Answers questions ‘Aspects of the United Kingdom’,
chapter 2-5
Chapter 2
Questions on this chapter:
1. What is Stonehenge and why do modern-day druids and pagans
gather there 21 June and 21 December?
Stonehenge is a remnant from the Bronze Age. It’s a circle of huge
stones in western England. They face the sunrise on the day of the
summer solstice (21 une) and the winter solstice (21 December).
Modern-day druids and pagans gather for religious events.
2. Give three examples of the impact of the Roman Empire on the
British Isles.
- Language: a lot of English words are based on the Latin
language. Some say even 60% of the English words are derived
from Latin.
- Towns: the Romans divided Britannia into different districts, and
several settlements were established that would later become
important cities such as Bath, York and London.
- Production: mining for gold and silver was common, and iron and
pottery were produced, some of which is still being unearthed
today.
- Transportation: the Romans build upon traditional roads such as
Watling Street, which allowed for transport from the South East
to the North west.
3. From the 5th century to the 11th century, there were several waves of
invaders of the British Isles. Make a list of these invaders: who
invaded, and when?
- 55 BCE: Julius Caesar invaded the main island of what is now
Great Britain
- 5th and 6th century: invasions from Europe/Angles and Saxons
(northwest Germany, southern Denmark, Frisians NL)
- 9th century: Vikings invasions (from Scandinavia)
- 1066: Norman invasion, William the Conqueror
4. Where does the name ‘England’ come from?
It is not certain where the name comes from. Many scholars think
that the area was named for the Angles, a Germanic tribe that
settled there during the Dark Ages.
5. Which folk heroes are mentioned in the chapter, and why are they
folk heroes?
- Boudica: she led a revolt against the Romans. She is a symbol of
the British spirit and struggle for independence, whom some
consider a folk hero.
, - King Arthur: the legend of King Arthur, a popular folk hero,
evolved over the centuries to represent resistance, strength, and
chivalry.
- Robin Hood: robbing from the rich to give to the poor. Robin
Hood represents the fight for freedom grom tyranny and
oppression.
6. What links the following? Kingdom of Alba, 927, Brian Boru, and
Gruffydd ap Llewelyn?
They all have something to do with a more unified kingdom. The
Kingdom of Alba was Scotland. 927 is the year when England was a
unified Kingdom. Brian Boru unified the kingdoms in Ireland, and
Gruffydd ap Llewelyn was able to unify the kingdom of Wales. The
four regions of the United Kingdom as we know them today were
formed.
7. What led to the Norman invasion of 1066?
The king of a unified England, King Edward the Confessor, died with
no heir. A lot of rivals tried to claim the throne. One of them was
William, Duke of Normandy. He was a distant cousin of the King. The
claimed the throne was promised to him, and that the King’s
brother-in-law, Harold, had supported this. In the end, Harold was
chosen to be king. Not content with this decision William gathered
an army together and landed in the south of England, in Sussex, in
September 1066. On 14 October 1066, William defeated King Harold
II at the battle of Hastings to become King of England.
8. What was the Domesday book and why was it important?
It is a document that listed the properties of England. It documented
what land, buildings and other holdings people owned. It was the
first time a thorough survey of the land was had been carried out. It
is thought that William I used this to tax the population.
9. Name three effects of the Norman invasion.
- Introduction and influence of the French language: Norman
French became the language of government and nobility.
Nowadays many English words that are connected to governance
and law were borrowed from French.
- Feudal System (feodaal stelsel): the king ‘owned’ all the land in
England. This land was divided into smaller parcels controlled by
knights, which were then divided even further into smaller units
which were controlled by tenants or merchants. Society became
a top-down pyramid. On the bottom the peasants, or serfs. They
owned nothing and had to work.
- Construction of castles and other fortifications: in an attempt to
make his rule more secure and to defend himself against
rebellions William I build several buildings, including the Tower of
Londen. The Norman architecture was very important, and still
is.
