New
New
Year 10
AQA

The Norman army

I can describe key features of the Norman infantry and cavalry.

New
New
Year 10
AQA

The Norman army

I can describe key features of the Norman infantry and cavalry.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Norman army contained a mix of infantry and cavalry.
  2. The Norman army was made up of professional soldiers.
  3. The Norman infantry included foot soldiers and archers.
  4. The Norman army featured military innovations that were new to England.
  5. 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

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
What were the housecarls?
Correct answer: 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.
Q2.
A standing army is an army that is ...
paid.
trained.
Correct answer: permanent.
Q3.
Historians believe there was both a general fyrd and a fyrd.
Correct Answer: select, Select
Q4.
Typically, a thegn was equipped with a helmet, a shirt, two shields, two spears and a horse with a saddle.
Correct Answer: chainmail, chain mail
Q5.
The fyrd could be called for up to days.
Correct Answer: sixty, 60
Q6.
What was the standard formation for Anglo-Saxon armies?
Correct answer: shield wall
phalanx
testudo

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to its definition.
Correct Answer:Infantry,Soldiers who fight on foot

Soldiers who fight on foot

Correct Answer:Cavalry,Soldiers who fight on horseback

Soldiers who fight on horseback

Correct Answer:Mercenary,Someone who joins a foreign army in order to be paid

Someone who joins a foreign army in order to be paid

Q2.
Which sort of soldier made up the majority of William's army?
Correct answer: Infantry
Cavalry
Archers
Q3.
What shape was the typical Norman soldier's shield?
Circular
Square
Diamond
Correct answer: Kite
Q4.
Which of these best describes the number of archers in the Battle of Hastings?
Correct answer: 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.
Q5.
The trained warhorses used by Norman cavalry were called ...
gonfanons
Correct answer: destriers
stirrups
spurs
Q6.
Norman knights rode in saddles with high ...
Correct Answer: pommels, Pommels