Why the Norman conquerors of England build all them castles?

Question

They were Vikings really not Froggies!

Answer 1

You are almost right. The ancestors of the Normans had been Viking settlers in Northern France for over 100 years before 1066. By the early 11th century the Normans had adopted a form of French language, French armoured cavalry tactics, castle-building, the Latin of Church and civil records, French manners and much else. Of course they improved on most of these, beating the French at their own game.

Everyone knows that the Normans built cathedrals, churches, monasteries and castles in England after the conquest - except that they didn't. It was the English peasants who did most of the manual labour, with Norman overseers and masons to do the complex bits. Norman castles were really built by the Saxons, with Norman spears at their backs.

Answer 2

Yes they were descended from Vikings, though they had settled in northern France, and had been there for over a hundred years, and the Dukes of Normandy were (at least supposed to) submit to the king of France as their ruler in the hierarchy. William's Viking ancestor had been given Normandy by the French king, and so they had settled in to that region, were ruling a part of France and thus adopted the customs of that place -- which includes Castles and related architecture, to defend their territory in Normandy.

William the Conqueror's mother was a local peasant (non-royal) woman in Normandy, and William married a woman from Flanders (modern day eastern France and Belgium). William was himself born in a castle there in Normandy, in Falaise. So castle building and such was not some new thing to do in England, he and others had already been doing the same throughout their territory in Normandy.

Answer 3

The Normans are famous for building the first castles as we recognise them. Not only did this protect the area conquered, it was useful for storage and accommodation and also bought the army some time in the even of a siege or if they might be losing a battle, for reinforcements to reach them. They were also used as the administration centre for the conquered lands.

Answer 4

The Norman conquerors of England built many castles for defensive purposes. In medieval times everyone was trying to conquer everyone else (this is how it is today as well, just more stable). Bands of nomadic raiders would sweep through the countryside and pillage everything in their path. Castles were built as central defense points. When attacked, everyone on a manor (the people who worked for the lord of the castle) would flee to the keep of the castle and be safe.

Answer 5

They were the descendants of northmen (hence the name), but spoke a form of French. In addition to the existing answer, Anglo-Saxon England was originally occupied with relatively few Normans to subdue a population of millions. Castles were essential to protect these small bodies of men in times of (frequent) revolt , and allowed them to control the surrounding country in more peaceful times. The Normans were used to building castles to retain their possessions elsewhere (in Normandy, Brittany, Sicily). Many of the Saxon aristocracy fled as political refugees and with their loyal followers joined the Varangian Guard in Constantinople (Istanbul now), capital of the Byzantine Empire. Five years after Hastings, Saxons were fighting the Sicilian Normans in the Balkans, trying to ward off another Norman takeover bid.

Answer 6

After The Conquest there was still resistance from the Saxons and Celts. So the castles were built to keep them in order.

Answer 7

To give them a base for controlling the local population