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THE NORMAN CONQUEST OF THE MEDIEVAL WORLD
| Carrie Beneš New College of Florida Spring 2008 MTh 2-3:20 pm |
Office: Palmer E-127
Fall Office Hours: M 3:30-5, Th 10-11 am Email: benes at ncf dot edu Classroom: HCL 7 |
Course Description
This survey will introduce students to the power-hungry expansionists of the medieval world: the Norman conquest of England in 1066 was but one part of a broader bid for political influence that took the Normans from one end of medieval Europe to the other. Beginning with their Viking origins and settlement on the coast of northern France, this course will contextualize the Normans’ invasion of England with their near-simultaneous takeover of Muslim Sicily and domination of the Holy Land during the First Crusade. We will examine the tactics (such as castle-building) that made all three of these campaigns successful, as well as the cultural adaptability that stressed integration in a time of intolerance (Norman Sicily’s four official languages were Hebrew, Arabic, Latin, and Greek) and created such landmarks as the Tower of London and the Norman Palace in Palermo, Sicily. No prerequisites or enrollment caps.
Required Texts
Marjorie Chibnall, The Normans (rev. ed.; Blackwell, 2006); Elisabeth van Houts, The Normans in Europe (Manchester, 2000); Michael Clanchy, England and its Rulers, 1066-1272 (3rd ed., Blackwell, 2006); Hubert Houben, Roger II of Sicily: A Ruler between East and West (Cambridge, 2002); Harper-Bill and van Houts, eds., A Companion to the Anglo-Norman World (Boydell, 2007); and Gravett and Nicolle, The Normans: Warrior Knights and their Castles (Osprey, 2007) are all available for purchase at the bookstore.
Other required readings will be available on the internet and on E-Reserve; links will be posted on the readings page (found here).
Procedures and Requirements
The course will be held as a lecture/discussion, meeting twice a week. The first session each week will be given as a lecture, with visual material presented in PowerPoint; the second will be held as a discussion period devoted to the analysis of primary and secondary literature. Active student participation is both encouraged and expected.
Students are required: to attend and participate in all class meetings, as well as to complete weekly readings and written assignments. In addition, there will be two short announced map/ID quizzes; a midterm exam; a comprehensive final exam; and one short essay.
Please do the assigned week’s reading before Thursday, so that you can participate fully in class discussion; I also recommend (because it will be easier on your brain as well as your schedule) that you do any assigned textbook reading before Monday’s lecture.
As a courtesy to those around you, please turn off all cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices before entering any classroom. If you use such devices (PDAs, laptops, etc.) for notetaking, please ensure their volume is turned off. I reserve the right to answer any ringing cell phone.
Weekly Assignments
Every Thursday except when there is a quiz or an essay due, you will be responsible for a 10-minute in-class written response to the week’s assigned readings; discussion questions will be posted here online each Monday, but the only writing required will be in class. You may use your books and notes, but you may not prepare responses ahead of time; at the same time, neither should this be a free-association free-for-all: you will be required to demonstrate knowledge of the material, to have an opinion, and to substantiate your claims logically.
Assessment
Your evaluation will be based on the following criteria: attendance, participation, written assignments, and quizzes; midterm exam; essays; and final exam. You must complete all major assignments in order to receive a satisfactory evaluation for the course; more than 2 weeks of missed or late weekly responses will also result in an “unsat”. Both midterm and final exam will be open-book; these will be in essay format, and will ask you to synthesize and analyze material from the lectures, readings, and discussions.
All assignments must be handed in and exams taken as scheduled; documentation (doctor’s note, sheriff’s note, etc.) will be required for last-minute emergencies. This rule is not negotiable.
