of consecutiveness

The Normans Influence on English Language1066 1204: English in declineIn 1066 the Normans invaded England, and the French of Normandy, together with Latin, was to become the language of court,English was still used by the majority of common people, but it had no prestige and there was no literature written in English for 200 years.few written records of early Middle English, especially between1100 and 1200

Situation of the ruling class speaking one language, and their subordinates another, could not last. Normans had to learn some English in order to communicate. Norman kings set off to the Crusades in the 12th century- they had to persuade people to go there; would have used English for propaganda- just like Alfred.the use of French by the upper class; nobility, aristocrats and finally its influence on the Middle class;the extensive use of French literature in court and the Royal family's role in the promotion of French poetryWords which are mostly related to Law, government, politics. Antiquate, and royal court.accuse ,arrestParliament, treasuresoldier, lieutenantambulance , ballet, biscuit, camouflage, chauffeur, coup d'etat,, coupon, crayon, debris, dentist, detour, diplomat, route, entrepreneur,, envoy, espionage, memoir, menu, regime, salvage, souffl, souvenir, splendid, wardrobe

attach attach au contraire au naturel

avant-gardeInnovative, blond"fair-hairedbon apptit"good appetitebon voyage"good trip" caf au lait"coffee with milk" cerise"cherry" c'est la vie"that's life" chaise longue"long chair" charg d'affaires"charged with businesscharg la'afemme

Absence of Standard Dialect(1166-1400A.D) Due to fall of Anglo-Saxon Kingdom ,the language scene of England became uncertain.Thre languags in London:The Southern dialect West SaxonNorthern EnglishNorthumbrianMercian Midland dialect (side by side of Anglo-FrenchLatin continued impact(language of intellectually snobbish to learn language and literature)Changes in the Old EnglishMiddle English is not a language of separate identityForm of Old EnglishLargely and initially due to the impact of Norman-French language on Anglo-SaxonTwo of the English alphabets K and Q were introduced around 1240 by Norman French mastersLatterly, Parisian French language started to influence Anglo-Saxon