Daniel Zacharda Middle Ages Dr. Heinrichs 12/4/2014 William the Conqueror 1
Throughout history there are numerous examples of great leaders, however, leaders from the period of the middle ages are often overlooked. Perhaps the greatest of the rulers in the Middle Ages was William I of Normandy. William I united England and France after his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and his rule as both the king of England and Duke of Normandy is one of the most important of the middle ages. William s leadership as both a governmental leader and a military leader set him apart from the other rulers of the Middle Ages and allowed him to cement his legacy as one of the greatest leaders of the time period. In the year 1066 the Duke of Normandy William I, or as he would later be known William the Conqueror, launched a Norman invasion of England. William s Norman Army would battle Harold Godwinson s English Army in the Battle of Hastings. This battle would decide who would become the King of England. William s victory at the Battle of Hastings allowed him to take control of England and thus reaffirm his power in the region. It also allowed for the creation of laws between the Norman and English kingdoms now both controlled by William. One of the greatest strengths of William the Conqueror was his governmental leadership. A document describing his laws after his victory at the Battle of Hastings sheds some light on some of the laws William felt were important in his kingdom. The first law described in the document in one of particular interest as it states he wishes for one god to be revered throughout the realm. 1 This is an important law to analyze because it shows William s desire for England to unite under one religion and one god. The monotheistic approach to government was certainly not uncommon at the time, but it provides an emphasis on the importance of religion at the time 1 2
of William s rule during the Middle Ages. William s ability to unite England under one religion is a very important aspect of his leadership because it allows him to unite the people under something that they will all have in common. The second law discussed in this document is also very important because it highlights the importance of system seen throughout the middle ages. The law states that We decree also that every freeman shall affirm by oath and compact that he will be loyal to king William both within and without England, that he will preserve with him his lands and honor with all fidelity and defend him against his enemies. 2 This law showcases the idea of swearing loyalty to the king, in this case William, and defending him if need be. The concept of swearing loyalty can be seen throughout the middle ages as an important aspect of government at the time. Kings during the middle ages used oaths of loyalty to cement their power over their subjects as there subjects were required to swear the oaths promising to serve the king and obey his laws. Through the use of the oath, William established his power in his kingdom and solidified support against enemies and also ensured that his laws would be followed throughout his kingdom by the people. Perhaps the most intriguing law set forth by William in this document is the sixth law because it highlights an early form of a modern concept called the right to face your accuser and the right to defend yourself against charges brought against you. The law essentially states that if a Frenchman accuses an Englishman of perjury, murder, theft, or homicide or ran then the Englishmen has the right to defend themselves by either by the ordeal of hot iron or the wager of battle. 3 If an Englishmen accuses a Frenchman then the Englishmen must be willing to prove 2 3 3
his accusation by either ordeal of hot iron or wager of battle and if the Englishmen is not willing to prove his accusation in this manner then William would consider the Frenchman acquitted with a reaffirmation of a valid oath. 4 This law is a very early form of the right to face your accuser and the right to defend yourself against charges brought against you are aspects that would become an essential part in the English legal system that is still in effect today. The aforementioned sixth law shows William s attempt at forming a legal system to punish violent crimes. For William to incorporate an early form of a legal practice or precedent that is still utilized by many nations today, it shows that he is either a leader ahead of his time or he understands the importance of a good legal system while ruling a kingdom. William s sixth law also incorporates an early form of another modern idea which is you can be defended by someone else if you can t. William s law reads if the Englishman be infirm, let him find another who will take his place. 5 This shows that William understands that people who are sick or just can t defend themselves have the right to have someone else act on their behalf, which is a concept that, although modified, is still present in English law today. Although William s sixth law speaks to a modern idea, it isn t without its faults. As the law reads, Englishmen must prove there accusations by ordeal of hot iron or wager of battle techniques that at the time were common place. 6 The problem comes when a Frenchman accuses an Englishmen. In this case once again it is the Englishmen having to prove innocence or guilt through ordeal of hot iron or wager of battle. 7 This system clearly favors the French/Normans as they be acquitted of crime by simply reaffirming a valid oath if the Englishmen is unwilling 4 5 6 7 4
