Around 1000 AD, some of the Vikings who had been raiding France got permission from the French king to settle down and live in France instead. They were supposed to help protect France against other Vikings. As part of the deal, these Vikings also converted from their German gods to Catholicism.
These settlers were called the Normans (which is short for North-Men, because they came from the North). The part of France where they lived is called Normandy, the land of the North-Men, even today.
In 1066, one of these Normand men, William, decided to attack England and try to conquer it from the Anglo-Saxons. Williams's mother had not been married to his father when he was born, but William still inherited his father's property and his title of Duke of Normandy. People called him William the Bastard. He wanted to do something big and adventurous, and when the King of England died without leaving a son, William thought he saw a chance to take over England.
So they sailed across the English Channel in a lot of small boats, and when they got there they did beat the Anglo-Saxons in the battle of Hastings. The Anglo-Saxon king, Harold, was shot in the eye with an arrow and died.
William (now people called him William the Conqueror) became the new king of England. He was crowned in Westminster Abbey. He built the Tower of London to live in, to keep himself and his family safe. William and all his friends spoke French, but the English people spoke Saxon. So for a long time there were two languages spoken in England.
(http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/history/highmiddle/normans.htm)Now, answer these questions (Remember to use the Interesting and Useful links):
- What is the Bayeux Tapestry?
- Why did the Battle of Hastings happen? Explain the most important events about it.
- Look for more information about the Tower of London and write a description of it.
