10-th century in English history
The church in the mid IXth century
So the Church made sure that it was closely linked with
royalty and in the IXth century, Edmund’s son, Edgar (959-975), started to
reform the monasteries, and Cantebury, Sherban, Winchester and Worcester all
became monastic[монашеский] cathedrals. The church was well-inderved, the total
income of monasteries and nuneries by the early XIth century was far greater
than the income of the king. The Anglo-Saxon’s Church had long provided
missionaries, such as Bonyface and Wilbred to help to convert Germany and the
lower countries to Christianity. And that was the sign of great vitality of
English Christianity in set others to Scandinavia in the late 10th and the
early 11th centuries. This religious revival[возрождение] provided a literary
and cultural activity, which rebuilt itself in brilliant manuscript
illumination, and it was stonecarving and embroidery – so the stonecarving and
embroidery started in the early 11th century.
The Kingdom of Wessex had by now become what was later
termed the Old English Monarchy. This state was still very much centered on
Wessex, Ethelstan alone among the 10th century rulers and he spent much time in
Mercia. Wessex was administrated from its 4 partland shires: Hampshire,
Willshire, Dorset and Somerset – the regions, where the kings spent most of
their time. However, pretty relations of nationhood was indicated in 957, when
the Mercians and Northumbrians renounced eligence to Edward in favour of his
brother Edgar. The scheme was healed, although Edgar also became King of Wessex
on Edwin’s death in 959. The eligence of Northumbria to who never ruled at
Winchester remained uncertain until well into the 11th century.
The county prospered, however, as a result of
agricultural advances and the production of wool and cloth England became
wealthy by the standarts of contemporary Northern Europe. And, of course, it
became a tempting price to foreign rulers. The power of the Old English
Monarchy was displayed in 973, when other British rulers made a formal
submission[подчинение] to king Edgar at Chester.
The peace and untiy of England was not to survive Edgar’s
death in 975. The reason was that his both sons were too young to rule. The
elder, Edward, still succeded, but he was unpopular and he was murded three
years later, in 978, by the supporters of the younger son, Ethelred. And he was
called Ethelred the Unready, because he was not ready by his age to rule the
country. Ethelred has been the subject of scorn throughout history, not least
because of the hostile tone of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. In fact Ethelred made
major effort to improve the state defences, but he lacked the presence and
natural authority. So he was not… Тимур!! J trusted by the people, so he lacked the natural
authority to command or trust. And, of course, consequently this limited his
ability to deal with the next crisis to hit the British Isles and it was the
return of the Vikings.
England under the recent kings of Wessex, Scotland, under
its outstanding 9th century ruler Kenneth[Scottish leader], much of Wales under
the rulers of Kenneth had all experienced a welcome measure of statehood. But
so two had devided lands, enabling them again to organize themselves into the
large armies, so the armies of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales can’t be
orgainized as one army to fight the Vikings, because they lacked experience in
fighting as a large army. Soon after Ethelred’s assetion[утверждение] the Danes
started mounting major attacks, in one of which they defeated the Essex
militia[народное ополчение, армия] under ea(r)ldorman Brington at Meldon in
991. Ethelred used a mixture of a very up-to-date thing – a mixture of dribes
and violence, such as, for example, a pitiless massacres of English resident Danes
in 1002 to maintain his power, so he simply killed their king. The Danes
retaliated[возмездие] with fearsome vigmereance over (of a) decade and in 1013
the resistance collapsed. The following year Ethelred was briefly driven into
Normandie by king Swein of Denmark, who was reconsidered but never crowned as
king of England. Ethelred, however, returned on Swein’s death, but the struggle
was continued by Swein’ s son, Cnut(Canute, Chnut, Knut).
So while the resistance was hamped[мешать] by divisions
among the English, especially that between Ethelred and his eldest son, Edmund
Ironside – violent and severe king. After Ethelred’s death England was devided
between Cnut and Edmund in 1016 by the Peace of Alney: Cnut received Mercia and
Northumbria. Edmund, however, died and Cnut became king of all England from
1016 up to 1035! And England was now almost by default a part of greater
Scandinavian Empire.
