That's Pre-Fabulous!

Where on earth do you find these things? "Today in History" is now bookmarked. Thanks!

Where is William the Conqueror when you need him--all Canada could get to Pakistan was a few blankets and took two weeks to rent a plane to get a few troops with water to the area--maybe. At least they are not sending the SeaKings--even William would be spinning in his grave at that thought.

Back in '67, I worked at a factory named Derritron Industrial Controls, located right beside where the Battle of Hastings was fought in 1066. Speaking with the farmer who then owned that property, I asked him if he ever dug up any interesting stuff while plowing those fields?
He replied: "Nothing much-they only fought until dark, and after that, they would go back onto the field and carry off all the arrows and stuff, so that they could re-use them the next day."

I like history. One thing I found our recently was that the Norman(norseman)folk were actually Vikings. William's grandfather was named Rollo. I guess he was corpulently endowed as well. They came to France and set up shop. After a few beheadings etc. the French thought it was a good idea too. When Danes say skoal it means skull. It seems they were fond of making drinking cups out of the skulls of the vanquished.

Quote: "I like history. One thing I found our recently was that the Norman(norseman)folk were actually Vikings".

That's what I love about young people - they 'discover' facts that are, or should be, common knowledge, and cry Eureka!! Thanks for the chuckle.

robo alot of people think normandy is in norway

Harold had a must win situation that may have aided his victory. He had gotten financing for mercinaries and arms from Rome and if he failed to capture Britain and repay the loan with plunder and pay his army with lands, he would be penniless and probably excommunicated for defaulting the vatican loan as well.

"Harold had a must win situation that may have aided his victory..."

William, had the papal mandate (which covered his six while he sailed off and beat up the saxons) was owing a lot of favours too. Harold did too, but for different reasons. Like his culture was going to get extinct if he lost.

"I like history. One thing I found our recently was that the Norman(norseman)folk were actually Vikings."

Their ancestors, they had heavily intermarried. Also William aka the Bastard,(until he beat everyone up and they called him "Sir." "Your grace" "Conquerer" etc..) was the first Duke not in direct descent from which had caused not little intercine norman fighting as the more sCandinavian members of the upper aristocracy viewed him with not a little suspicion.

"William's grandfather was named Rollo."

Rolf/Hrolf/Rollo nicknamed "Ganger", Frankish propaganda and poor spelling aside, he was a very big man hence "ganger" i.e. walker. The small ponies he brought with him made him look like his feet were dragging onthe ground.

Probably one of the reasons that the Normans took over the local frankish/lowland breton cavalry tradition and made it themselves the primary exponents of the early medieval heavy cavalry. Look Rolf! Bigger horses! Woo hoo!

" I guess he was corpulently endowed as well."

In later years he delegated the beating of Frenchman to hencemen and concentrated on demolishing good dinners.

" They came to France and set up shop. After a few beheadings etc. the French thought it was a good idea too."

The French never did, they reluctantly signed a treaty (many over the years) and then proceeded to ignore and twist them. The French fought tooth and nail for like 500+ years to regain Neustria/Normandy (and everything else the Platagenets and co latter added to their empire. i.e. Most of "France" ) and frankly "France" as we know it only starts to exist after they heave the (now) Anglo-Normans out of Normandy and they can use the resources (and clue into proper later medieval adminstration, after examing the records) to smash Burgundy, grab Aquitaine, and generally stick their noises southwards amd eastwards.

Interestingly, William was on the way to a small town called Paris to do the French what he had done to the Saxons. (Make them extinct as a culture) when he had the misfortune to stuck himeself on his pommel when his horse jumped, from which he died.

(Alternate history writers take note. Cool start point.)

cheers

Obviously me and pm have much more to learn.

I like history too,I read recently that canada was once a democracy. must have been before my time.
socket

if only william had captured paris and permanently put down the various french royal houses.

british and french territory maintained as one country would have been a boon for the world, though if the characteristics of the island nation that allowed for the development of a capitalist and relatively free trading nation out of divine right kings would have occurred in a united france and england is a good question (seems like not, but maybe the brits would have rubbed off on the french)

It' actually cooler than that.

If you can imagine William taking out the Duke of France, what's to stop someone energetic like Henry II (father of Richard Lionheart, King John & co, husband of Elaneaor of Aquitaine) freed from the French perfidy from basically taking over Europe?

The (Norman) Hauteville brothers had basically taken over Sicilly and Southern Italy freelance style and had their designs on Northern Italy ( without French and Germany interests free to intervene for the Pope....), other Normans were sniffing around Greece Byzantium and the near east...

Brittany was inthe bag, what is now Benelux would have been easy, they were already intermarried, the celtic fringe of the "u.k." wouldn't have lasted very long with a combined "Empire of the West " off to colonize them, the German states weren't able to muster that kind of power. Spain was still busy with it's "muslim problem" of the time (which I predict would have become a REALLY popular crusading and refuge place for young knights looking for some action in)

The "real" crusades in the near east, in this alternate history, would not have been riven by Christian infighting and lack of overall governing organization and plan...

Also, probably nothing like athe Magna Carta, much less competition intra-Europe for colonies...

A very different world. Not necessarily better.

Fred: I think the Germans would have had a very good shot at it. The Emperor was still primus at the time.

Mark
Ottawa