Book excerpt: The Norman Conquest of England (CE 1066-1085) has been a hotbed of historical debate since as early as the eleventh century. In modernity, the historiography has witnessed contention mostly over the political, social, and economic implications and ramifications of the conquest. This thesis departs from these historical questions, exploring how medieval writers understood, told, and retold memories of the Norwegian and Norman invasions of England in 1066 and the subsequent Norman conquest of England from 1066-1085. Examining sources extant from c.1066 to 1235, it shows that Norman apologists of the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries effectively reforged the narratives of these events for three main purposes: to destroy other claims to the throne of England, to belittle the memories of the Anglo-Saxon army in order that later readers believe the Norman flight at the Battle of Hastings was actually a feigned retreat, and to fortify William the Conqueror's (1028-1087) historical place as the rightful heir to the English throne after the death of Edward the Confessor (1003-1066).