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Foreign Correspondent: The Battle of Hastings, again!

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Two men in period costume wield swords at each other
Foreign Correspondent: The Battle of Hastings, again!

SUBJECTS:  History

YEARS:  7–8


How was England changed forever by one battle in 1066?

In that year, a Norman army led by Duke William of Normandy sailed to England and defeated the Saxon army of Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings.

Visit the site of the battle during a re-enactment by medieval history buffs.

This is the first of two clips.


Things to think about

  1. 1.Did you know that the Normans who invaded England in 1066 were Vikings? Viking raiders had inflicted so much damage on France that in 911 the French king made a treaty, allowing them to control part of France that came to be known as Normandy. These Vikings, now known as Normans, adopted Christianity and the French language. They built churches and castles but kept their warlike ways.
  2. 2.Describe the weapons and armour used by 'Normans' and 'Saxons' in the re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings. The 70-metre long Bayeux Tapestry was created in Normandy in the 11th century. It shows detailed scenes from the Battle of Hastings. Explain what evidence it provides about weapons and armour and compare such details with those in the re-enactment.
  3. 3.The Bayeux Tapestry is a very famous primary source in medieval history, telling the story of the Battle of Hastings like a comic book. Most historians believe that it was created on the orders of a bishop named Odo, who took part in the Battle of Hastings and was a half-brother of William of Normandy. How reliable do you think it would be as an accurate source of information? Give your reasons.
  4. 4.When England's Saxon king Edward the Confessor died earlier in 1066, there was no adult heir to the throne. His brother-in-law, the Saxon earl Harold Godwinson, took the opportunity to claim the throne, while William of Normandy claimed it had been promised to him. Two other men also claimed the throne. Do some research to find out who they were and what happened to them.



Date of broadcast: 7 Nov 2000


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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