Cnut following the death of his older brother Harold had
also become King of Denmark for a short while, and thereby the newly conquered
Norway, so he was a very powerful king at that time. The Vikings now largeraly
pulled the Western sea bord of Europe including Normandy, which still bears
their name as call of the Northern, so Normandy means the call(coal) of the
Northmen. Cnut ruled all these dominants from England where he largely followed
by the visible(peaceable)-?? practice of the local kings of Wessex, although he
introduced a number of Danes in aristocracy and devided the kingdom into a
small number of counties or at that time they were called “earldoms”. The
earldem of Wessex was given to Godwin, an English protegy of Cnut who married a
Danish princess and gave Danish names to four of his 6th sons, including
Harold. And Anglo-Viking aristocracy was being created at that time and England
started to look increasingly overseas to the land of her Scandinavian
conquerers.
The End of the Anglo-Saxon England
So Cnut died in the year 1035 and there were several
possible successors. The Wessex dinasty was represented by Ethelred’s younger
sons Edward and Elthred. Cnut in his turn had 2 sons by two different wives,
and they were Harold and Halferchant. Cnut had wanted Halferhat to succeede to
his own Empire and his Empire included: Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Norway),
Normandie and all England. So, but while Hatherchart delayed in Denmark, the
Witan appointed Harold as (a) regent and in 1037 the Witan made Harold king. He
didn’t live long and when he died, in 1040, Hatherchat as the second son was
recalled, but he died 2 years later. Very violent times there were…
Ethelred’s son Edward had been living for a year at the
English court and in 1042 he was made(probably elected) king. And he is known
under very prominent name Edward the Confessor. He lived quite long
(1042-1066). So Edward the Confessor inherited the strongest government in the
11th century Europe. Edward had a clerical staff of priests, headed by a chief
clerk whose office developed into that of the medieval C(h)ouncellor and then
later it was formed into Parliament and now into the Privy Council, it existed
up to the year 1970 (members:the King, the Queen). One of their duties was to
keep records. From the late Anglo-Saxon period comes evidence of very detailed
surveys recording land Tenna-?? and tax obligations.
The government changed greatly and so did the English
society. The mid 9th to mid 11th century saw rapid growth in the population and
economy, not surprisingly more people meant bigger counts. By the conquest
there were English towns in a sence that we understand the towns today(large
concentration of people, markets and tradesmen, groups of craftsmen in
specialised quarters, numerous churches and the most prominent figure of a
modern town is extending suburbs). The country-side was also changing, though
it’s hard to trace the changes clearly. Scattered farms developed, however,
into smaller villages. Agriculture was becoming more complicated and more
complex. By the year 1066 many parts of England had common fields (was farmed
by peasants and the results of the farming was devided among them; also they
paid tax from the common field). Peasant society was becoming more satisfied
and pleased and lots were making greater demands on their tenna.
Edward’s reign although brief, though many historians
consider it’s a long one, of course, you’ve put them /// twidders of somebody’s
reign, so but still it was brief one, if we compare it to Victoria’s reign, it
was very prosperous for Britain. But it was overshadowed by a great problem(the
problem of succesion). When Edward died, and he died childless, and the year
was 1066, the Witan elected as their king Harold Godwinson, he was earl of
Wessex, who claimed that Edward had made his death-bed promise of throne. King
Harold came to the throne facing another problem. Duke William of Normandy, the
head of a warlike[spelling-??] people had a claim to the English succession on
the very same grounds, that he was the late king Edward the Confessor’s second
cousin. However, he allerged[утверждал] that, when visiting Edward in 1051, the
old king had solemnly promised the throne to him. So he had 2 reasons to become
a king of England: 1)he was his second cousin and another that king Edward had
promised him the throne. And with a strong army(it was another good reason) he
assembled on the northern side of the English Channel and he was out to get in.
