950 years ago today England and the world changed

Yes, England for once, not Britain, which was still a dim and distant prospect.

I am of course talking about the Battle of Hastings, in which England was successfully invaded by the ambitious and belligerent Normans.

This led eventually to the formation of Britain as a single entity and, hence, to the British Empire and the present day global superpower, the USA (as well as Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand).

Ironically, it took the defeat of the then English by French-speaking foreigners to disseminate the English Language around the world, making it the most important global language.

None of this would have happened had the English been victorious that day. The Anglo Saxons had shown no appetite for overseas conquest, merely for consolidating and defending their own territory.

It's doubtful they would have even got round to uniting Britain under one banner. Did they, for example, deal with the pesky Welsh marauders by invading Wales? No, they built Offa's Dyke. And I feel they would in time have beefed up Hadrian's wall to deal with the Scots. It sounds like a people, and a country, I could identify with.

I feel bad that the English lost the Battle of Hastings, and not only for patriotic reasons.

a reply to: CJCrawley

Good point's, on his death bed of course that old murderer William of Normandy made a death bed confession of how he had stolen the English throne and how badly he had treated the people of England especially the shire's.
historytavern.blogspot.co.uk...
Not a nice guy but arguably the worst crime of the Norman's was to inflict the bowl hair cut upon the nation that hung around for a very long time.

Also good point about the language, today without them forcing french upon the English (later the welsh and eventually also the scot's) we would be speaking a language very much more like the Dutch or the Dane's based on the old language of old Norse which as common in northern europe and brought here by the Saxon's and Dane's,.
www.vikingsofbjornstad.com...

While the Saxon's had there fault's the Norman's were pitiless, cruel and murderous rapist's but of course today most of us can trace both Saxon (and celt) and Norman ancestry in our British ancestry's.

a reply to: CJCrawley

a reply to: CJCrawley

20 Days before the Battle Of Hastings King Harold and his English Army defeated The Vikings at the " Battle Of Stanford Bridge " Yorkshire.

Harold and his army had to then march 300 miles south to meet William and his Norman Army at Hastings, which had been encamped there for two weeks: waiting for the arrival of The English.

Tired from both the battle against the Vikings and the long march south contributed in the defeat against The Normans.

Without having to fight at Stanford Bridge, the course of history could have well changed.

a reply to: LABTECH767

Can you cite a source on the confession? Interesting!

William the Conquerer, fair play.

The Saxons were too keen to slaughter the Normans, they conceded the high ground. The rest is history and one day this era will be being discussed, if humanity is fortunate enough to continue for another 950 years.

I guess it will read how the victors want it to read.

a reply to: CJCrawley

AND, this was the LAST time these shores were successfully invaded, no one since 1066 has managed it, quite a record, nearly 1000 years without invasion / enemy footfall on these green a pleasant lands.

IN SAYING THAT ....... that was then, this is now ....... now we get invaded on a daily basis through BS politics and policies, along with the willingness to be PC and conform to the norm of the EU, even though we decided to leave the experiment

AND .... oh never mind, i'm rambling

Has anyone been watching the last Kingdom?. not bad all about these times.

originally posted by: TheKnightofDoom
Has anyone been watching the last Kingdom?. not bad all about these times.

Well, about the Saxons and Vikings; a little earlier than this particular time in history.

a reply to: corblimeyguvnor

Huzzah! I can't help being proud of our history sure we have been evil buggers but If you look what we brought to the world...

a reply to: Butterfinger

That site is the only one I can now find but with a good trawl around the net a better site may turn up.
www.information-britain.co.uk...
www.1066.co.nz...
www.geni.com...

There are I am sure far better site's but now you know that it is out there I am sure you will find them if you find it interesting.

Wouldn't that mean we can blame the French in some way for all the stuff that happened since?

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Darn it lol. I'm stupid sometimes I always get the two periods mixed up.
Living Yorkshire I see much history in York Knaresborough I love it. I was in a pub piss ed up in Knaresborough and suddenly realised I was sat at a table guy fawkes sat at..blew me away.

originally posted by: Maxatoria
Wouldn't that mean we can blame the French in some way for all the stuff that happened since?

What do you mean we could?

a reply to: Maxatoria

I nearly choked as I was in the process of eating when I read that and burst out laughing.

No that would be just wrong, of course they do target our truck drivers when ever they go on strike about something and tend to leave the other nationality's truck alone for some reason, love hate relationship but hey were would we be without garlic butter and french stick's.

To be honest I have met very few french so stereotype's aside have nothing against them, except of course the rainbow warrior, blowing up a peaceful protest vessel was a very bad move.

Here is the judgement of "1066 and all that" (Sellars and Yeatman).

When William the Conqueror landed he lay down on the beach and swallowed two mouthfuls of sand. This was his first conquering action and was in the South; later he ravaged the North as well. The Norman Conquest was a Good Thing, as from this time onwards England stopped being conquered and thus was able to become top nation.

They cite 1066 as one of the only two dates that Englishmen can remember (this probably needs to be updated as "the only one").

a reply to: TheKnightofDoom

Yorkshire is the most interesting, historically speaking, of all our counties. I love Yorkshire, fabulous place.

I have decided that for the next few years, rather than discover new parts of the world past these shores, I will remain within and explore this green and pleasant land.

Also take in taff land and sweaty land, I guess.

Thanks for reminding us Trump is our fault.....Just like all the other problems in the world lol

Course we could .... they bloody won the scrap and started relationships with our good women folk, we are all half French LOL, perish the thought

I'm originally from the NE so am proud of my Viking ancestry although that probably started out with raping and pillaging

originally posted by: DISRAELI
Here is the judgement of "1066 and all that" (Sellars and Yeatman).

When William the Conqueror landed he lay down on the beach and swallowed two mouthfuls of sand. This was his first conquering action and was in the South; later he ravaged the North as well. The Norman Conquest was a Good Thing, as from this time onwards England stopped being conquered and thus was able to become top nation.

They cite 1066 as one of the only two dates that Englishmen can remember (this probably needs to be updated as "the only one").

Wrong.

06/06/44.