Essay Statues of William the Conqueror 1066

ESSAY: ANALYSIS OF THE STATUTES OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. 1066 1. Introduction a)Nature of the text This is a juridical text in which the main decrees and laws that English people had to follow and accept after the conquest of England in 1066 are exposed. b). Location The text can be located in England, year 1066, after the Norman Victory in The Battle of Hastings. c) Author The author's of the Statutes of William the Conqueror are William I and his princes, that is to say, his noblemen. d) Addressee The addressee of this text is England, the whole population of this British land were under Norman government at that time, and these statutes were they new system. 2. Analysis The ten main statutes of the new Norman government deal with different aspects of the English sociological, economic, cultural, religious and legal organization. Strong emphasis is placed on the veneration of one single God and the faith of Christ, as well as on the fidelity and loyalty to king William and the English lands. It should be outlined the pacific and quiet conviviality that the Normans were promoting between French and English people, protecting by strong penalties the murders of “the men I have brought with me” as well as the instruction directed to Frenchmen about living and paying according to the customs and the English law. On the one hand, several justice references appear in the text making equality one of the main commands concerning damages and offenses, and showing quite a fair juridical system taking into account the period they were living in, this can be seen in point 6 in which defense is admitted in some way. On the other hand, it can't be denied the fact that some strict commands were established as well. The last points of these statutes have to do with legal and sociological aspects, such as the fact of becoming a freeman, with all its consequences and obligations, and acts regarding selling people beyond the limits