From Newsgroup: soc.history.medieval

AI Overview The year \(1066\) is most famous for the Norman
Conquest of England, a pivotal event that began with the death of King
Edward the Confessor and ended with William the Conqueror defeating the English forces at the Battle of Hastings on October \(14,1066\). This
victory led to a significant transformation of English society, law, and culture under Norman rule. -a Succession crisis: King Edward the
Confessor died without a clear heir, leading to multiple claimants for
the throne, including Harold Godwinson, the English earl who was crowned king.-a Invasions: Harold's reign was challenged by two invasions: one by
the Norwegian King Harald Hardrada in the north, and another by William,
Duke of Normandy, in the south.-a Battle of Stamford Bridge: Harold successfully repelled the Norwegian invasion, defeating and killing both Hardrada and his own brother Tostig at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on September 25.-a Battle of Hastings: While Harold was marching his
exhausted army south to meet the new threat, William landed his forces
at Pevensey. Harold met William at the Battle of Hastings on October 14,
where his forces were defeated and he was killed, likely by an arrow.-a
Norman rule: After the victory, William marched to London, where English leaders submitted to him, and he was crowned King on Christmas Day,
1066. This marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon era and the beginning of
Norman rule, which brought about sweeping changes, including a new
feudal system and the construction of many castles.
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From Newsgroup: soc.history.medieval

On Tue, 14 Oct 2025 08:05:08 -0700, a425couple
<a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote:

AI Overview The year \(1066\) is most famous for the Norman >Conquest of England, a pivotal event that began with the death of King >Edward the Confessor and ended with William the Conqueror defeating the >English forces at the Battle of Hastings on October \(14,1066\). This >victory led to a significant transformation of English society, law, and >culture under Norman rule. a Succession crisis: King Edward the >Confessor died without a clear heir, leading to multiple claimants for
the throne, including Harold Godwinson, the English earl who was crowned >king.a Invasions: Harold's reign was challenged by two invasions: one by
the Norwegian King Harald Hardrada in the north, and another by William, >Duke of Normandy, in the south.a Battle of Stamford Bridge: Harold >successfully repelled the Norwegian invasion, defeating and killing both >Hardrada and his own brother Tostig at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on >September 25.a Battle of Hastings: While Harold was marching his
exhausted army south to meet the new threat, William landed his forces
at Pevensey. Harold met William at the Battle of Hastings on October 14, >where his forces were defeated and he was killed, likely by an arrow.a >Norman rule: After the victory, William marched to London, where English >leaders submitted to him, and he was crowned King on Christmas Day,
1066. This marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon era and the beginning of
Norman rule, which brought about sweeping changes, including a new
feudal system and the construction of many castles.

Yup - there are two main what if's in this scenario:

1 - what if Harold had rested his troops for a week or two in London
after Stamford Bridge? (It was universally admitted that Harold led
one of the few armies that could even contemplate fighting two major
battles that close together) What would William have done in the
meantime? Most who have speculated on this suggest William would have
been badly defeated - though in 1066 the defences of London were a
fraction of what they were by the time of the Wars of the Roses

2 - could Harold regrouped and kept fighting had he not taken an arrow
in the eye? Is this truly one of the great coincidences of history in
terms of how much this swung subsequent events?

My personal interest would be in knowing how the evolution of the
English language would have proceeded without a Norman victory since
English is a bastardization of both Nordic and "Romance" influence
particularly in terms of words. Which continued to evolve well after
1066 - one of my favorite websites is one which gives the texts of
dozens of English Bible translations going at least as far back as
Wycliffe and Tyndale both of which are very different from the type of
English spoken today. (In my opinion, Wycliffe sounds a lot like
Chaucer while Tyndale's closer to Shakespearean English though not
quite evolved to the 1611 King James Version)
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From Newsgroup: soc.history.medieval

On 10/16/25 11:30, The Horny Goat wrote:

On Tue, 14 Oct 2025 08:05:08 -0700, a425couple
<a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote:

