996 and all that: the Norman peasants' revolt reconsidered
Bernard Gowers
Early in the reign of Richard II Normandy (996–1026), a peasant movement, usually described as revolt, was suppressed. This paper re-examines evidence William Jumièges, Wace and an anonymous history Fécamp. It argues that movement cannot be securely dated to 996, not military enterprise, revolutionary. Peasants attempted mobilize quasi-Carolingian assembly practices order gain concessions concerning specific economic issues, but did seek re-order their society. The probably affected Seine valley, rather than encompassing all Normandy.
Early Medieval Europe