to go through the ordeal of hot iron or wager of battle. 8 William s attempt to create a fair legal system falls a little bit short when analyzing this aspect of the law because he clearly favors his own Norman citizens over his newly acquired English citizens. The concept of treating all your subjects equally was clearly not present during William s time and is reflected strongly by this law. William s ninth law is also a very interesting law because it deals with slavery. The law reads I prohibit the sale of any man by another outside the country on pain of a fine to be paid in full to me. 9 William is clearly outlawing the sale of people outside of his country in a very early attempt to outlaw slavery. While it is unclear whether William is attempting to outlaw slavery because he doesn t want to lose his subjects and not collect money for them or he genuinely thinks it is wrong is unknown, but the attempt is still a very important aspect of his rule. While in his sixth law William was shown as playing favorites towards his native Normans, here William is depicted as being years ahead of his time. In trying to outlaw slavery, William is exhibiting another example of how he is ahead of his time as the slave trade would continue on for several hundred years. The final tenth law described in the document reads I also forbid that anyone shall be slain or hanged for any fault, but let his eyes be put out and let him be castrated. And this command shall not be violated under pain of a fine in full to me. 10 This is law clearly exhibits Williams desire to not have random hangings and murders for those people wanting to take justice into their own hands. William s attempt to establish law and order in his kingdom is 8 9 10 5
reaffirmed by this law because it states he wants to keep all of his subjects. While the banning of murder is a very good aspect of William s governmental leadership, the blinding and castrating part of the law shows that William is still a ruler of the middle ages. During the middle ages extreme punishments for crimes were not uncommon and so William it is unlikely that William would have considered his law anything but the norm. However, by modern standards William s law is seen as being a very harsh form of leadership that may deter people from committing the crimes, but also inflicts an unnecessary amount of bodily harm. Apart from the law source, another source also speaks to the rule of William. The source portrays William as having both very good aspects and very poor aspects. The major positive aspect of William discussed in the source is It was such that any man...might travel over the kingdom with a bosom full of gold unmolested; and no man durst kill another, however great the injury he might have received from him. 11 This is a very good aspect of William s rule because it shows he was clearly able to establish law and order. The ability to establish law and order as well as the ability to make it known throughout your kingdom that justice will be done for any wrongdoing is a mark of a very good leader. It also shows that the people has respect for William or at the very least feared his reprisal, showing that William is an effective ruler in either case. While the source highlights a very good strength of William s it also highlights a strong negative with the passage He caused castles to be built and oppressed the poor. The king was also of great sterness, and he took from his subjects many marks of gold, and many hundred pounds of silver, and this, either with or without right, and with little need. 12 William is 11 Paul Halsall, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, sub anno 1086, as it appears in F. A. Ogg, A Source Book of Medieval History (New York, 1907) Fordham University http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1186aschron- William1.asp (accessed November 15, 2014). 12 6
depicted here as being a very harsh and selfish king. He is depicted as preferring to grow his own personal fortune and resources rather than helping out the people he was ruling over. Although William was very affective with his harsh laws, the suffering or oppression of his people serve as a big negative stain on his legacy as being one of the greatest rulers of all time. Although William was a great leader in terms of his governmental leadership, he was also great in terms of his military leadership. A source describes William s leadership during the Battle of Hastings as William, too, was equally ready to encourage his soldiers by his voice and by his presence, and to be the first to rush forward to attack the thickest of the foe. He was everywhere fierce and furious; he lost three choice horses, which were that day killed under him. 13 This selection from the source clearly shows William s strengths as a military leader. The ability to rally his troops with his words and his bravery to inspire his troops to continue the fight are both highlighted in this source. One of the most important aspects of being a leader is the ability to gather and keep support and William is shown in this selection as doing just that by using his voice and presence on the battlefield. 