Year of the Normans

This year is the Year of the Normans, we even have the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum.
Do you have any Norman influences in your life, I suppose language is the main one and is your name Norman?

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There are Norman monuments in Southern regions of Italy, especially in the island of Sicily.
They left here a huge architectural, artistic and cultural inheritance.

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Possibly, I can’t reveal my heritage on a public forum as in my surname. I’d love to think that I owned most of Sussex :pleading_face:

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my uncle Norman used to take me to watch rugby matches :smiley:

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And in Greece too, I think I remember some ruins in Kefalonia, Fiskardo.

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Not forgettng
Norman wisdom

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Welcome to Pevensey!

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I don’t think baby boys are named Norman anymore, Probably not since the 1950s.
The idea of visiting Battle seems appealing, it looks a quaint town.
.One of my forefathers was of Norman descent. His name was Anthony not Norman though. Anthony seems quite a modern name for someone born in Victorian times doesn’t it.

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Battle is not that far from me. Battle abbey is worth a visit although manily ruins. It is where those involved in the Battle of Hastings went to prey before the big punchup







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The Norman invasion led to serfdom of the ordinary people as William brought in Norman barons to lord it over the locals.Not treated quite as badly as slaves but they had less rights than they did before 1066.

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Looks amazing and worth a visit.

One on my Autumn to do list realspeed! :+1:

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Remarkable that it was called “Battle Abbey” before the actual battle took place. Calling a place Battle is asking for trouble, someone is bound to send the boys round.

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wasn’t Norman derived from “norsemen”? I understand they were Viking in origin.

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I cannot travel far from my house in West Sussex before I see both Norman and Roman architectural influences. Norman arches abound in area, both in ruin sites and still in operating buildings👍 Even my given name has its roots in Roman culture.

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I thought it was because they came from Normandy?
But I could be wrong.

I thought Normandy was named after the norsemen (or northmen)?

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Bloke walks into a church and approaches the Vicar…
“Nice church you have here Vicar”
“It’s Norman” says the vicar…
“Nice church Norman” the man replies…
:rofl:

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Was there not a second seizing of the crown after William 1 died? He passed his English throne to his son William and his Normandy throne to his other son Robert. His third son, Henry, got a bit of dosh but no throne to call his own. However William II foolishly got himself shot by an arrow while hunting. Robert was away on crusade. So Henry got a few mates, dashed across the channel and grabbed the throne - getting himself crowned promptly. Then he made sure he kept the crown by removing some taxes to keep his barons on side, marrying Matilda of Scotland to bolster his own standing and then popping back across to Normandy to defeat his other brother who had got back from crusading.
Once again England fell to a usurping would be king. Not for the last time.

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YES.
Harold was at war with the Norsemen/Vikings near York. On learning that the Normans were about to invade Hastings.
His army immediately marched South 300mls. In 4 Days
Exhausted, Invisage.Two Battles in less than a week.
The outcome obvious. And achieved.
Hence we swapped from being. Anglo-Saxons>> Scandinavians >> French >>
“Multinationals,” sic.
By any gauge. “The 1st >> EU.”
:wink:

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