1066 - The Battle For Middle Earth

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The Norman conquest of England began in 1066 with the invasion of the Kingdom of England by the troops of William, Duke of Normandy ("William the Bastard"), and his victory at the Battle of Hastings. This resulted in Norman control of England, which was firmly established during the next few years. The Norman Conquest was a pivotal event in English history for several reasons. It largely removed the native ruling class, replacing it with a foreign, French-speaking monarchy, aristocracy, and clerical hierarchy. This in turn brought about a transformation of the English language and the culture of England. By subjecting the country to rulers that, although of Germanic origin, had assimilated to French culture it linked England more closely with Latin Europe, while lessening (North) Germanic influence.

One of the most obvious changes was the introduction of Anglo-Norman, a northern dialect of Old French, as the language of the ruling classes in England, displacing Old English. Even after the decline of Norman, French retained the status of a prestige language for nearly 300 years and effected drastic changes to the English language.

Tens of thousands of Anglo-Saxons ultimately found Norman domination unbearable and emigrated. The primary destination for Anglo-Saxon refugees was Lothian in Scotland. The region was heavily settled by these refugees and came to speak Old English (known to its speakers as Englisc). As a result of Anglo-Saxon migrations, Scotland was the first country to officially speak English, at a time when England still used French as its official language.

"Our aim was not to tell the typical story of Kings and Dukes, but instead to experience 1066 through the eyes of ordinary people. Unfortunately, the medieval sources don't say much about the little people, so our task was to piece together the various clues left to us by history, so that we might create fictional, but highly realistic, characters to tell the story of 1066."


Sources:
- Carmen de Hastingae Proelio
- Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
- Heimskringla
- Domesday Book
- Bayeux Tapestry
- Chronicon ex chronicis
- Gesta Normannorum Ducum
- Gesta Guillelmi II Ducis Normannorum
- Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum
- Gesta regum Anglorum
- Roman de Rou