William of Poitiers facts for kids

William of Poitiers (born around 1020, died 1090) was a priest from Normandy, a region in France. He worked as a special assistant, called a chaplain, for Duke William of Normandy. This Duke William later became famous as William the Conqueror. William of Poitiers wrote an important book about Duke William's invasion of England in 1066, known as the Norman Conquest. The book was called Gesta Willelmi (which means "The Deeds of William"). Before becoming a priest, William of Poitiers had trained to be a soldier.

William's Early Life

We don't know a lot about William of Poitiers's life. Most of what we know comes from another writer named Orderic Vitalis. Orderic wrote his own history book many years later.

William was probably born around 1020 in a place called Les Préaux in France. His family was important and well-known knights in Normandy. Orderic Vitalis said that William first trained as a knight. This experience helped him understand battles and war much better than other writers who were only priests.

Around 1049, William decided to become a priest. He stopped being a knight and studied at a famous school in Poitiers. Orderic Vitalis wrote that William returned to Normandy "more learned than all his friends and neighbours."

William's Church Roles

William of Poitiers was given important jobs in the church. He became a chaplain to Duke William. He also became an archdeacon of Lisieux, which is a high-ranking church official.

However, William's name doesn't show up in many official church or royal papers. This makes some historians wonder if Orderic Vitalis's account of William's life is completely accurate.

We know very little about William's later years. He might have retired to a religious house. It's also possible he fell out of favor with Duke William. Orderic Vitalis mentioned that William of Poitiers had to stop writing his history book because of "unfavorable circumstances." We don't know exactly what these problems were. Some historians think it might have been because William of Poitiers had connections to Duke William's rebellious son, Robert.

About the Gesta Guillelmi

William of Poitiers wrote his book, the Gesta Guillelmi, sometime after 1066. This book tells the story of how Duke William prepared for and won the Norman Conquest of England. It also tries to explain why Duke William had the right to become King of England. Most of the book was probably written between 1071 and 1077.

Why the Book is Important

The Gesta Guillelmi is the earliest long story about any Duke of Normandy. It is a very important source of information about the Battle of Hastings in 1066. William of Poitiers was in a good position to write this book. He had trained as a knight, so he understood war. He also worked closely with Duke William as his chaplain.

No original copies of the Gesta Guillelmi still exist today. The oldest known copy, which is now lost, was published in 1619. Even that copy was missing its beginning and end. The version we have today covers the years from 1047 to 1068. It starts and ends in the middle of a sentence! Orderic Vitalis said that the original book finished in 1071. The Gesta Guillelmi is most valuable for its details about the Battle of Hastings. These details were probably based on stories from people who were actually there.

Praising William the Conqueror

The Gesta Guillelmi also works as a panegyric. This means it's a piece of writing that praises someone a lot. R. Allen Brown, a historian, said that the book has "a wealth of facts and details." He also noted that William of Poitiers knew Duke William very well. Because he was both a priest and a former knight, William of Poitiers helps us understand Normandy in the 1000s better than almost any other writer.

What Historians Think of the Book

William of Poitiers probably thought of himself as a historian. He wrote in the Gesta Guillelmi that a historian should always stick to the truth. However, he didn't always follow his own rule.

Antonia Gransden, another historian, showed that William of Poitiers was just as much a praiser as a historian. She described the Gesta Guillelmi as "biased, unreliable," and giving "unrealistic portraits" of Duke William and his opponents.

Orderic Vitalis, who used the Gesta Guillelmi as a main source for his own history, often left out or disagreed with parts of Poitiers's book. For example, Orderic denied that King William was merciful to the English people he conquered. Orderic had grown up in England, so he knew more about what really happened.

Even with its problems, the Gesta Guillelmi is still important. It's usually easy to spot the parts where William of Poitiers is just praising Duke William. Many other parts of the book likely report events accurately.

What the Book Teaches Us

Anglo-Saxon Society

While the book is mostly about Duke William, it gives us some interesting ideas about English society before the Norman Conquest. For example, William of Poitiers wrote that a Viking raiding party returned from England with "great booty" (lots of stolen goods). He also said that Harold, the English king, had "abundant treasure." This might help explain why England was attacked so often in the 900s and early 1000s.

William of Poitiers also believed that the English people before the Conquest "all showed love of their country." This suggests they had a strong sense of national identity, which was not as common in Normandy at the time.

Norman Society

The Gesta Guillelmi also paints a picture of Norman France before 1066. It describes the many rebellions Duke William faced when he was young. Normandy was a divided place, with local lords often fighting private wars. This was very different from the more stable English kingdom across the Channel.

Duke William had to deal with these rebellious nobles. Sometimes he worked with them, and sometimes he forced them to obey. For example, even though Guy of Burgundy rebelled against Duke William, the Gesta Guillelmi says he was allowed to stay at Duke William's court.

The book also shows that castles were very important in Norman society. A strong Duke could use castles as bases to control the countryside. But castles could also be places where rebellious nobles gathered. William of Poitiers describes many sieges (attacks on castles) that Duke William had to lead.

Medieval Storytelling

As a book that praises Duke William, William of Poitiers's history constantly points out William's good qualities. For example, he wrote that the Duke "excelled in intelligence, assiduity, and strength." For William of Poitiers, Duke William was the perfect knight.

The book includes some unbelievable stories to show this. For instance, he claims that William, with only 50 knights, fought and defeated a force of 1000. This is clearly an exaggeration.

William of Poitiers also compares Duke William's actions to famous figures from ancient Greece and Rome. He makes a long comparison between William and Julius Caesar's attempt to conquer Britain. This was done to flatter Duke William and to show off William of Poitiers's own knowledge.

The Battle of Hastings

The Gesta Guillelmi provides the traditional story of the Battle of Hastings. William of Poitiers gives detailed descriptions of the Norman and Anglo Saxon armies. He also describes the famous "feigned flight" tactic, where Norman knights pretended to run away to trick the English into breaking their shield wall.

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