Portal:Medieval Britain

Topics

Culture

Geography

Health

History

Mathematics

Nature

People

Philosophy

Religion

Society

Technology

The Medieval Britain Portal

Map of Lordships in Medieval Scotland, c. 1230.

Great Britain during the Middle Ages (from the 5th century withdrawal of Roman forces from the province of Britannia and the Germanic invasions, until the Early modern period) was fragmented into a number of independent kingdoms. By the High Middle Ages, after the end of the Viking Age and the Norman Conquest, the kingdoms of England and Scotland emerge as the main poles of political power.

The medieval period in England can be dated from the arrival in Kent of Anglo-Saxon troops led by the legendary Hengest and Horsa. Subsequently the Brythonic, Celtic powers were conquered by Jutes, Angles and Saxons Germanic tribes, from the contemporary Angeln and Jutland areas of northern Germany and mainland Denmark. Political takeover of other areas of England proceeded piecemeal and was not completed until the tenth century. Similarly, the end of the medieval period is usually dated by the rise of what is often referred to as the "English Renaissance" in the reign of Henry VIII of England, and the Reformation in Scotland, or else to the establishment of a centralized, bureaucratic monarchy by Henry VII of England. From a political point of view, the Norman Conquest of England divides medieval Britain in two distinct phases of cultural and political history. From a linguistic point of view the Norman Conquest had only a limited effect, Old English evolving into Middle English, although the Anglo Norman language would remain the language of those that ruled for two centuries at least, before mingling with Middle English.

At the height of pre-Norman medieval English power, a single English king ruled from the border with Scotland to the border with Wales to the border with Cornwall. After the Norman Conquest, English power intruded into Wales with increasing vigour, but the process of consolidation was continuous and is not just a medieval feature. The other problem with suggesting such a unity is that the various states had relations with Scandinavia and Continental Europe which are excluded by the concept. For example, northern Scotland often had closer ties with Norway and France (see Auld Alliance) than England or Wales in the medieval period, with Orkney and Shetland only becoming part of Scotland in 1471. Southern England, due to its proximity to Normandy, Flanders and Brittany, had closer relations with them than the other regions. (read more . . . )

The Norman conquest of England began in 1066 AD with the invasion of the Kingdom of England by the troops of William, Duke of Normandy ("William the Conqueror"), and his victory at the Battle of Hastings. This resulted in Norman control of England, which was firmly established during the next few years. The Norman Conquest was a pivotal event in English history for several reasons. It largely removed the native ruling class, replacing it with a foreign, French-speaking monarchy, aristocracy and clerical hierarchy. This in turn brought about a transformation of the English language and the culture of England. By subjecting the country to rulers originating in France it linked England more closely with continental Europe, while lessening Scandinavian influence, and set the stage for a rivalry with France that would continue intermittently for more than eight centuries. It also had important consequences for the rest of the British Isles, paving the way for further Norman conquests in Wales and Ireland, and the extensive penetration of the aristocracy of Scotland by Norman and other French-speaking families. Read more

Llywelyn the Great (Welsh Llywelyn Fawr, Welsh pronunciation: [ɬəˈwɛlɨ̞n]), full name Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, (c. 1173 – April 11, 1240) was a Prince of Gwynedd in North Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales. He is occasionally called Llywelyn I of Wales. By a combination of war and diplomacy he dominated Wales for forty years, and was one of only two Welsh rulers to be called 'the Great'. Llywelyn's main home and court throughout his reign was at Abergwyngregyn on the north coast of Gwynedd, between Bangor and Conwy, overlooking the port of Llanfaes. There is disagreement over which of two sites in Abergwyngregyn is more likely to have been the exact location of his hall.

During Llywelyn's boyhood Gwynedd was ruled by two of his uncles, who had agreed to split the kingdom between them following the death of Llywelyn's grandfather, Owain Gwynedd, in 1170. Llywelyn had a strong claim to be the legitimate ruler and began a campaign to win power at an early age. He was sole ruler of Gwynedd by 1200, and made a treaty with King John of England the same year. Llywelyn's relations with John remained good for the next ten years. He married John's illegitimate daughter Joan, also known as Joanna, in 1205, and when John arrested Gwenwynwyn ab Owain of Powys in 1208 Llywelyn took the opportunity to annex southern Powys. In 1210 relations deteriorated and John invaded Gwynedd in 1211. Llywelyn was forced to seek terms and to give up all his lands east of the River Conwy, but was able to recover these lands the following year in alliance with the other Welsh princes. He allied himself with the barons who forced John to sign Magna Carta in 1215. By 1216 he was the dominant power in Wales, holding a council at Aberdyfi that year to apportion lands to the other princes.

