Get the Look: Norman Knight

Knights played an important role in the Middle Ages. How knights looked and how they operated varied by time period and country or region. In this series of blogs, we want to provide an idea of the equipment of several different knights. For this blog, we have presented an impression of the Normandy with the products we offer. 

Click here to read more about our historical compositions and our approach to history in general. 

The tenth century was the time when the Vikings ventured into Europe for raids, trade, and conquests. One of those Vikings was Rollo, who settled with a group of followers in France, then still the Frankish Empire. In 911, Rollo reached an agreement with the French king Charles the Simple.

Rollo received a piece of land and thus became the first Duke of Normandy. In return, he would protect France against invasions by other Vikings. This territory was quickly expanded through conquests. To prevent reconquest of these areas, the seafaring warriors had to quickly learn to fight strategically on land. In just one to two generations, the Vikings succeeded by forming a cavalry and rapidly building motte-and-bailey castles.

Rollo's followers mingled with the local population of West Francia, creating a new population group descending from both the Vikings and the devout French, the Normans. By the end of 996 AD, the Normans had not only converted to Christianity. They had also adopted the French language and legislation. 

In medieval Norman law, which was heavily influenced by the feudal system, laws concerning inheritance were prominent. The inheritance rights of the second son (and other younger sons) were often unfavorable compared to the firstborn. The primogeniture was a common inheritance system in Normandy, where the firstborn son was given preference in succession. This meant that the eldest son inherited the largest portion, or even the entire, family estate to maintain the unity and power of the family. Consequently, younger sons were often excluded from the main inheritance. From a young age, Norman boys were therefore taught how to wage war to conquer land for themselves. As a result, this composite population spread to all corners of the map.

In the 11th and 12th centuries, the Normans left a significant mark on large parts of Europe. One of their most famous conquests is that of England. Under the leadership of William I, or William the Bastard, the Battle of Hastings was won in 1066, and thus England was conquered. This earned William I a new name, William the Conqueror.

The result of the Battle of Hastings brought about significant changes in England, from the many castles and fortresses the country is known for, the introduction of a feudal system to the language. 

Opportunistic Normans successfully settled in Southern Italy, attracted by tales of pilgrims. In 1017, they arrived as warriors, according to Amatus of Montecassino and William of Apulia. Pilgrims returning from Jerusalem assisted Prince Guaimar III against a Muslim attack in Salerno, while another group, encouraged by Melus of Bari, fought against the Byzantines. Two prominent Norman families, the Hautevilles and Drengots , played a key role. They founded the County of Ariano and later, in 1030, Rainulf Drengot received the County of Aversa. Ultimately, the Normans conquered Sicily and Malta, led by Robert Guiscard and Roger the Great Count. Roger II became King of Sicily in 1130, a kingdom that lasted until 1194 and was known for its cultural and religious diversity and unique architecture. The Normans combined administrative elements from the Byzantines, Arabs, and Lombards with their own feudal system, resulting in a harmonious society with a diverse bureaucracy.

The Norman rulers harbored plans to establish an empire that would encompass both Fatimid Egypt and the Crusader states in Egypt. the Levant.

Between 1135 and 1160, the Norman Kingdom of Sicily conquered several coastal cities in Ifriqiya, corresponding to present-day Tunisia and parts of Algeria and Libya. These cities were held as vassals by the Normans but were eventually lost to the Almohads.

Since the early eleventh century, the Normans participated in military confrontations between Christians and Muslims on the Iberian Peninsula. The first known Norman warrior was Roger I of Tosny, who around 1018 assisted the Barcelonans in raids against the Andalusian Muslims. Later, Norman adventurers like Robert Crispin and Walter Giffard participated in the papal-organized siege of Barbastro in 1064. Even after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, they remained active on the peninsula. In the 1120s, Rotrou II of Perche and Robert Burdet led raids in the Ebro region, with Burdet acquiring a semi-independent principality in Tarragona in 1129.

With the increasing popularity of the sea route to the Holy Land, Norman and Anglo-Norman crusaders were encouraged by Iberian prelates to participate in Portuguese raids. In 1142, King Afonso I Henriques invited a crusader fleet to conquer Lisbon, which failed. In 1147, another group of crusaders arrived and succeeded in capturing the city, after which many settled there. In 1148, a fleet, including many Anglo-Normans, participated in the siege of Tortosa, where they were rewarded with land in the newly conquered city.

