ABSTRACT
Politically, the English and Danish groups were united by the accession of Cnut in 1016, but after his death in 1035 further hostilities arose-not simply on an English-Danish alignment but also among the English. It was while dealing with these troubles at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066 that King Harold received news of the landing of Duke William. William the Bastard entered England not simply to plunder,
butatleastinparttoclaimwhathehadsomereasontothinkwashis due.Hisvictoryresulted,whereanEnglishonemightnothavedone,in thereunificationofEngland.ThiswasaboveallbecausetheNormans, unliketheEnglish,werecastle-builders,andthatartmadethose possessedofitinthellcvirtuallyinvincible.Thetranquillityandunity imposedbyNormanrulewerenotthefirstthekingdomofEngland hadknown,norweretheyunbroken;butatleasttheNormanConquest seemstohavestoppedtheinroadsoftheothervikings,andtosome extenttohavekepttheestablishedpopulationundercontrol.