Following King John's death, Llywelyn concluded the Treaty of Worcester with his successor Henry III in 1218. During the next fifteen years Llywelyn was frequently involved in fighting with Marcher lords and sometimes with the king, but also made alliances with several of the major powers in the Marches. The Peace of Middle in 1234 marked the end of Llywelyn's military career as the agreed truce of two years was extended year by year for the remainder of his reign. He maintained his position in Wales until his death in 1240, and was succeeded by his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn. (read more . . . )

“ I attacked the English of the Northern Shires like a lion. I ordered their houses and corn, with all their belongings, to be burnt without exception and large herds of cattle and beasts of burden to be destroyed wherever they were found. It was there I took revenge on masses of people by subjecting them to a cruel famine; and by doing so — alas!— I became the murderer of many thousands of that fine race. ” — William the Conqueror, Ordericus Vitalis

Harlech Castle with Snowdon to its left

Credit: Oosoom
Harlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea in 1283 by King Edward I during his conquest of Wales, the castle was subject to several assaults and sieges during its period of active use as a fortification. The seven-year siege of the castle, during the War of the Roses, has been memorialised in the famous song, "Men of Harlech". (read more . . . )

• ... that the Unlearned Parliament was so called because lawyers were forbidden to attend as Henry IV (pictured) felt they were "troublesome"??
• ... that the epic poems Beowulf and Judith were written in Late West Saxon?
• ... that the ember days were formerly set aside for fasting and prayer in the liturgical year of the Western churches?
• ... that silver coins in the 10th-century Viking Harrogate Hoard, recovered intact in Yorkshire, January 2007, came from as far as Afghanistan?

A modern mural illustrating the characters from Chaucer's book the Canterbury tales (Read more...)

Template:/box-header Early Middle Ages (7th to 11th centuries): England in the Early Middle Ages • Scotland in the Early Middle Ages, Wales in the Early Middle Ages • Anglo-Saxon England • Viking Age

High Middle Ages (11th to 15th centuries): England in the High Middle Ages • Scotland in the High Middle Ages • Wales in the High Middle Ages • Norman England (1066-1154) • House of Plantagenet • House of Dunkeld (1058–1286) • House of Balliol (1292–1338) • History of the Jews in Medieval England

Late Middle Ages (14th and 15th centuries): England in the Late Middle Ages • Scotland in the Late Middle Ages • Wales in the Late Middle Ages • House of Lancaster (1399–1471) • House of York (1461–1485) • House of Bruce (1306–1371) • Transition to Early Modern Britain

Arts: English historians in the Middle Ages • Medieval Welsh literature • Anglo-Saxon literature • Anglo-Norman literature • Middle English • Medieval Scottish literature • Anglo-Saxon art • Viking Art

Conflict: Norman Conquest • Hundred Year War • Wars of Scottish Independence Template:/box-footer

Middle Ages	70x50px Crusades	Heraldry	England
Ireland	Isle of Man	Scotland	Wales

Middle Ages	Medieval Scotland	70x50px Norse history and culture	King Arthur
Wales	Scotland	70x50px Isle of Man	Ireland
England	Celts

Here are some tasks awaiting attention: Cleanup : Knights Templar in England Expand : Council of the North, Council of Wales and the Marches, Earldom of Orkney, Infobox : Uilleam, Earl of Mar, Taran of the Picts Stubs : Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland, Kings of Síol Anmchadha Verify : Alcuin, Ranulph de Gernon, 2nd Earl of Chester, The Anarchy, Domesday Book Other : Adam of Ross

Middle Ages on Commons Images

Medieval works on Wikisource Texts

History on Wikibooks Manuals & Texts

• What are portals?
• List of portals
• Featured portals