The Normans had early contact with England, partly due to the ongoing Viking raids and their control over key ports across the English Channel. This relationship was strengthened by the marriage of Emma, the sister of Duke Richard II of Normandy, to King Ethelred II of England. When Ethelred was expelled from England by Sweyn Forkbeard in 1013, he sought refuge in Normandy. This stay influenced him and his sons, particularly Edward the Confessor, who returned to England in 1041 with Norman advisors and warriors.

Edward'ss preference for Norman influences led to the appointment of Robert of Jumièges as Archbishop of Canterbury and Ralph as Earl of Hereford. However, the decisive Norman invasion came in 1066, when William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings, leading to the conquest of England. The Norman nobility largely replaced the Anglo-Saxon ruling class and established a culture that held lands on both sides of the Channel. The early Norman kings of England, as Dukes of Normandy, remained vassals to the King of France for their continental possessions.

Over time, the Normans merged with the English population, combining languages and traditions. Marjorie Chibnall noted that the terms "Norman" and "English" changed in meaning after 1066. During the Hundred Years' War, the Norman aristocracy often identified as English. The Anglo-Norman language distinguished itself from Parisian French and eventually influenced the development of Middle English, which formed the basic basis for modern English.

The Normans had a profound influence on Irish culture and history following their invasion of Bannow Bay in 1169. Initially, the Normans retained a distinct culture and ethnicity. However, over time they became integrated into Irish culture, to the point where it was said they became “ more Irish than the Irish themselves ”. The Normans primarily settled in an area in eastern Ireland, later known as the Pale, and also built many beautiful castles and settlements, including Trim Castle and Dublin Castle. The cultures intermingled and borrowed from each other's language, culture, and perspective.

One of the English throne claimants opposing William the Conqueror, Edgar Atheling, eventually fled to Scotland. King Malcolm III of Scotland married Edgar's sister Margaret, which led to conflict with William, who had previously contested the southern borders of Scotland. In 1072, William invaded Scotland, reached Abernethy, and met his fleet. Malcolm submitted, paid homage to William, and gave his son Duncan as a hostage, leading to discussions about the loyalty of the Scottish crown to the English king.

The Normans settled in Scotland, built castles, and established noble families that produced future kings, such as Robert the Bruce, and various Scottish clans. King David I of Scotland, whose brother Alexander I was married to Sybilla of Normandy, played a crucial role in introducing Norman culture to Scotland, a process known as the 'Davidian Revolution'. After spending time at the court of Henry I of England and needing to secure his kingdom against his half-brother Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair, David rewarded many Normans with land. This process continued under his successors, notably under William the Lion.

The Norman feudal system was introduced to varying degrees across Scotland. Many Scottish families such as Bruce, Gray, Ramsay, Fraser, Rose, Ogilvie, Montgomery, Sinclair, Pollock, Burnard, Douglas, and Gordon, as well as the later royal house of Stewart, all have Norman ancestors.

Even before the Norman conquest of England, the Normans had contact with Wales. Edward the Confessor appointed Ralph as the Earl of Hereford and tasked him with defending the Marches and waging war with the Welsh. However, in these early ventures, the Normans made no progress in Wales.

After the conquest, the Marches came under the control of William's most trusted Norman barons, such as Bernard de Neufmarché, Roger of Montgomery in Shropshire, and Hugh Lupus in Cheshire. These Normans embarked on a long-term, gradual conquest of Wales, with almost all of Wales experiencing Norman interference at some point. Norman influences, such as the word "baron" (barwn), were then introduced into Welsh for the first time.

The Normans are considered possibly the best warriors of the medieval period in Europe. But how did they become so successful?

In Norman culture, it was customary for boys of noble descent to be trained early to become knights. By the age of ten, they were likely already initiated, and from the age of twelve/thirteen, the real training began. One of the most important skills they had to learn was horseback riding. The success of the Normans largely stemmed from their use of cavalry. This was unprecedented in England at the time, and at the Battle of Hastings, the English soldiers on foot were no match for the Norman knights on horseback.

The combination of their good training and skill on horseback made the Normans almost unbeatable.

Their equipment was also adapted to the fact that they fought on horseback. The Normans wore long chainmail with a split in the front and back, allowing them to sit more easily on their horses. Their shields were wide at the top but tapered to a point at the bottom, so that the shields protected the knights but did not hinder the horses' movement.

