"I attacked the English of the Northern Shires like a lion. I ordered their houses and corn, with all their belongings, to be burnt without exception and large herds of cattle and beasts of burden to be destroyed wherever they were found. It was there I took revenge on masses of people by subjecting them to a cruel famine; and by doing so — alas!— I became the murderer of many thousands of that fine race."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Political leadersCatholics from FranceMonarchs from EnglandMilitary leaders from the United KingdomNormans
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Part of a speech on his deathbed in 1087, referring to the Harrying of the North, written down by a monk named Ordericus Vitalis in 1123; as quoted in Empires and Citizens : The Roman Empire, Medieval Britain, African Empires (2003) by Ben Walsh, p. 60
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_I_of_England
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
William I of England
William I (c. 1028–9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman monarch of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087. He was a descendant of Rollo and was Duke of Normandy from 1035 onward. By 1060, following a long struggle to establish his throne, his hold on Normandy was secure. In 1066, following the death of Edward the Confessor, William invaded England, leading an army of Normans to victory over the Anglo-Saxon
9 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by William I of England →
Related Quotes
"See — I have taken England with both my hands."
"Most valiant of men, what availed the power of the Frank king, with all his people, from Lorraine to Spain, against H…"
"Ah! let any one of the English whom our predecessors, both Danes and Norwegians, have defeated in a hundred battles, …"
"He must be judged by his acts, but his acts are sufficiently illuminating. They leave no doubt of his greatness, but …"
"As a warrior, William was (perhaps inevitably) stained with blood. As a ruler, his avarice was notorious, and his tax…"
"He was harsh and rapacious, personally pious, courageous in adversity, and indomitably tenacious of purpose. He could…"
"It would, in truth, be difficult to deny to William the Conqueror a place among the greatest monarchs of the Middle A…"
"As a mere constellation of talent in different fields Anselm, Gregory VII and William the Conqueror were the greatest…"
"Huddar would have been 101 now had he been alive. But then centenaries are not celebrated only to register how old so…"
"I regret I was not there to listen to Balaji Huddar's speech [...] No matter how many times you listen to him, his sp…"