The Norman invasion of 1066

Task 5. Watch this subpart of the film, fill in the gaps and find the sentence in which the phrasal verb to be in for – наступить для кого-то is used.

There was another invasion that would transform the country beyond recognition. From Northern Germany came the Jutes, the Saxons, the Angles, giving them the name England. Next there were the 1)…… from Norway and Denmark, a nasty bunch, but perhaps the most dramatic of all were the French.

1066 was a momentous (достопамятный) year. When king Edward the Confessor died, he left no direct heirs, and his death ignited (воспламенила) a ferocious 3 way rivalry (яростное 3-х стороннее соперничество) for the English crown. In

matters of state Edward relied on Harold Godwinson. When Edward died, Harold

seized the crown. William, the duke of 2)…….., a distant cousin of Edward argued that he had been promised the crown. Harald Hardrada, the king of Norway claimed that he was related to the previous kings of England. King Harold was in for a hard time. First the Norwegians came to the 3)….. of England. Then, a few days later, William attacked from France. Poor King Harold had to bring his exhausted army back to the South. It was there that the most famous battle was fought – the battle of 4)……... Harold, the last 5)…..-….. king, was killed by a 6)…… archer (стрелок из лука). William was crowned the King of England on Christmas day at Westminster Abbey. Norman rule was a bloody one. William created a new French 7)…... The best evidence of that major shift in power was the Domesday book*.

Norman society was based on a highly structured feudal system. Everybody was bound to someone of a higher rank. The serf was bound to a knight, the 8)…… – to the lord, and the 9)…. – to the King. The Normans built numerous 10)…….. Many of British treasured buildings – the Tower of London, Westminster Hall were Norman creations. The French became the dominant language. With time The English language and the French language intermarried. So we can say that the English language, the English landscape and the architecture stem from the Normans.

Task 6. Answer the following questions:

1. What was Norman society like?

2. What spheres of life in Britain were influenced by the Normans?