Essays
You are responsible for two essays over the course of the semester: one of 800 words (not including notes or bibliography) due in week 9, and one of 2000 words (ditto) due in week 13. The shorter of these will be a close-reading exercise that asks you to analyze one of the sources we have read in class, while the longer will require broader contextualization and outside research. Both essays must be typed, double-spaced, and spell-checked, with page numbers. Papers must include a bibliography or full footnotes in Chicago format, and all sources should be documented. Encyclopedias may not be cited, and internet sources may not be used unless cleared with me ahead of time. Emailed papers and papers more than 200 words outside the required length will not be accepted. Extensions will be granted only in exceptional circumstances, and documentation (doctor’s note, etc.) will be required.
In addition to turning in a hard copy of each essay, you must upload both of your papers to the class page at Turnitin.com. All papers must be uploaded by midnight on the day papers are due; last-minute technical difficulties are not an acceptable excuse.
Although your argument is by far the most important part of your essay, you will be assessed for style as well as content. If you are uncertain about how to write a history paper, or how to cite your sources, please consult my “Guidelines for Writing a History Paper” handouts, the Writing Resource Center (which also has fabulous online advice on the writing process), and/or the following resources:
Strunk and White, The Elements of Style (New York, 1918).
Mary Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History (3rd ed., New York, 2001).
In addition to turning in a hard copy of your final paper, you must upload a copy to the class page at Turnitin.com. All papers must be uploaded by midnight on the day papers are due; last-minute technical difficulties are not an acceptable excuse. To get started:
- Go to http://www.turnitin.com, and click “New Users” on the homepage.
- When prompted, enter class ID 2152707 and password guiscard. This will enroll you in the online version of this class.
- Click on the class name to see the assignment and submit your paper. Turnitin will accept most types of word-processing files, or you can cut-and-paste your paper into the program.
- Once you click submit, Turnitin will return an “originality report”, which compares the text of your paper to webpages and databases all over the internet as well as other student papers. Please note, a score of greater than 0% does NOT necessarily mean you have plagiarized. Read more information in Turnitin's manual for students here.
Final note: I’m doing this for two chief reasons: first, it protects your work and effort, since every paper goes into Turnitin's permanent database. Second, it can help you be more aware of where your prose comes from. The simplicity with which we can cut and paste text nowadays to and from the internet, our notes, and our writing makes inadvertent plagiarism all too easy.
Please feel free to consult me with any questions.
The New College Conference on Medieval and Renaissance Studies
The Conference is a nationally-recognized conference held every two years on our campus; its particular strengths this year are in Italian history, the English Renaissance, and manuscript studies. The plenary speakers (major scholars, who have been invited to give the two main talks) will be John Najemy, a medieval historian from Cornell, and François Rigolot, a scholar of French literature from Princeton. You are encouraged to attend as many of the panels as you find interesting, but for this class you are required to attend at least two of the panels dealing with medieval English or Italian history. You should then write a 2- to 3-page review of one panel, to be handed in the following Monday. Formal details and conference programs will be handed out before the conference begins; information is also available at the conference website. This is a major academic event of a kind rarely to be seen in Florida; take advantage of it while it’s here!
Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism or cheating in any form will not be tolerated. This includes using anyone else’s words, data, or bibliographical information as your own—if you have questions on how or what to cite, consult the sources listed above or see me. Any infractions will be referred at once to the proper college authorities.
Communications
Email and internet access are essential in this course. Syllabi, assignments, and announcements will all be posted here on the course webpage. This web syllabus will always be the most recent "official" version; the “readings” page will always be the most up-to-date list of assignments. Please note, the “readings” page (a hotlinked version of the course schedule, found here) is password-protected: to access this page, you must use New College authentication procedures (i.e. for “username” enter “student\yourusername”, then your password).
In addition, I will be contacting you via email to answer questions, make announcements, and so forth. In line with a new policy from the Provost's Office, I will only send email to your NCF email account, so please keep it current, or you will miss out. Email is also the best way for you to contact me; I am a self-confessed email junkie, and I make every effort to reply to questions as soon as I get them.
