Canterbury Cathedral

Me

outside view

inside view

Becket's shrine used to be here, now there's only a candle

Notice on his empty shrine

exact place of Becket's murder

Which picture do you like best? Explain why.

Henry II and his possessions

Which present countries did Henry's domains include?

Was it bigger or smaller than Great Britain now?

Was it bigger or smaller than France?

Henry II

Henry II

King of England from 1154, Henry strengthened royal administration but suffered from quarrels with Thomas Becket and his own family.

Henry was born at Le Mans in north west France on 4 March 1133. His father was Count of Anjou and his mother Matilda, daughter of Henry I of England. Henry had named Matilda as his successor to the English throne but her cousin Stephen had taken over.

In 1150 - 1151, Henry became ruler of Normandy and Anjou, after the death of his father. In 1152, he married Eleanor of Aquitaine, the greatest heiress in western Europe. In 1153, he crossed to England to pursue his claim to the throne, reaching an agreement that he would succeed Stephen on his death, which occurred in 1154.

Henry's now began to restore order. Using his talented chancellor Thomas Becket, Henry began reorganising the judicial system. The Assize of Clarendon (1166) established procedures of criminal justice, establishing courts and prisons for those awaiting trial. In addition, the assizes gave fast and clear verdicts, enriched the treasury and extended royal control.

In 1164, Henry reasserted his ancestral rights over the church. Now archbishop of Canterbury, Becket refused to comply. An attempted reconciliation failed and Becket punished priests who had co-operated with Henry. On hearing this Henry reportedly exclaimed, 'Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?' Four knights took his words literally and murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral in December 1170. Almost overnight Becket became a saint. Henry reconciled himself with the church, but royal control over the church changed little.

Who did Henry marry? Why?
What was the Clarendon Assize?
When and where was Becket murdered? Why?

Henry II & Thomas Becket

The murder of Thomas Becket

The Bayeaux Tapestry in a film!

Bayeaux Tapestry on film Click the previous link if you cannot watch it from here

Very helpful to remember important details about the Norman Conquest!

Please answer the questions:

1. What is the comet supposed to mean?

2. Why is William angry?

3. What do they carry on the boats?

4. What do the do when they arrive?

5. What do you see at the bottom of the tapestry during the battle?

6. What is Harold's brother called?

How did Harold die?

Look at the picture of the Bayeaux Tapestry and try to answer the question in the title.

Click to enlarge

Edward and Demon Lover

THE DEMON LOVER and EDWARD complete, say true or false or answer.

THE DEMON LOVER TRUE OR FALSE A husband is cruel to his wife and forces her to run away with her old lover

THE DEMON LOVER Why is the man's foot a clue that there is an element of the supernatural in this ballad?

THE DEMON LOVER The man's boat is unusual in that the masts are made of _____

THE DEMON LOVER What two "supernatural" places does the man show the woman on the voyage?

THE DEMON LOVER What startling action does the man do to the boat at the end of the ballad?

THE DEMON LOVER Where does the woman end up in death?

THE DEMON LOVER The woman's fate may be deserved because she has run off and left behind her _____ and _____.

EDWARD EDWARD What are the two surprises?

EDWARD EDWARD Edward says that he has killed ______

EDWARD EDWARD What is Edward leaving to his wife and children?

Ballads

Complete the following sentences about ballads:

A ballad is a ______ poem.

The area where most ballads were probably composed was ______.

Exactly how or when ballads originated and developed is unknown because of _______

Usually, but not always, the tone of medieval ballad was _____.

In order to provide a melodic effect, to heighten emphasis, to heighten emotion, and to provide suspense, one technical characteristic used in ballads was the _____ of words or phrases.

The medieval ballad: true or false?

Please CORRECT  false statements.  

1. Ballads were produced by intellectuals and recited or sung in alehouses and at fairs. (   )
2. The word ballad comes from the latin ballare to dance, and in fact these poems were originally

     sung to a simple instrumental accompaniment. (   )

3. The popular ballad, written between the 13th and 14th centuries, were collected and later
     published by common people. (   )

4. Popular ballads are anonymous narrative poems. They differ from all other types of narrative
    poetry due to a peculiar and effective way of telling their stories. (   )

5. They deal with one single situation and treat it dramatically. (   )

6. They are impersonal, since the story-teller does not intrude his personality. (   )

7. There is a moralizing of didactic approach. (   )

''Lord Randall''

Literary device: Question and answer.

STORY: a young man, coming home from a day's hunting, is apparently tired. The young man's mother draws information out of him which eventually reveals that he's been poisoned by his true love.

 Three of the five stanzas deal with food: one, where he ate; two, what he ate; and three, what happened to the leftovers. By the time we discover that the dogs were poisoned ("they swell'd and they died"), it's clear that Randall will suffer the same fate.

 INCREMENTAL REPETITION: ''For I'm weary wi' hunting and fain would lie down" is the refrain of the earlier stanzas; it's switched to "For I'm sick at the heart and fain would lie down" in the last line of the final stanza. Why? Randall now identifies a broken and betrayed heart, not physical fatigue, as the source of his weariness.

 Some extra info!

 "Lord Randall" (Roud 10, Child 12) is an Anglo-Scottish border ballad, a traditional ballad consisting of dialogue. The different versions follow the same general lines, the primary character (in this case Randall, but varying by location) is poisoned, usually by his sweetheart; this is revealed through a conversation where he reports on the events and the poisoner. Variants of this ballads are found in German, Swedish, Magyar, Danish, Wendish. Similar ballads exist across the continent of Europe. There are, for example different Italian versions, usually titled "L'avvelenato" ('The Poisoned Man') or "Il testamento dell'avvelenato". In the early 1960s Bob Dylan borrowed its structure for "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall".

Golden plus for info on "L'avvelenato"

Battle of Hastings

1. Where does William cross the channel?
2. Where does he arrive?
3. How long does it take?
4. When was the Battle of Stanford Bridge? Who fought there?
5. How many days after was the Battle of Hastings?
6. In a few lines, explain why you think I posted this information.

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