The Battle of Hastings, which took place on October 14th, 1066, was a defining moment in English history. The battle, which was the subject of the famous Bayeux Tapestry, was a turning point. William of Normandy, also known as ‘William the Bastard’, defeated the English King Harold, who died (it is believed) when he was struck in the eye by an arrow. William and his victorious army then marched on London and he was crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day. Later on in his reign he built the Tower of London.
The Norman conquest was to have a huge impact both on English life and on the English language. Many French words were introduced and the fact that English has different words for animals and their meat (‘pig’ and ‘pork’, ‘cow’ and ‘beef’, for example) is a throwback to the days when the French-speaking Norman aristocrats ate the meat, while their English-speaking servants looked after the animals.
reenactment
The Battle of Hastings is the subject of an annual reenactment that will take place this year over the weekend of October 14th and 15th. Today the site of the battle is a village called Battle. This is actually six miles (10 km) inland from Hastings, which is now a seaside resort (it even has a few language schools.) The battle site is known as “1066 Battle of Hastings Abbey and Battlefield”. The abbey was built by William the Conqueror on the very spot where King Harold is said to have died.
More than six hundred actors will take part in the reenactment. They will wear historical costumes and carry swords and shields to re-create the atmosphere and tension of the battle. In addition to the reenactment, the event also offers a full immersion in Norman life. This gives visitors the opportunity to learn more about medieval arts like archery, falconry and making weapons. The reenactment is organized by English Heritage, which runs four hundred historic buildings all over the country.
If you go...
The village of Battle is near Hastings in East Sussex. This year’s reenactment will be particularly popular and visitors need to book. They can also go to the visitor centre and see the ruins of the Hastings Castle and William the Conqueror’s famous abbey. The roof of the Great Gatehouse offers a great view of the battle scene.
History in Action
This monthsees the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. This was the start of the Norman Conquest, which was to have a marked effect on English society, but also on the English language, with the introduction of many French words. The anniversary will be celebrated with a reenactment of the battle and one person who will be taking part is Peter Watson. He belongs to a reenactment society called Wuffa, which is based in East Anglia and named after the region’s first king. We asked Peter Watson how he first got interested in historical reenactments:
Peter Watson: The way I started was rather funny, actually. I was reading a book about King Arthur in the works canteen one day, and the guy who was cleaning the floor noticed that I was reading a book and said, you know, “Are you into that kind of thing?” I said, “Well, I like reading about it” and he was a reenactor from a local group and he invited me along and I took it from there.
making movies
And it proved to be a good decision:
Peter Watson: I’ve actually been lucky because not only have I done shows in front of the public, I’ve also been in three major films, I’ve done a lot of TV work and small film work. I’ve been in a spoof reenacting movie, which was called Faintheart, then I’ve been in Robin Hood with Russell Crowe, The Eagle with Channing Tatum and Snow White and the Huntsman with Kristen Stewart.
the dark ages go digital
And where does he get his costume?
Peter Watson: Well, I make my own, but you can buy them off the Internet these days. There is a lot more available now than when I started, which was about 20 year ago, but due to the fact that there’s the Internet nowadays, there’s a lot more people making things, and everything’s a lot more accessible because you haven’t got to try and find a magazine or an advert in the paper, like I had to, so hence I started to make things myself. Now you can just go onto the various sites on the Internet and find exactly what you want and, providing you’ve got the money, you can buy it.
The revenge of the nerds
And presumably people who are involved in reenactments need to have a good knowledge of history?
Peter Watson: You can take the level of history as far as almost being a professor, if you wish, or you can know very little. The only reservation I make about your knowledge is: if you know very little, don’t talk to the public, so you don’t get tripped up on questions, but I would advise people to at least have a good knowledge of the background. That helps them portray the role better, and also the audience is always asking – or the members of the public are always asking questions – and we have a term, that there’s always going to be an anorak in the audience. An anorak means a person who’s very, very knowledgeable, and if you don’t answer the question correctly, you will be pulled up and made to feel rather silly.