Norman

Refers to the period and style associated with the Normans, who were Norsemen from Denmark, Norway, and Iceland who raided the European coasts in the eighth and ninth centuries CE, settled in northern France in the early tenth century, reigned over the indigenous Frankish population, adopted their language, and eventually founded the duchy of Normandy. From Normandy, the Normans expanded to the British Isles, southern Italy, and Sicily. The style is particularly evident in designs of weapons and armor, the motte-and-bailey castle, and grand Romanesque ecclesiastical and monastic structures. The style is characterized by the brilliant adaptation and exploitation of indigenous local styles combined with some influences of the Byzantine east, which were introduced to the area by Norman adventurers and pilgrims.