Life in Norman England

By O.G. Tomkeieff

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399501436
• ISBN13: 9780399501432
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: PENGUIN PUTNAM * TRADE
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Good basic study of the transition after the Norman conquest

This book, first published in 1966, remains a good basic study of the cultural transition that occurred after the Norman conquest of 1066. To quote from the jacket blurb, "After setting the Anglo-Saxon scene, Ms. Tomkeieff shows the extent to which an alien, French-speaking king and aristocracy affected each aspect of English life, and how far the Normans were themselves anglicised." Most chapters are dedicated to a specific aspect of society and how it was affected: 1. Prelude to the Norman Conquest 2. An Alien King and Aristocracy 3. The Village 4. The Town 5. The Church 6. Learning and Literature 7. Medicine and Law 8. The Building Crafts 9. Arts and Entertainments The book is rich in details about everything from fashion (the English wore their hair long at the back and favored mustaches and beards, the Normans cut their hair short at the back and tended to be clean-shaven) to military matters (the Normans fought on horseback with swords, spears and maces; the English fought on foot with spears, maces and two-handed axes) to the law (the Saxons had monetary fines for crimes where local communities decided who was guilty and also used trial by ordeal; the Normans introduced hierarchical feudal law and trial by combat). One thing of particular interest that the Normans introduced was the use of castles both for military defense and for control. Prior to 1066, there was only a single castle in all of England! The book is also well illustrated with drawings and artwork from the period. Tomkeieff discusses the cultural clashes, the tensions (entire Saxon communities were held responsible if a single Norman was killed in their territory), the changes and the eventual assimilation (some through intermarriage of the Norman and Saxon nobility) between the two cultures. At 175 pages, the book goes more for breadth than depth but does fairly well at giving the reader a good overview of the transition. It may be difficult to find a copy as it does not appear to be in print at the time of this writing, but I recommend it to anyone with an interest in the period.