Starter quiz
- What were the housecarls?
- An elite unit of the Anglo-Saxon army. ✓
- Men who held at least five hides of land from the king or another lord.
- Men from the general population called up in times of war.
-
- A standing army is an army that is ...
- paid.
- trained.
- permanent. ✓
-
- Historians believe there was both a general fyrd and a ______ fyrd.
- 'select' ✓
- Typically, a thegn was equipped with a helmet, a ______ shirt, two shields, two spears and a horse with a saddle.
- 'chainmail' ✓
- The fyrd could be called for up to ______ days.
- 'sixty' ✓
- What was the standard formation for Anglo-Saxon armies?
- shield wall ✓
- phalanx
- testudo
-
Exit quiz
- Match the word to its definition.
- Infantry⇔Soldiers who fight on foot ✓
- Cavalry⇔Soldiers who fight on horseback ✓
- Mercenary⇔Someone who joins a foreign army in order to be paid ✓
- Which sort of soldier made up the majority of William's army?
- Infantry ✓
- Cavalry
- Archers
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- What shape was the typical Norman soldier's shield?
- Circular
- Square
- Diamond
- Kite ✓
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- Which of these best describes the number of archers in the Battle of Hastings?
- Both armies had archers, but the Normans had a great deal more. ✓
- Both armies had archers, but the Anglo-Saxons had a great deal more.
- Only the Anglo-Saxon army had archers.
- Only the Norman army had archers.
-
- The trained warhorses used by Norman cavalry were called ...
- gonfanons
- destriers ✓
- stirrups
- spurs
-
- Norman knights rode in saddles with high ...
- 'pommels' ✓
Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The Norman army contained a mix of infantry and cavalry.
- The Norman army was made up of professional soldiers.
- The Norman infantry included foot soldiers and archers.
- The Norman army featured military innovations that were new to England.
- The shield wall needed to be weakened before Norman cavalry could be effective.
Common misconception
If William had more knights, he would have won the Battle of Hastings more quickly.
Knights may have been less effective against the shield wall than infantry, because the unarmoured horses were vulnerable. They were probably much more effective in later stages of the battle, once the shield wall had been broken up.
Keywords
Infantry - soldiers who fight on foot are known as infantry
Cavalry - soldiers who fight on horseback are known as cavalry
Mercenary - a mercenary is someone who joins a foreign army in order to be paid
Innovation - an innovation is a new way of doing something, based on new ideas or developments
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