Both the Normans and Saxons fought with swords, but the Normans also carried long spears known as lances. These lances were thrust between the shields of the Saxons and in some cases thrown. These lances formed an ideal combination with the power and speed of the horse.

William the Conqueror also had a large number of archers in his ranks. These archers were trained to shoot upwards so that their arrows would land behind the shields of the Saxons. 

The Normans are characterized by their religiosity and willingness to weapons for it. In addition to warfare, the Normans had an advanced legal system. The Normans are also known for their musical tradition and, of course, the Romanesque art style. With this, they left a mark on our image of Medieval Europe. 

Unlike many other groups from bygone times, the end of the Normans did not come through losses or conquests by the next great power. The Normans cared little about maintaining pure Norman bloodlines. By integrating with local populations, the Normans could maintain control over their conquered territories for an extended period. Over time, this resulted in the end of the Normans. They simply merged into the DNA pool. 

The character in this composition is named Guillaume.

In the mid-11th century, Guillaume grew up as the second son of a Norman aristocratic family, without inheritance rights. He sought his fortune by joining William the Conqueror and demonstrated exceptional courage and strategic insight. During the Battle of Hastings in 1066, he distinguished himself, which earned him a significant estate in England after the Norman victory. Guillaume built a new life, married an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman, and became a respected landowner.

In this configuration, our knight Guillaume wears under his chainmail shirt and gambeson let wear. However, it is unclear if gambesons were worn around the time the Bayeux Tapestry was made. On the Tapestry, there are five images of armor which may be a gambeson or scale armor. However, it is more likely that these images refer to a fur tunic or thick tunic that possibly consisted of several layers. This was possibly worn directly under the chainmail shirt. However, the evidence for this is thin, and for practical reasons, we have chosen a gambeson.

Guillaume is wearing a mail shirt. This mail shirt is composed of round rings, round rivets. Mail shirts were the highest quality type of armor during the time of the Normans. Mail shirts were very expensive. In this composition, we have chosen a mail shirt without a split because this is most commonly used on the reenactment field and provides the most protection on foot. However, on the Bayeux Tapestry, all mail shirts are depicted with a split.

In this composition, we have chosen a nasal helmet. These helmets were developed from the earlier spangenhelm. On the Bayeux Tapestry, it is not entirely clear whether the depicted knights are wearing a nasal helmet, spangenhelm, or a combination thereof. The main difference between a nasal helmet and a spangenhelm is that a spangenhelm consisted of different parts riveted together. Nasal helmets were made from one piece and were therefore much sturdier. Nasal helmets (and also some spangen helmets) are equipped with a nasal that protects both the nose and the face. In the 12th century, the Norman knights would also wear helmets that protect the entire face, in addition to the nasal helmet.

Over his mail hauberk, Guillaume wears a mail coif. It is fastened to the hauberk with leather laces so that it stays in place when he moves his head.

The 11th-century Normans used swords that were developed from Viking swords. They were long and primarily made for slashing. They had a broad crossguard and unlike earlier models, there was no upper crossguard. In this composition, Guillaume uses an Oakeshott type X sword, but he could also have used a type Xa or XI. The type sword he uses was popular for a long time. It was ideal for mounted combat.

Guillaume wears a very different shield than his Viking ancestors did. This type of shield is designed to protect the leg. It was ideal for fighting on horseback, as it also protected the vulnerable flank of the horse. On foot, this type of shield was cumbersome, but it also offered good protection, as legs, like hands and arms, are always the most vulnerable parts in combat. The depiction of the Battle of Hastings on the Bayeux Tapestry is telling, with severed limbs scattered across the field.

The lance that Guillaume carried is actually a long spear. Later, it would further evolve into the lance that is so characteristic of the Middle Ages. Various spears are suitable for this purpose.

Guillaume used spurs just like later knights to keep his horse well under control. Horses for battle were a weapon in themselves. They were trained to bite and trample enemies to death.

Around his waist, Guillaume wears a belt.

Guillaume wears low turn shoes. These were worn by both men and women. They were called this because the shoe was made inside out and then turned before it could be worn.

Guillaume wears different tunics. On the Bayeux Tapestry, the Normans clearly wear long tunics.

The Normans wore chausses and a braies. This fashion remained popular well into the Middle Ages, even when the long tunics had gone out of style.

Guillaume wears a hood in this ensemble.

Guillaume does not wear a cloak in this composition. But many cloaks are depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry. Here are some examples.