Jesse+Gore+Narrative

A Series of Letters that Altered History in 1066

**__ Letter 1: A letter from the Witan to Harold Godwinson __**

4 January 1066

Dear Mr. Harold Godwinson,

As you know, your dear friend, and our king, Edward the Confessor, has been ill since last November. He was suffering from cerebral hemorrhages and he passed away today. We in the Witan need to elect a successor for King Edward. Usually we choose a successor with the previous King’s guidance. However, King Edward had no heirs and he gave us no assistance whatsoever. We know that you have had a very strong relationship with the King. Furthermore, some of our representatives were present when Edward called you to him last night. Edward pointed to his wife, looked right into your eyes, and said, “I commend this woman and all the kingdom to your protection.” What does this mean, Harold? Did Edward want you to be his successor? Well yes, we think so! As you may know, the people of England have been very blessed to have a King like Edward. Our people are self-sufficient and self-supporting. Yes, we have serfs and slaves that work hard, but most of them are rewarded for their service to the country. King Edward generously gave land to our laborers because of the abundance of farming in the country. We hope that as King, you will be able to sustain the country and help England continue to grow. Many of the English citizens do not know that King Edward has died and they may be upset when you are named King the same day as his burial. Edward will be buried tomorrow morning in his Abbey of Westminster and later that day, your coronation will be held. We have had a difficult time deciding when to hold your coronation. The coronation for new Kings is always held on a day of a great feast. However, our next great feast is not scheduled until Easter. We cannot go three months without a King! So, while there will be controversy surrounding our decision to name you King, and the briskness with which you are assigned the post, we need you to be at Westminster in order to take the throne! Congratulations, King Harold II of England!

Sincerely,

The Witan

**__ Letter 2: A letter from Duke William of Normandy to King Harold II of England __**

14 January 1066

Dear King Harold II of England,

It is with great regret that I was notified that you have become King of England. Was it not only last year that you came to Normandy and declared your support to me when I became King Edward’s successor? Do you not remember Edward telling me, no, promising me the crown of England when he died? What did you do? Did you trick the Witan? All I know is that you have usurped the power that was supposed to have been mine! I am on my way to England to take what is rightfully mine.

Beware,

William of Normandy

**__ Letter 3: A letter from Earl Edwin to King Harold II of England __**

28 September 1066

My Dearest King Harold,

I must warn you that William of Normandy has landed at Pevensey! We must get our troops together in order to defend our country from that tyrant. It is a shame that this news must interrupt the feast you threw a week after you defeated King Harald Hardrada of Norway. You were such a valiant King. As soon as you heard that Hardrada had burned down the town of Scarborough, you were on the way to defend your people. Although earl Morcar and I were defeated on 20 September in Fulford, you took an entire country upon your back and fought in battle. As Hardrada was scheduled to meet the English prisoners that he had called for, 500 in total, at the Stamford Bridge, you met him with a great nationalist force. All of the people of York gathered and fought off Hardrada and his forces. 25 September will forever be known as “the greatest battle that had ever been fought in England!” And now that you were set for a victory feast, only a week after battle, we have this horrible news. We must mobilize and we must fight. I am worried, however. I have received word that William is fighting under the papal banner! How is this possible? Did he trick the Pope into giving him the papal banner and a ring? I think the Pope has already found you guilty, my King. We must fight sooner, rather than later, in order to keep this news from our people! Good luck, my King!

Sincerely,

Edwin of the North

**__ Letter 4: A letter from King William I of England to Normandy __**

25 December 1066

My faithful people,

Today is a day that will live on in Norman and English history forever! I have finally gotten my revenge on Harold of England. I was just crowned King William I of England. The Norman conquest of England was a success, and all Normans should be proud. I arrived in England on 28 September. It seemed that the news that I was fighting under the papal banner had reached Harold as he assembled his army quickly and very close to our base. On 14 October, King Harold met me in Hastings. The English had us outnumbered. However, we had more heart, more desire, and more horses! The English simply had their own feet, while we had some of the most gorgeous horses around! At the Battle of Hastings, the English army could never mount an attack against us. Whether, Harold ever sent an order to his troops, or if they just never followed his orders, the army of England played defensively the entire battle. In a miraculous turn of events, I saw that one of my men had shot Harold in the eye with an arrow! I was overjoyed at the “King’s” blindness. Along with three other men, I attacked Harold and began hacking his body to pieces! Oh, you should have smelled the blood! Harold died and I could not have been more ecstatic. It took a few lies and deceptions, but I finally convinced that good for nothing Witan to name me King of England. I could not be more proud, although these Englanders are good for nothing. Oh well, I am now the most powerful ruler England has ever seen!

