1066 Hastings—William Conquers England.....................................

Lecture 10

I

n England during the 11th century, it was common for famous people
to be given nicknames, often visually descriptive, to distinguish them
from others with the same name. Thus, one man was called Harold
Fairhair; another, Harold Bluetooth. Sometimes, the nicknames indicated
aspects of their character or personality, such as Robert the Pius. Perhaps
the most unfortunately named was William the Bastard, a son of Robert
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nickname, crossed the English Channel in 1066 with an invasion force,
won the Battle of Hastings, and conquered England. His victory not only
changed the course of English and world history, but it also earned him a
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English Succession Problem
x In England, 1066 began with the death of King Edward the
Confessor. His demise created a succession crisis, out of which four
claimants emerged:
o Harold Godwinson, a relative of Edward’s wife, was from a
powerful family that controlled much English territory, and
Edward may have made a deathbed acknowledgment of him.

o The king of Denmark traced his descent from Cnut, an earlier

king of England.

o King Harald Hadrada of Norway was eagerly looking to extend

his power over more territory.

o William of Normandy was supposedly promised the English

throne by Edward the Confessor when William visited in 1052.

x Several sources assert that when Harold visited Normandy in 1063,

he swore an oath that he would recognize and support William as

heir to the English throne.