AI Overview The year \(1066\) is most famous for the Norman
Conquest of England, a pivotal event that began with the death of King
Edward the Confessor and ended with William the Conqueror defeating the
English forces at the Battle of Hastings on October \(14,1066\). This
victory led to a significant transformation of English society, law, and
culture under Norman rule. -a Succession crisis: King Edward the
Confessor died without a clear heir, leading to multiple claimants for
the throne, including Harold Godwinson, the English earl who was crowned
king.-a Invasions: Harold's reign was challenged by two invasions: one by
the Norwegian King Harald Hardrada in the north, and another by William,
Duke of Normandy, in the south.-a Battle of Stamford Bridge: Harold
successfully repelled the Norwegian invasion, defeating and killing both
Hardrada and his own brother Tostig at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on
September 25.-a Battle of Hastings: While Harold was marching his
exhausted army south to meet the new threat, William landed his forces
at Pevensey. Harold met William at the Battle of Hastings on October 14,
where his forces were defeated and he was killed, likely by an arrow.
Norman rule: After the victory, William marched to London, where English
leaders submitted to him, and he was crowned King on Christmas Day,
1066. This marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon era and the beginning of
Norman rule, which brought about sweeping changes, including a new
feudal system and the construction of many castles.

Yup - there are two main what if's in this scenario:

1 - what if Harold had rested his troops for a week or two in London
after Stamford Bridge? (It was universally admitted that Harold led
one of the few armies that could even contemplate fighting two major
battles that close together) What would William have done in the
meantime? Most who have speculated on this suggest William would have
been badly defeated - though in 1066 the defences of London were a
fraction of what they were by the time of the Wars of the Roses

2 - could Harold regrouped and kept fighting had he not taken an arrow
in the eye? Is this truly one of the great coincidences of history in
terms of how much this swung subsequent events?

My personal interest would be in knowing how the evolution of the
English language would have proceeded without a Norman victory since
English is a bastardization of both Nordic and "Romance" influence particularly in terms of words. Which continued to evolve well after
1066 - one of my favorite websites is one which gives the texts of
dozens of English Bible translations going at least as far back as
Wycliffe and Tyndale both of which are very different from the type of English spoken today. (In my opinion, Wycliffe sounds a lot like
Chaucer while Tyndale's closer to Shakespearean English though not
quite evolved to the 1611 King James Version)

Yes, thank you for your comments.

I was lucky enough in early 2016 to tour my ancestral home farm
in Norway, spend a week at my daughters apartment who was then
living in London, chunnel to Belgium, get a rental car, drive
to the old and famous racetrack at Spa-Franchorchamps, do laps there,
drive to WWII battlefields, stay in Rhine castles, visit the
'cinderella castles, visit museums in South Germany and Austria,
high speed (???) train to Paris, and then to Normandy and
tours (include St. Michael).
A museum at Bayeux France held the Bayeux Tapestry.
A memorable experience.
By the wonders of modern computer capability, anyone can
now view this. Yes, is has an embroidered scene of the
King with the arrow in his eye.

AI Overview
Bayeux Tapestry museum - Closing for renovation work until 2027
The Bayeux Tapestry is a 70-meter-long embroidered cloth that depicts
the events leading to the Norman conquest of England in 1066,
culminating in the Battle of Hastings. Created in the 11th century,
likely for Bishop Odo, the tapestry is a UNESCO Memory of the World and
is housed in a museum in Bayeux, France. It is currently closed for
renovation until October 2027, and during this time, it will be
exhibited at the British Museum.
What it is: An embroidered textile, not a woven tapestry, that tells the
story of the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
What it depicts: The story begins in 1064 with Edward the Confessor
sending Harold Godwinson to Normandy, and ends with the Battle of
Hastings, where William, Duke of Normandy, defeated Harold, the Earl of Wessex. The end of the tapestry is missing, but it likely showed
William's coronation.
Key details: The cloth is almost 70 meters long and 50 cm tall, with 75
scenes and Latin inscriptions that vividly illustrate the events.
Significance: It is considered a masterpiece of Romanesque art and
provides a detailed, visual account of the 11th century.
Current location: The Bayeux Museum in Bayeux, France, is temporarily
closed for renovation, with an expected reopening in October 2027. It is
being exhibited at the British Museum during this time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayeux_Tapestry

Explore the Bayeux Tapestry online

Bayeux Museum
https://www.bayeuxmuseum.com rC| the-bayeux-tapestry
Discover the entire Bayeux Tapestry scene by scene and follow online the
70 meter-long embroidered canvas which tells the story of the conquest
of England in ...
Britain's Bayeux Tapestry

Reading Museum
https://www.readingmuseum.org.uk rC| collections rC| brita...
bayeux tapestry from www.readingmuseum.org.uk
The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the world's most famous pieces of medieval
art. It is 70 metres long, and chronicles the legendary tale of the
Norman conquest of ...









