Although only 10,000 Normans lived among a hostile population of one or two million people, the Normans successfully took over the majority of Anglo-Saxon institutions. The influence of the invaders was soon noticeable in nearly all aspects of English society and culture. Norman French became England's official language, despite the fact that most common people still spoke English. English politics became part of French politics, and English culture came to be dominated by the French, especially under the rule of King Henry 11 (1154-1189) and Eleanor of Aquitaine. In the church, Norman bishops replaced old Saxon bishops. Land was redistributed as well, and many Anglo-Saxon thanesfreemen who held the king's land-lost their possessions. Meanwhile, the Normans built numerous castles. By 1207, 80 percent of the property owners in Winchester were Normans, a sharp rise from the earlier figure of 30 percent. As one historian notes, "It is hardly surprising, then, that generations of patriotic Englishmen should have looked upon the Battle of Hastings as a national catastrophe" (Gillingham, p. 108).
Comments made by the characters in Robin Hood reflect disputes between the Saxons and the Normans.
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