ENGLAND UNDER FOREIGN KINGS

      It was the dark time when the Danes attacked the English. They caught some coast territories. Firstly, the English de­fended their territory but the Danes returned again and again to attack England. As a result they caught some territories. The English people had to pay tribute. But the Danes wanted to rule over the country and after many battles took the crown of England. They held it for twenty-four years. Three Danish kings ruled over England. One of these kings — Canute was at the same time the king of England, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The rule of Danish kings over England came to an end soon after Canute’s death in 1035.

      Now, the Normans began to attack the coasts of England from Normandy (France). In 1066 the Normans won the vic­tory and William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned king of England and was called William the Conqueror.

       The invaders burnt houses and killed people. The land was taken from the English and given to the Normans. The inva­ders spoke French, and it was the language of the upper class­es and the government. English was the language of the lower classes at that time.

QUESTIONS:

1.  Did the Danes catch the whole English territory at once?

2.   What did the English have to do when their territory was caught?

3.   How long did the Danes hold the English Crown?

4.   What was Canute?

5.   He was just the king of England, was not he?

6.   When did Canute die?

7.    What happened when Canute died?

8.    Who were the new invaders?

9.    What did they do?

VOCABULARY:

to offend — нападать

to rule — управлять

the Normans — норманны

crown — корона

Canute — Канут

duke — герцог

to crown — короновать

conqueror — завоеватель

William the Conqueror — Уильям Завоеватель

to bum (past burnt, p.p. burnt) — жечь, сжигать, под­жигать

to kill — убивать

upper class — аристократия

Norway — Норвегия

Sweden — Швеция

death — смерть

Normandy — Нормандия (провинция во Франции)

the lower classes — низшие слои населения