To any invasion by William Harold concentrated his forces
among the south coast. Meanwhile Duke William’s fleet, which had been delayed
by very unpleasant weather, landed at Evancy on 28st of September. Harold
didn’t expect that and he rushed southwards. But the preparations, which he had
made two months earlier(so he had waited for 2 months for the Duke to come),
had fallen apart. The reason is very clear: the soldiers were tired, there was
not enough food etc. And the whole of his army was exhausted by the battles in
Scotland. And on the 14th of October 1066 the English and Norman armies met
near a very famous place, Hastings. Harold’s forces gathered on the Crestally
Hill and formed a wall of shields. The battle lasted all day, and at first the
English position seemed quite strong, but apparently was lost, through different
reasons, but the 1streason was, of course, the lack of discipline rather than
the lack of force. And gradually the English troops were broken up. The centre
held untill dask, but the outcome was already clear, when Harold fell on the
spot marked in later centuries by the High by Battle Abbey. So Harold was
killed, and later there was built a High Alter of Battle Abbey on the spot
where proposely Harold had been killed.
William adnavced to Dover and then to Canterbury, where
he received the submission of Winchester. But the main goal for him was, of
course, London. But he met opposition at London Bridge. So William encircled
then the city leaving a trial of delastation. What happened during three weeks
of this (en)circling in London? Starvation came into London, and so English
nobles offered their fuilty and on Christmas Day(and that was the 25th of
December, 1066)Duke William of Normandy was acclaimed king in a
church(Westminster Abbey, which built by Edward the Confessor). And at last
some stability was coming to England.
The Normands recognized that although the country they
had conquered was wealthy, a proper administrative system had to be established
to ensure future prospert. And indeed it became a time of great power building
by a people, who were basicly warriors and they didn’t know anything but war.
Castles were built to emphasise the Norman(s) presence and authorities.
Castles were initially[в начале] earth and timber
constructions, which could be quickly erected in areas, where defence was considered
of immediate importance. These castles laid a gab way to more permanent stone
castles, such as a very famous tower in London, which is called the White
Tower, and another very famous castle coming from the Norman time, it is
Windsor Castle, which is not far from London.
Some cathedrals soon appeared too, and again those such
as Darem Cathedral are testimony [свидетельство]to Norman architectural skills.
All these buildings were evidence of the conquerers’ control providing centres
for both: political and religious rule.
Now too came the beginnings of a defined social structure
with Norman lords, the masters, the lower orders very much their servants.
Creating what was to become known historically as the FEUDAL SYSTEM, the lords
lurched support and protection of their people and provided them with land in
return for their loyal service(principally, this service was military). For the
understanding, what this military service meant, Norman lords were obligated to
provide a number of knights for service rufly proportioned to the size of their
estate. Despite the keeping problems of feudalism, newly introduced lords,
highered taxes and different tuns, the nation still, very slowly, but it
started to become united.
But while the common people adapted to this new system,
the Norman nobility fought among themselves. Nobles and monarchs wanted more
power and more land. Inheritence at that time was almost all
disputed[оспаривать], leading to the establishing of a rule, under which the
eldest male child automatically enjoyed a rightful claim and a poor younger
children had nothing.
William died in 1105 in a very suspicious hunting
accident in the New Forest, while he was hunting out with his brother Henry.
Henry I moved quickly to secure power and eventually defeated elder brother
Robert in 1106. Robert was imprisoned in Cardiff, where he died in 1134. Henry
was not the man with whom to come into conflict. Anyone, for instance, considered
responsible for irregularity in minting money was blinded and costrated. The
wars Henry was forced to wage[воевать] in Normandy were a considerable g(d)rain
on his income, on his money resources. He was poorer that Rufus had been, but
this was conpensated for his efficient management. Henry was also respected
more by the Church than his brother. Despite talk of siring more than 20
children only two of whom were legiment[законный]. His other legiment son
William died at sea at 1119. But the Norman kings like their Anglo-Saxon’s
predecessors were closely with the Church and supported the reforming popes of
the late 11th centuy.