14 While the ability to inspire his men no doubt helped William, he also had to gain the respect of his men. William s ability to be the first to rush forward to attack the thickest of the foe speaks to his bravery. Soldiers in battle may be more willing to fight for a commander that they believe in and respect. Therefore, Williams s ability to be the first person to charge into battle and lead his army from the battlefield might have gained him the respect and confidence of his men. Gaining the respect of your army or your subjects as a ruler is a vital aspect of ruling because it 13 Paul Halsall, Medieval Sourcebook: William of Malmesbury, d. 1143?: The Battle of Hastings, 1066, Fordham University, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1066malmesbury.asp (accessed November 15, 2014). 14 7
establishes a clear person in charge and provides the people with a sense of security while they are under your leadership. William was able to accomplish this task by exhibiting acts of bravery on the battlefield and thus gaining the respect of his army and his subjects. While William was able to gain the respect of his men in battle through his leadership and acts of bravery, to be an effective ruler he must also be able to make the strategic decisions in battle to solidify a win for his army. A passage describing William s strategic decision that allowed him to gain victory at the Battle of Hastings is also present in the same source that described his bravery in battle, it reads: William gave a signal to his troops, that, feigning flight, they should withdraw from the field. By means of this device the solid phalanx of the English opened for the purpose of cutting down the fleeing enemy and thus brought upon itself swift destruction; for the Normans, facing about, attacked them, thus disordered, and compelled them to fly. 15 This passage clearly highlights William s strategic decision as the commander of his army to fake a retreat from battle and then when the English break formation to purse the Norman army, about face and attack the now vulnerable English army. William s ability to recognize, diagnose, and come up with the correct solution needed to defeat the English in the Battle of Hastings shows his great skills as a military commander. Overall, William s legacy as a great leader relies on his effectiveness as a leader. William was able to unite England and France under one religion, utilize oaths to firmly establish his power over both the English and the Normans, and establish a very early form of a legal system that incorporated multiple modern concepts in them. 16 He was also made laws to outlaw slavery 15 16 8
in his kingdom while also banning murder. 17 All of these accomplishments speak directly to William s success as a governmental ruler. Aside from his great achievements as a governmental ruler, William was also able to gain the respect of his men in battle, rally his troops when necessary, and come up with the winning battle strategy at the Battle of Hastings. 18 Both of these strengths, the military and the governmental show that William was a very effective and capable ruler of his kingdoms. Although William did do many great things as a leader, he also had some missteps. William s ruling although very effective, was also seen a harsh or self-serving. William s laws exhibited favoritism towards his native Normans, harsh punishments for crimes, and a common themes of fines suggesting money was important to William. 19 He is also depicted as being strengthening his own power and wealth while his people suffered. It is worth noting that at the time of the middle ages none of William s harshness would be considered outside of the norm for the time but based on modern standards of effective leaders not only being judged on their accomplishments but also how they treated their people is William portrayed in slightly more negative light. All in all, William was a very effective ruler that clearly established law and order throughout his kingdom. Although some of his actions and laws had negatives to them, at the end of the day he was a successful ruler of both Normandy and England. William s legacy will forever be the conquering king English king from Normandy but it should also include some of 17 18 Paul Halsall, Medieval Sourcebook: William of Malmesbury, d. 1143?: The Battle of Hastings, 1066, Fordham University, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1066malmesbury.asp (accessed November 15, 2014). 19 9
the governmental achievements he accomplished during his reign. His legacy will always consist of his many achievements as a ruler as well as his shortcomings that will forever tarnish it. 10
Bibliography: Halsall, Paul. 1996. "Medieval Sourcebook: Laws of William The Conqueror." Fordham University. Accessed November 15, 2014. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/will1- lawsb.asp.. 1998. "Medieval Sourcebook: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: Assessment of William I." Fordham University. Accessed November 15, 2014. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1186aschron-william1.asp.. 1998. "Medieval Sourcebook: William of Malmesbury, d. 1143?: The Battle of Hastings, 1066." Fordham University. Accessed November 15, 2014. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1066malmesbury.asp. 11