In a attempt to stop the Vikings raiding his territory in northern France, King Charles the Simple gave some land to a group of the northern invaders in 911. Their new home was called Normandy (the land of the North-Men), their leader, Rollo, became the first duke. The Vikings fought on foot, but the Normans, as they became known, copied the French use of mounted knights and became formidable fighters. When King Edward the Confessor of England died in 1066, his cousin, Duke William of Normandy, claimed he had been promised the English throne and invaded with an army. He defeated the new king, Harold, in battle near Hastings and brought the knight, his castle, and the feudal system to England. At about the same time, Norman adventurers invaded parts of southern Italy and Sicily.
Copyright St. Michael's National School, Trim, Ireland, 2001