New religious orders were intoduced to England and Henry
I married Matilda, daughter of Melcom III of Scotland in 1100. And by 1107 his
throne was finally secure, so it is now quite clear why he was also king and
overlord of Scotland, because he had married the daughter of king. With his
imprisoned brother and a victory over the Church to appoint his own bishops,
because he went into the conflict with Church: who should appoint bishops, the
Church or the king? So he won it. The king felt a confident ruler and he felt
very secure. He had also sild[силд] a treaty with Archbishop of Anthem of
Canterbury, under which bishops must pay homage to[приклонятся] Henry for their
estate, that accomponied their offuce. It was the first time in history and
probably the last one, when the bishops paid the monarch. The deal ended the
suedy, which began under William an gave Henry the support of the pope.
Henry I died in France in 1135 from food poisoning after
going fishing. Only one child his elegiment son Robert, Earl of Glocester, was
at his death bed. Because his older elegiment son was dead, Henry left behind
him another very disputed inheritance. His daughter Matilda had married
Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, in 1128. And his father’s death made
Matilda and, of course, her husband rightful rulers of England, because his
elegiment son Robert was elegiment… где ум, где логика?? But Geoffrey was at
that time at war with Normandy, and he never set foot in England. So far from
uniting the kingdoms of England and Anjou, Henry’s death led to 20 years of
civil war. Matilda despite her husband detachment was a very powerful lady and
she was determined to take the throne probably not for her husband or for
herself.
And one man was equally determined she shouldn’t take the
throne. As soon as he heard of Henry’s death. Henry’s nephew, Stephen of Blois,
son of William’s I daughter, Adella, sailed from Boulon to seek power and he
was crowned king by Archbishop of Canterbury. Ironically, as always goes in
history, the woman Stephan chose for his Queen was also called Matilda, so he
had a rival[соперница], who was Matilda and a wife, who was Matilda. The period
of his reign is known as the Anarchy, when Christ and the Angels slander and
not without good reasons. Stephen was recrowned king in 1141 after an
astonishing year, which had seen him defeated, captured, deposed and finally
victorious. In february he was overwhelmed by the superior forces of Matilda
led by her half-brother Robert of Gloucester. Refusing to slee Stephen fought
until he was captured. He was held in Robert of Gloucester’s castle while
Matilda made her way to London to seek the succession. But she met a very
strong resistance. The citizens of London already wary of her became hostile,
when she demanded large sums of money from them. And while preparing for her
coronation the Londoners rose and drove her out of the city. Stephen’s
supporters led by his wife, Matilda, defeated her army outside Winchester and
captured Robert of Gloucester in whose castle Stephen was. Robert was exchanged
for Stephen, who once again sat on the throne victorious, because the Londoners
didn’t accept Matilda.
In 1148, seven years later, Stephen was recrowned,
Matilda left England and returned to her husband in Normandy dropping her claim
to the throne. King Stephen died in 1154, two years after his beloved wife
Matilda. The question of succession had been resolved only a year earlier, when
Stephen had dramatically disinherited his son, Ustas, in favour of Henry
Plantagenet, son of his older enemy and claimer to the throne, Matilda. And
actually it was the comprise, why Matilda had left England in 1148, because
Stephen had promised, that her son would become next king of England.
And a new royal House now had the task of trying to end
English Anarchy, and it was the House of Plantegenet. The crowning of king
Henry II in 1154 healed the rift between England’s royal rivals and these
rivals were Stephen and Matilda. The death of Ustas, son and hier to Stephen
paid the way for a compromise deal, in which Henry took the throne. Stephen’s
second son, William, was paid off very handsomely with large grounds, with
large tracks of land. Henry’s father was Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou,
and the dinasty consequently became known as the Plantegenet.
