ABSTRACT

In I976 in The Normans and their Myth R. H. C. Davis bypassed the old argument, by admitting the achievements of Anglo-Norman England, but in disquieting way questioning the very existence of the ‘Normans’ as an identifiable separate people. Whatever moral reservations must be expressed about the activities of the Normans in England there is no doubt that through their energy and administrative ability they transformed the face of town and country alike. The term ‘Norman Empire’ has been applied in various ways: to describe their domination of north-western France in the eleventh century, to cover the Anglo-French territories of the later twelfth century, and to cover the scattered lands held by Norman lords throughout the world in the twelfth century. Neither were the Normans responsible for introducing any significant technological innovations. Nevertheless the wealth of Norman architectural remains represents the most tangible legacy of the Conquest and provides with the best opportunity of understanding their cultural and artistic development.