How the Normans changed the history of Europe - Mark Robinson

In the year 1066, 7,000 Norman infantry and knights sailed in warships across the English Channel. Their target: England, home to more than a million people. Around the same period of time, other groups of Normans were setting forth all across Europe. Who were these warriors, and how did they leave their mark so far and wide? Mark Robinson shares a brief history of the Normans.

Lesson by Mark Robinson, directed by Echo Bridge.

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[josuemontero]

Why is no one talking about how great the art is? It's fantastic.

[Emme-Kappa]

I'm an Italian from Sicily and here you can still see the same variety in the population that there was back then. You can have more dark skinned Sicilians that have clearly some arabic blood in them, but also some taller and blond Sicilians like me, that still have some Norman roots in them. Also Sicilian dialect is a great mixture of old Latin, Arabic, Spanish (yeah we got them to rule us for a while too) and some French mixed in!

[LilMissDiscord]

Before he died, my Grandfather traced our family back to the settling of Normandy. This video is so cool, I wish he was still around so I could share it with him

[sCc]

In the year 2021, a student called Izzy handed in her completed homework after watching this video 👏

[menaseven]

The Normans conquest of England is the reason there is so many French words in the English language.

[jessical]

I like how the video ends not with a tragic ending of a historic group being erased, but of an acknowledgement of how the Normands live on in quiet legacy because of their tolerance and adaptability.

[thishandleistacken]

My family is Irish with the last name Leonard, a French name due to Normish invasions 1000 years ago. I now live in Quebec (Canada) and due to my last name many Francophones are confused to learn I speak primarily English. It's so very rewarding to understand history both for self discovery and the discovery of the grand diversity of humanity itself. Great video. Thankya :)

[JackSanRio]

History brings great mystery and the more we unravel it more interesting it becomes.

[eyebrowjellybean]

The fact that these kings and knights were named things like Robert and roger and John makes me happy for some reason

[Percevl]

I'm from a small town in Sicily that has Norman heritage. This town is located south of mount Etna and on the town's historic hill stands a glorious Norman castle build by non other then Roger I of Sicily.

[bay_leaf]

The animation is absolutely incredible.
Keep up the good work!

[soufian]

Can we have a video on the Arabization of North Africa ??

[johnnybadboy]

Rollo (Hrolf) the walker was called that because he allegedly so was so large that any horse he sat on would have its back broken underneath him, so he could only walk to places instead of riding.

[nerdyguy]

1. Why did Vikings settle down in Normandy? It’s because they couldn’t siege Paris from 885 to 886 (paris was defended by Odo of France) and was defeated by Robert 1 of France in 911 in Chartres. But the French couldn’t expel them out of France either. So Charles the Simple proposed this deal and Rollo accepted it.
2. Are Normans ‘French’? Yes, but not in modern sense. They were vassals to French kings. They pledged allegiance to Kingdom of France
3. What language did they speak? Norman French. It’s a variant of Old French / Langue d’Oïl. Back in the middle age there was no standard French. every region in France spoke their own dialect. They’re collectively regarded as dialect continuum. For example, English word ‘war’ came from Norman-French ‘wuerre’ which ultimately came from French ‘guerre’
4. Did they adopt the French fighting style? Absolutely, they fought on horses but not on foot.
5. When did Normans become Frenchified? As late as the end of reign of Richard 1 of Normandy (in 996)
6. What language did William the Conqueror impose on England? Norman French. It became the language of nobilities, law and administration of England in the next 300 years. ‘dieu et mon droit’ is Henry V’s motto (featured in netflix series ‘the king’) and it’s still printed on every British passport nowadays.
7. What were the religious belief of normans? Christianity. For example Robert Guiscard built many chaptels and basilicas in Sicily.
8. Can Normans be regarded as Vikings? No. They had Viking heritage but they quickly became frenchified, they no longer spoke Norse or Dane or Swede, they became baptised and no longer believed in thor, odin etc. Last but not least, they never associated themselves as Vikings anymore.

[gunnarlund]

At the St. Ouen-church in Rouen there is a copy of the big runic stone from Jelling in Denmark. It is gift from Denmark from 1911 as a reminder of that it was 1000 years since Normandy was estabished as a duchy with a wiking duke called Rollo.

[lnusnlneproductions]

I'm always filled with pride when looking back on our Scandinavian history. Just the knowledge of how big the impact this frozen and dark corner of Europe has had on world history

[zo]

Just a little correction : the map at 1:09 is an anachronism, this is a modern map of France. The kingdom of francs didn't look like that at this time.

[ruivyas]

I must say, I am in love with the narrator's voice. It is clear but not annoying like most 'clear' voices! Thank you, narrator! (It is like the most soothing lullaby!)

[FilesdocumentsAndreposit-krvb]

Man, just reading about Robert Guiscard would send chill down your spine.

His strength is described as off charts for humans..he is said to have made an army of tens of thousands of men set to flight with his mere roar so fierce was he.

Described as tall like nobody, he was also very cunning and shrewd.

[angusmacdonald]

The Norman Conquest is best known, but the conquest of Sicily was far more impressive, due to distance.