See you very soon,

King William I of England

__Citation__: Howarth, D. (1977). //1066 the year of the conquest.// New York: Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Dear Pop-pop, I do not remember the last time I sat down to write to you, but the time seems right… I can remember how much you used to talk about the Godwinson family, and guess what? Harold Godwinson claimed the throne after Edward the died this past January! I know I should tell you as the events happen, but Godwinson was not the last king we had in 1066. This was a year of three kings, a big battle, and eventually a Norman was in charge of us. I think it is crazy how much has happened this past year and since it is the first full year you have been gone I decided I could fill you in… miss you pop-pop everyday, rest in peace… January 1066 started on a Sunday, which seems quite perfect, but this year was far from perfect and even further from peaceful. Edward the Confessor died at the Palace of Westminster. He is now buried in the new Westminster Abbey, which I might add was built by Henry III specifically in honor of Edward, but to make matters worse, Godwinson is a backstabber! We all know that our late king did not have an heir to the throne, and like you said pop-pop with the death of Edward, problems would arise. Apparently, Godwison, William and Hardrada all believed they had the right to be the new king of England. Harold and William made some sort of a deal when Harold was held captive in Normandy. At this point he promised to support William, Duke of Normandy as the new King of England when Edward passed, but instead guaranteed himself the throne! I was told by mom and dad that Godwinson was really afraid of the Norwegian King and his son because he was so positive that Normandy would invade England that he took a “precaution,” as mom would say, and kept an Englishman king. So anyway, I went a little off track, but to sum the month of January up, Harold Godwinson was crowned King of England at St Paul's Cathedral, he married Edith, the daughter of Alfgar, Earl of Mercia (aw so sweet!), and then things went bad. Both Norway and Normandy heard about our new King were enraged and supposedly began their plans to invade us right away. So now we have begun the year of 1066 with some enemies. Harald Hardrada, the king of Norway was a giant of a man. His very name meant hard council; basically he was scary and not going to be an easy match for our new king. As for me, the spring and summer of 1066 were pretty good for the most part. Dad, mom, Johnny, Susie and I spent our days on the farm. We worked hard since it was harvest season. Dad would send us “youngsters” to do the heavy lifting, while he and mom took care of the live stock. We lived as we did when you and gram were around, day to day we worked for the food we put on the table. Not having a lot of communication our family was out of the so called “loop” when it came to the world. We really had no idea about the invasions planned and minded our own business all summer long, come to find out throughout all of July and August, Harold had expected William to attempt an invasion and Harold put our troops near to the Isle of Wight. Because our troops were normal people like us, many of them left the Isle to tend to their farms as well. September 1066 was a bloody one. Harold murdered Hadrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on September 25, as well as many other English soldiers and Norwegian ones in addition. Red was the new color that fall as the battle was bloody, the river Derwent and even the mouth of the North Sea were peculiarly red. William got word of this, somehow, and on September 27 Normans set sail. The next day, they invaded with lead from William they marched towards Hastings, just when Harold and the rest of our army grew weak. We are now approaching October! Please hold tight because what you will next hear is foolish. Our king, Harold and our weak Saxon army senselessly charged the Normans. With low supplies and little men, the army took on the Normans. Naively, the Saxon army could have sworn they got word that William was killed and unwisely broke the shielded wall. It was now Normas turn to get us. The battle lasted all day and towards the end of the day Harold fell. He was killed from a sword blow wielded by a mounted Norman Knight. So we can now and will forever know October 14, 1066 as the Battle of Hastings. Have a holly, jolly, Christmas it’s the best time of the year. As it was the best time of the year for Normandy because on Christmas Day, William was crowned King of England, and became known as William the Conqueror. I have successfully summed up 1066 for you pop-pop, a year that will never be forgotten. Three kings, a bloody battle, and a non Englishman as king later and I miss you and your wise words of wisdom so much more. The year of 1066 is known as the start of the Medieval England. Before the year was over here are a few other interesting facts I learned and want you to know! China's Qi Dan (Khitan) tribe changes its name to Liao, a comet appeared in the skies (“Halley’s Comet), and we were now introduced to many French words. Je T’aime (I Love You), Samantha