New
New
Year 10
AQA

Norman reforms of English monasticism

I can explain the changes brought about to English monasteries.

New
New
Year 10
AQA

Norman reforms of English monasticism

I can explain the changes brought about to English monasteries.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. As well as his Church reforms, Lanfranc also oversaw reform of English monasteries.
  2. English monasteries grew in number and size under the Normans.
  3. The Normans introduced Cluniac monasteries to England.
  4. English abbots were replaced with Normans.

Common misconception

Monks were all poor.

Although individual monks gave up all their possessions, Norman monasteries were often extremely wealthy because they held very large amount of land granted to them by the king or Norman barons and knights.

Keywords

  • Liturgy - the prayers and rituals regularly carried out together by a religious community or religious group

  • Monastery - a community of monks; the term monastic and monasticism relate to monasteries

  • Constitution - a set of principles and legal decisions which people agree to follow

  • Celibate - not having sexual relationships, usually for religious reasons

  • Order - in this context, groups of monks or nuns who live together as a religious community, following a set of rules for that order

The history of nunneries in Norman England is very interesting, with many women choosing to become nuns to escape the changes that Normans brought to English women's lives after the conquest. A popular historical charity has excellent online resources on this topic.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
The Reform Papacy was a movement in the Church that aimed to address and improve the spiritual authority of the Church.
Correct Answer: corruption, Corruption
Q2.
Controversially, the said that the pope had the right to depose kings and emperors.
Correct Answer: Dictatus Papae, dictatus papae
Q3.
agreed to support William's invasion of Normandy.
Correct Answer: Alexander II, alexander ii, alexander II
Q4.
The papacy saw the English Church as needing...
Correct Answer: reform, Reform
Q5.
The Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV was after disagreeing with the Pope about who should appoint the next bishop of Milan.
Correct Answer: excommunicated, Excommunicated
Q6.
In the German city of Worms, a Concordat agreed a compromise between the papacy and __________ V.
William
Correct answer: Henry
Stephen
Gregory

6 Questions

Q1.
Monks spent long periods chanting and singing the together.
Correct Answer: liturgy, Liturgy
Q2.
St Benedict's rules said that...
Correct answer: monasteries should be self-contained
monasteries should often deal with the outside world
Correct answer: monks should be silent for most of the day
monks had no need to remain silent for much of the day
Q3.
In 1082, William of Saint-Calais replaced married church clerks with...
Correct Answer: monks, Monks
Q4.
Around 1077, Lanfranc issued his monastic...
Correct Answer: constitutions, Constitutions
Q5.
There were __________ Benedictine monasteries in England in 1066.
three
Correct answer: 35
350
3500
Q6.
By the end of William’s reign, only __________ English abbots remained in office
two
Correct answer: three
four
five

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