William, the Norman Candidate!

William was born in around 1028, in Falaise, Normandy the illegitimate son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy. He was known as 'William the Bastard' to his contemporaries. On his father's death in 1035, William was recognised as heir. From 1046 until 1055, he dealt with a series of baronial rebellions. William's political and military successes helped him in negotiations to marry Matilda, daughter of Count Baldwin of Flanders in 1053.

Early in 1066, Edward, king of England died and Harold, Earl of Wessex was crowned king. William was furious, claiming that in 1051 Edward, a distant cousin, had promised him the throne and that Harold had later sworn to support that claim.

William the Conqueror

Preparations for the crossing of the channel

William landed in England on 28 September 1066, establishing a camp near Hastings. On 14 October the battle of Hastings took place; Harold was killed and his army collapsed. William was victorious and on Christmas Day 1066, he was crowned king in Westminster Abbey. A Norman aristocracy became the new governing class and many members of the native English elite, including bishops, were replaced with Normans.

The Saxon choice, Harold Godwine.

Harold was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England and was killed by William, Duke of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings.

Harold was born in the early 1020s, the son of Godwine, Earl of Wessex. He succeeded to his father's titles in 1053, becoming the second most powerful man in England after the monarch. He was also a focus for opposition to the growing Norman influence in England encouraged by the king, Edward (known as 'the Confessor' for his piety).

In 1064, Harold was shipwrecked on the coast of Normandy. William, Duke of Normandy considered himself to be the successor to the childless Edward and is believed to have forced Harold to swear an oath to support his claim. The following year, the Northumbrians revolted against Tostig, Earl of Northumbria,  who was Harold's brother. Harold replaced Tostig, turning him into a bitter enemy.

Edward died in January 1066 and Harold assumed power, claiming Edward had designated him as heir. William now used Harold's oath of 1064 to secure Papal support for his invasion of England.

In September, Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, aided by Tostig, invaded England, but they were defeated and killed by Harold on 25 September at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, near York. Three days later William landed in England. Harold hurried south with his army and, on 14 October, met William in battle near Hastings. A day-long battle ensued and Harold was defeated and killed, along with his brothers Gyrth and Leofwine.

Spot where Harold fell in the batttlefield

Hadrada, the Viking candidate!

Harold Hadrada

Map of the battle

Battle of Stanford Bridge

Harald's Memorial in Oslo

1015 - 25 Sep 1066

King of Norway

Harald Sigurdsson was the king of Norway from 1047 - 1066. He was later given the epithet Hardrada, meaning 'stern counsel' or 'hard ruler'. He was also King of Denmark until 1064 after defeating King Sweyn's army after a long and drawn out war. He is best known for his invasion of England in 1066. King Harald died at the battle of Stamford Bridge, near York. His death has been marked as the end of the Viking Age.

The three candidates

Click on the link at the bottom to get information about each candidate:

Harold Godwine

Harald Hardrada

William I

The three candidates to the throne!

British Library page seen in class!

Beowulf link

Kennings

Kennings!

Read carefully!

 A kenning is a much-compressed form of metaphor, originally used in Anglo-Saxon and Norse poetry.

It is a concise compound or figurative phrase replacing a common noun, especially in Old Germanic, Old Norse, and Old English poetry.

In a kenning, an object is described in a two-word phrase, such as 'whale-road' for 'sea'.

A kenning is commonly a simple stock compound such as “whale-path” or “swan road” for “sea,” “God’s beacon” for “sun,” or “ring-giver” for “king.” Many kennings are allusions that become unintelligible to later generations

The term is a derivative of the Old Norse kenna, “to perceive,” “to know,” or “to name.”

Some examples:

Blood: battle-sweat, wound-sea Fire: sun of the houses the sea: whale-road, sail road, whale's way, swan-road Ship: sea-steed the sun: sky-candle, sky's jewel the wind: breaker of trees

And a more modern example.... What do you make of it?

Match the names with the descriptions

Write the correct number in the brackets

Name	Description
Unferth (     )	1. A Geatish hero who fights the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a fire-breathing dragon. His exploits prove him to be the strongest, ablest warrior of his time. In his youth, he personifies the values of the heroic culture. In his old age, he proves a wise and effective ruler.
The dragon (     )	2. The king of the Danes. He enjoys military success and prosperity until Grendel comes to terrorize his realm. He is a wise and aged ruler, and he represents a different kind of leadership from that exhibited by the youthful warrior Beowulf. He is a father figure to Beowulf and a model for the kind of king that Beowulf becomes.
Grendel (     )	3. A Danish warrior who is jealous of Beowulf. He is unable or unwilling to fight Grendel, thus proving himself inferior to Beowulf.
Grendel’s Mother (     )	4. An ancient, powerful serpent that guards a horde of treasure. Beowulf fights it in the third and final part of the epic.
Beowulf (     )	5. A young kinsman and  brave soldier. He helps his king and friend in the fight against the dragon after the other warriors run away. He adheres to the heroic code, thereby proving himself a suitable successor to him.
Wiglaf (     )	6. A demon descended from Cain. It preys on Hrothgar’s warriors in the king’s mead-hall, Heorot. Because its ruthless and miserable existence is part of the retribution exacted by God for Cain’s murder of Abel, it fits solidly within the ethos of vengeance that governs the world of the poem.
King Hrothgar (     )	7. A demon even more monstrous than Grendel. She seeks revenge on Hrothgar’s men for the death of her son. Beowulf journeys to her magical, creature-filled lair beneath the swamp in order to defeat her.