who were the normans and where did they come from?

Question

thanks to all just trying to figure where our royal family orriginated. 1066 and all that.

Answer 1

The Normans were a people from medieval northern France, deriving to a large extent their aristocratic origins from Scandinavia (the name is adapted from the name "Northmen" or "Norsemen"). They played a major political, military and cultural role in the northern and Mediterranean parts of medieval Europe for centuries. They remain most famous for the colonisation (and naming) of Normandy and the "Norman Conquest" of England which started with the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

In fact, by the time of the invasion of England, most "Normans" derived from the indigenous populations of eastern Brittany and western Flanders, but their lords retained a memory of their own Viking origins. They began to occupy the northern area of France now known as Normandy in the latter half of the 9th century. In 911, Charles the Simple, king of France, granted the invaders the small lower Seine area, which expanded over time to become the Duchy of Normandy. The invaders were under the leadership of Rollo, who swore allegiance to Charles the Simple.

The Norman people adopted Christianity and the Gallo-Romance language and created a new cultural identity separate from that of their Scandinavian forebears and French neighbours. Norman culture, like that of many other migrant communities, was particularly enterprising and adaptable. For a time, it led them to occupy widely dispersed territories throughout Europe.

Answer 2

Normandy northern France, 1066

Answer 3

The Normans came from Normandy and other area of northern France. Centuries prior to the Norman invasion of England they invaded France from Scandinavia.

Answer 4

Northern France

Answer 5

The Normans (Northmen) were the descendants of Rollo, a Viking who invaded France in 911. The king of France gave him what became Normandy to serve as a buffer against further Viking invasions.

Answer 6

Normans came from France but half the Royal family came from Germany.

Answer 7

The Normans were a mixture of Viking and French the Vikings Conquered Northen France and eventually became Christian, William the Conquerer was a direct descendant of Rollo one of the Viking chieftians that captured Northern France.

Answer 8

Normans were part of the Viking Invasions if you will, and settled in the region of Normandy in Northern France and parts of the UK. They came from Scandinavia with the other Viking peoples.

Answer 9

For a number of years in the C9th viking raiders had been coming up the rivers of northern France raiding, stealing and causing havoc. The French kings got fed up with this and finally agreed to allow one group to settle, in return they would stop other vikings sailing up the rivers and causing trouble.
These settlers were called 'Nortmanni' or northmen, this eventually gave us the name Normandy. After a number of generations the settlers became christian, very few spoke their scandinavian language and most spoke French instead, their leaders took on the titles and styles of French Dukes, and they pledged their allegiance to the French king.

Answer 10

Normans were from Nomandy, France, but were of Norseman (Northman, Scandanavian, Vikings) ancestery. My great ancestor was a Norman Knight, The Marquis De Marchand.