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From Newsgroup: soc.history.medieval

On 10/16/25 11:30, The Horny Goat wrote:

On Tue, 14 Oct 2025 08:05:08 -0700, a425couple
<a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote:

AI Overview The year \(1066\) is most famous for the Norman
Conquest of England, a pivotal event that began with the death of King
Edward the Confessor and ended with William the Conqueror defeating the
English forces at the Battle of Hastings on October \(14,1066\). ----

---->

My personal interest would be in knowing how the evolution of the
English language would have proceeded without a Norman victory since
English is a bastardization of both Nordic and "Romance" influence particularly in terms of words. Which continued to evolve well after
1066 - one of my favorite websites is one which gives the texts of
dozens of English Bible translations going at least as far back as
Wycliffe and Tyndale both of which are very different from the type of English spoken today. (In my opinion, Wycliffe sounds a lot like
Chaucer while Tyndale's closer to Shakespearean English though not
quite evolved to the 1611 King James Version)

Meanwhile, an interesting mix of good historical study and
science fiction - - you might try reading
"And the Rest is History, the chronicles of St. Mary's"
by Jodi Taylor
kind of like time travel, historians investigate
questions of the battle.
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From Newsgroup: soc.history.medieval

On Tue, 21 Oct 2025 10:16:42 -0700, a425couple
<a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote:

I was lucky enough in early 2016 to tour my ancestral home farm
in Norway, spend a week at my daughters apartment who was then
living in London, chunnel to Belgium, get a rental car, drive
to the old and famous racetrack at Spa-Franchorchamps, do laps there,
drive to WWII battlefields, stay in Rhine castles, visit the
'cinderella castles, visit museums in South Germany and Austria,
high speed (???) train to Paris, and then to Normandy and
tours (include St. Michael).
A museum at Bayeux France held the Bayeux Tapestry.
A memorable experience.
By the wonders of modern computer capability, anyone can
now view this. Yes, is has an embroidered scene of the
King with the arrow in his eye.

Heh heh - seeing the real thing is not like seeing an image online as
I'm sure you know.

I live in western Canada and went to the UK in 2016 (roughly 2 weeks
before the Brexit vote) and in the British Library saw a copy of the
Magna Carta and 1st edition Gutenberg Bible in the same room
(obviously both under glass in separate cases in a darkened room -
staff said that was to prevent any dimming of the inks on these old
documents). Since I didn't have a card identifying me as a researcher
or grad student I didn't get into the George III library but saw it
from outside.

My main disappointment was not getting to see Karl Marx's favorite
study carrel which I had heard the British Library still had. (And
where he composed the first drafts of the Communist Manifesto)

Still we DID see a lot of ships in the Thames with Brexit campaign
signs the day we took the riverboat from the docks near Parliament to
Greenwich and at the Greenwich Observatory where they have a 8-10"
wide brass bar showing the Prime Meridian kissed my wife across the
meridian (e.g. me in the Western Hemisphere, her in the Eastern
Hemisphere) much to the amusement of the cooperative Brit who shot the
picture of the two of us with my camera...

I would definitely recommend a trip to the Greenwich observatory
(which includes the old naval chapel which is a treat in itself and
includes one of the two major statues of "Franklin of the Arctic" in
the chapel lobby - the other is next to a statue of "Scott of the
Antarctic" just S of Picadilly Circus.

(I've heard you can catch a bus from downtown London to Greenwich but
if you make the trip in summer I'd definitely recommend the river
boats which are part of the London public transit system)

If one is in London when Parliament is NOT in session I would
definitely recommend the tour of Parliament (it was 25 GBP per person
in 2016, so is probably more now) which for us included walking down
the center of both the Commons and Lords as well as the voting
galleries in the Commons. (They don't vote in the House of Commons
itself but rather adjourn to the "Yea" and "Nay" lobbies where the MPs
queue up to register their votes - and the party whips go their to to
observe who voted how and to tally the results)

(Which is not at all like the Canadian parliament where unlike the UK
House of Commons, Canadian MPs have their own desks which include
buttons which are wired to record their votes. However what's in
Ottawa right now is only temporary as the Canadian parliament is
undergoing its first major upgrade since 1918 and is still a couple
years from completion)
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