Although king of England, Henry was much concerned with
matters in France, after all, he was born there, and he didn’t visit England
until he was 9 years old. And he eventually died in France. Henry certainly had
his work cut out. There were troublesome Scots to contend with as well as very
troublesome Celts and greedy and unpredictable barrers from the Scottish
borders to the Pyrenees. Energetically he sackled the celtegies that
dolmed[домд или догд…] his reign. Yet his new rule swift clean approach,which
undoubted the House to restore some order to England is largerly forgotten by
history. Henry is remembered as the king who was responsible for the death of
/// Thomas Becket. But he is not remembered as the king who put the end of the
Anarchy in the country. Who was Becket? Becket was the son of a London merchant
who rose to become Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry was convinced, he had a tay
churchment in the form of Thomas Becket, who was Henry’s personal and loyal
friend. On that count the appointment suited Henry well as he was aiming to
reduce(renew) the power of the Church. He wanted an end to the system, in which
the Church organized its own lands and often they were bigger than the King’s
lands. Likewise Henry felt flue in the state of his own authority. He was too
sure of Thomas Becket’s loyalty.
Henry /// into the Church was known as the Constitutions
of Clarington of 1164. It was a written document and it contained 15 points.
There, in those Constitutions, Becket and his bishops ought the proposals for
two days before caming in. Almost immediately Becket regretted his decision and
stood once again for the intract of the Church, and he became in opposition to
the King. Consequently Henry had Becket arrested and in 1165 the country’s most
emenant and very prominent churchman sled into exire. It was five years before
his return to England to review his battle of will with Henry. In a sit of
altrage at his court in Normandie Henry burst out: “Will no one rid me of this
troublesome priest??” In a response four knights made their way to England,
found Becket in Canterbury Cathedral and on 29th of December 1170 slade him with
their swords. It was a disastrous fact, that an elegement and illument
churchman was killed in a cathedral. Henry was grief-stricken, when he heard
about the killing. He even imprisoned himself in a room for three days. And, as
it all goes in history, three days later after his death Thomas Becket was canonized.
And Henry always maintained that he had never ordered the killing, but he is
remembered in the history as a king, who had killed a churchman in the church.
If Henry believed his worst enemies were abroad, he was
sadly mistaken. In the last years of this life his wife and three of his sons
plotted against him. Eleanor(of Aquitaine, his wife) imprisoned the knight’s
misstress, when his eldest son, who was also called Henry, was crowned
successor in 1169, his second son Richard was insensed by a considential work
both later joined forces with Philip II of France and waded war on their
father. John, Henry’s favourite son, joined them. By now both, Henry the
younger and Geoffrey, Henry’s other son, were dead. The aggressors compelled a
heart-broken king Henry to accept a shamefully humiliating peace. He couldn’t
take that and a month later he died.
Richard was crowned King of England in 1189 in
Westminster. It was one of the few occasions he visited the country during his
reign. It is calculated that during a decade of his rule he spent less than a
year with his foot on English soil, so he was always at war with someone. Nor
was it the happy occasion he might have wished. By his eld(own) degree Jews were
bent from the coronation. With some turned up they were attacked by Richard’s
people. Many Jews were killed during the coronation and their belief(though
released-??) was badly damaged and injured. The incident sparkled a pogrom in
London and Jews were routed out for a century out of London.
Richard, despite his foreign travels, was a very popular
king. He won the name Richard Lionheart, although his personal brevity is
always the question, because many historians think, that in many cases he
simply left the battle field and he didn’t fight for it. It was the lewer[льюэ]
of the first crusade, that took Richard overseas. Jerusalem,at that time and
still it is the centre of Christianity, was once again under control of Muslims
and it was led by ///. Prompted by attacks of pilgrims the both sanction
another crusade. Richard though stayed in England long enough to raise taxes to
pay for this Third Crusade. He jokingly said that he would have sold London if
only he could find a buyer to London. In 1198 he set off for the Holy Land with
his old ely, Philip II of France. And in 1199 near the castle of Chale Richard
was hit in the shoulder and consequently he died.
Richard’s younger brother John succeeded him to the
throne. He was an awful king for England. He was stretcherous, empitious,
foolish and unwise. John found a capacity to eliminate one and all. Before his
succession in 1199, he had been sent to Ireland by his father to rule. He and
his competence rudely laughed aloud at the beard worn by the Irish chieftain,
who came to pay homage to him. His rule there was disaster.