Office Hours
If you have any questions or comments about the course during the term, please stop by my office hours; I am happy to chat about college, history, grad school, or other totally irrelevant subjects. If you have a conflict with my regularly scheduled hours, just email me or see me during class to set up an alternative meeting time. In particular, please let me know as soon as possible if you have any unusual circumstances or difficulties with which I can help you.
Important Note: This is the public version of this syllabus. The student version with links to Powerpoint presentations and online readings can be found here.
Second Important Note: The very basic discussion questions provided here will be updated during the course of the semester; each week's questions will be posted on the readings page (i.e. not here) by Monday evening, so please check for them.
WEEK 1: FEB 4 & 7
From Northmannus to Normannus: The Creation of Normandy in Post-Carolingian Europe
discussion: Where did Normandy come from, and why? Is it a place, a people, or a concept? How did the Norman dukes consolidate their power, and how/why were they more successful than the other princes around them? Are official historians like Dudo and William of Jumiéges “propagandists”? Why or why not? How do they and other authors characterize/describe the Normans, esp. with relation to their Viking heritage?
read: Chibnall chaps. 1-2
Harper-Bill & Van Houts (henceforth Companion), chap. 3
van Houts, intro to part I (henceforth introI), #1-14
Three Sources on the Vikings (online)
WEEK 2: FEB 11 & 14
Feudalism & the Norman Social Hierarchy
discussion: Is "feudalism" a useful model for for life in the Middle Ages? What problems does it present, and why do historians disagree so violently on the subject? In what ways do the Normans fit, and not fit, the model, especially at different points in their evolution as a culture? Did "feudal" ideas like knighthood and fealty reinforce or weaken the structure of Norman society?
read: Strayer & Brunner on feudalism (online)
Reynolds, excerpts from Fiefs and Vassals (online)
Reviews of Reynolds (online)
Duby, “Youth in Aristocratic Society” (online)
Bates, “Economy and Social Structure” (online)
Carolingian capitularies, The Battle of Maldon, Summa de legibus (online)
van Houts introII, #15-17, 57-8
WEEK 3: FEB 18 & 21
The Conquest of England: Edward the Confessor, William the Bastard, Harold (the Unfortunate), & the Battle of Hastings
discussion: Why did the Normans win--was William brilliant or just lucky? How did the Normans turn a single military victory into the decisive conquest of the entire kingdom; i.e., what tactics did they use to gain and keep control? What are some of the major differences between the English and the Norman sources for the conquest?
read: Chibnall, chap. 3
Clanchy, chaps. 1-3
Noxon, “The Bayeux Tapestry” (online at JSTOR)
Domesday Book excerpts (online)
van Houts, introIII & #31-50look at: YouTube animation of the Bayeux Tapestry (starts about halfway through BT)
ITV (British) footage of a 2006 reenactment
Essential Norman Conquest: run the interactive maps (both 2D and 3D); look through the entire online Tapestry; and check out the QuickTime panoramas of what the battle site looks like today (the buildings all belong to Battle Abbey, founded by William in thanks for his victory).
WEEK 4: FEB 25 & 28
The Normans & the Church
discussion: Quiz. How did the Norman aristocracy use the Church? Does “the Norman church” have unique characteristics?
read: Clanchy, chap. 4
Bates, “The Church” (online)
Bates, “Odo of Bayeux” (online at JSTOR)
Chibnall, “The English Possessions of Bec” (online)
Thurlby, “Patron and Mason” (online)
Cownie, “St Albans” (online)
van Houts introIV, #54-6, 61-5
WEEK 5: MAR 3 & 6
The Conquest of Southern Italy: From Mercenaries to Dukes in a Generation
discussion: How is this conquest different from that of England? What effect do the different circumstances of pre-conquest England and Italy have on their later development under the Normans?
Thurs-Sat: New College Conference on Medieval & Renaissance Studies!
read: Chibnall, chap. 5
Companion, chap. 5
Loud, "The Coming of the Normans" (online)
Geoffrey Malaterra, Deeds of Count Roger 3.37-9 (online)
Breve Chronicon Northmannicorum (online)
Sources for the Battle of Civitate, 1053 (online)
van Houts, introV & #67-76
WEEK 6: Sept 26 & 29
The Norman Way of War
discussion: What were the main features of the Norman “fighting machine”? Why was it so effective?
read: Gravett/Nicolle, The Normans: Warrior Knights and Their Castles (all)
White, “Stirrup, Mounted Shock Combat, Feudalism & Chivalry” (online)
van Houts #53
WEEK 7: MAR 17 & 20
Midterm (Monday) & Creative Assignment (Thursday).
***Spring Break: Mar 24-28***
WEEK 8: MAR 31 & APR 2
The Anglo-Norman Empire (1087-1199)
discussion: How did the Norman & Angevin kings keep control of an empire that spanned the Channel?
read: Chibnall, chap. 4
Clanchy, chaps. 6-7
Companion, chaps. 4, 7-8
Leyser, “The Anglo-Norman Succession, 1120-5” (online)
Charter of Liberties of Henry I (online)
Assize of Clarendon (online)
van Houts #51-2, 66
WEEK 9: APR 7 & 10
Norman Society
Monday, Apr 7: Essay #1 (close reading) due.
discussion: What if you weren’t a male aristocrat?read: Clanchy, chap. 5
Rowley, “Towns of the Conquest” (online)
Chibnall, “Women in Orderic Vitalis” (online)
Brown, “Eleanor of Aquitaine: Parent, Queen, and Duchess” (online)
Metcalfe, “The Muslim Community” (online)
van Houts #18-30, 59-60
WEEK 10: APR 14 & 17
The Kingdom of Sicily (to 1198 & beyond)
discussion: Quiz. Multiculturalism and royal imagery in medieval Sicily.
read: Chibnall, chap. 6
Houben, chaps. 2, 4-6
Romuald of Salerno, etc. (online)
WEEK 11: APR 24
The (Norman) Twelfth-Century Renaissance
Monday, Apr 21: No class—Bacc Week
discussion: What about Norman culture encouraged the Renaissance?read: Chibnall, chap. 9
Clanchy, chaps. 8 & 9
Companion, chaps. 10 & 11
Hollister, “Anglo-Norman Political Culture” (online)
Anselm, proof of the existence of God (online)
Adelard of Bath, Natural Questions (online)
Geoffrey of Monmouth, History of the Kings of Britain excerpts (online)
John of Salisbury, Policraticus excerpts (online)
Marie de France, “Le Fresne”, “Bisclavret”, and “Les Deus Amanz” (online)
WEEK 12: APR 28 & MAY 1
Lords of the Mediterranean
discussion: What role did the Normans play in the Eastern Mediterranean before and during the Crusades, and how was this related to their roles in Western Europe?
read: Chibnall, chap. 7
Douglas, “East and West” (online)
Jotischky, “Crusader Society” (online)
van Houts #77-87
William of Malmesbury on the First Crusade (online)
WEEK 13: MAY 5 & 8
The Norman Myth
Monday, May 5: Essay #2 (research paper) due.
discussion: What is the "Norman myth" and how does it work?.
read: Chibnall, chap. 8
Companion, chap. 6
Davis chap. 2 (online)
Shopkow, “Truth” (online)
Albu, “Wace and Vernacular Romance-History” (online)
Wace, Roman de Rou, excerpts (online)
WEEK 14: MAY 12
Conclusion, & a Mystery: The Normans Disappear as Quickly as They Came
read: Chibnall, chap. 10
Clanchy, chaps. 10 & 11
Turner, “The Problem of Survival for the Angevin ‘Empire’” (online)
Gillingham, "The End of the Empire" (online)
Davis, "The New Era in Monarchy" (online)
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